How to handle delivery exceptions | easy blog (2023)

Core items:

• A delivery exception occurs when a shipment encounters an unexpected event that may change its delivery date.
• Custom delays, extreme weather conditions, public holidays, and damaged labels are all reasons why your order may be delayed.
• The duration of a shipping exception depends on the cause of the delay, but most are resolved in less than 7 days

Timely delivery is one of the most important things for potential ecommerce customers. And so, as an online retailer, do your best to meet buyer expectations. But no matter how much thought and care you put into your delivery process, unexpected delays can result in delivery exceptions.

A delivery exception occurs when a shipment encounters an unexpected event that may change its delivery date. Receiving a delay notice from carriers can frustrate your buyers. In turn, customers turn to you for support.

For this reason, it is important to know about delivery exceptions and how to handle them.With EasyshipIt helps you with shipping exceptions by automating these notifications so you don't miss a thing when customers are concerned.

Read this article to learn how to handle delivery exceptions, why these exceptions occur, and how you can streamline the delivery process for customers.

What is a delivery exception?

Most people ask, "What is a delivery exception?" A delivery exception or shipping exception is when a delivery date is changed due to an unforeseen circumstance.

Basically, a delivery exception is a notification notifying the recipient that theirThe package encountered a problem in transit.

Even with sophisticated shipping processes and technology, courier companies struggle when your packages are in transit.

Whether or not these delays are unintentional, shipping exceptions can result in frustrated customers. However, this is not always the case. Some products arrive on time even after a shipping exception occurs.

4 types of delivery exceptions

Not all delivery exceptions are created equal. There are different types of shipping exceptions and couriers handle these exceptions differently.

Wrong address and damaged label

Incorrect delivery addressesor damaged labels lead to delivery failures. To avoid this, be sure to check the recipient's address before shipping. An incorrect number in a zip code or apartment number can also cause problems. Carriers often return incorrectly addressed packages to the shipping station or shipper, which can increase delivery times.

Vacation

Delivery exceptions often occur due to increased shipping volume during the holidays. During peak periods, please ensure all shipping information is correct, including package weight, dimensions and pickup times. Thoroughness is the best way to avoid supply disruptions during these periods.

Collections and Deliveries

Pickup exceptions occur when the carrier cannot locate the delivery address or the address for a scheduled pickup. In this scenario, you must resubmit the pickup request and provide the carrier with a different time.

Delivery problems occur in different situations. For example, a delivery cannot be made due to an incorrect address, bad weather, damaged labels, or the recipient is unable to sign for the shipment.

loss and damage

Despite the safety measures taken by the shipping companies, accidents happen. When accidents occur during transportation, carriers often hold the shipment instead of proceeding with the delivery.

In these cases, damaged shipments will be returned to the original shipping station with a damage slip attached. To minimize the risk of damage in transit, pack your products carefully. Like damage, there may be occasional loss in transit. If a shipping company realizes that a shipment has been lost and cannot be delivered, it receives a loss exception.

FedEx Delivery Exceptions

FedEx issues delivery exceptions for customs delays, holiday issues, missing paperwork, and no one home to take the package.

The company claims sothat "an exception occurs when a package is temporarily delayed in transit" but that "every effort is made to deliver each package as quickly as possible, so an exception does not necessarily mean a delayed shipment".

You may receive a notification with the code "PMX". This simply means that the item could not be delivered on the courier's normal route, so it was returned to a delivery station overnight and a delivery attempt will be made again the next day.

Learn more about FedEx delivery exceptions here.

USPS Delivery Exceptions

For USPS shipping exceptions, incorrect addresses and holidays are the most common reasons for shipping delays. If your package is late, you will see an exception message when you trytrack your package.

Exceptions to UPS Delivery

Exceptions to UPS Deliveryoccur "When a package or shipment encounters an unforeseen event that could result in a change in the expected delivery date."

Exceptions for DHL delivery

DHL customers may see a message saying "Your DHL shipment is on hold". This is DHL's version of a shipping exception, but it's just like the rest. The package has experienced a delay that should take less than a week to rectify.

5 reasons for delivery exceptions

Although a significant number of online shoppers receive their orders on time, here are some reasons for exceptions.

1. Customs Delays

If you are used to shipping internationally, you will understand that there are many challenges. For example, packages can remain in customs longer than expected. To avoid this, ecommerce businesses need to have the right onesharmonized codesand documentation for smooth shipping.

2. Adverse weather conditions

Bad weather can of course cause problems, but abnormal conditions such as wildfires, floods and tornadoes can render delivery routes completely impassable and result in significant delivery delays. These unpredictable cases, beyond human control, can lead to courier companies issuing exceptions.

3. Federal Holidays

Deliveries may also be delayed if the estimated delivery date falls on a national holiday. This is because couriers sometimes do not operate on public holidays such as Christmas Day, so shipments cannot be delivered.

4. Damaged and missing labels

An exception can also occur when a shipping label is damaged or missing because the courier cannot find the delivery address or cannot scan the barcode. This can lead to significant delays.

5. Nobody to take the package

Most carriers have policies that customers must sign for a package to be delivered. Therefore, if no one accepts and signs for the package, an exception notification may need to be issued. In most cases, delivery will be postponed to the next day. In addition, customers are advised to make use of itDelivery Management ToolsYour carriers to plan where, when and how to make deliveries.

How to handle a delivery exception

Delivery exceptions do happen, but that doesn't mean it has to be a problem for your ecommerce business. By handling shipping exceptions quickly, you can mitigate most customer complaints that can later negatively impact your sales. Here are three things you can do:

1. Contact the carrier immediately

You must contact your courier as soon as possible to find out where your package is. Ask them what the problem is and how best to solve it. If the customer has the tracking information, you can do the same.

2. Contact the customer

If the shipping address is wrong, you may need to contact the customer to get the correct address. But you might also want to talk to them to apologize and soothe ruffled feathers.

3. Resend the package or do refunds

If an exception caused the package to be undelivered, please negotiate with the customer to resend the package or issue a full refund. Good shipping insurance can provide compensation for goods damaged in transit.

How Easyship helps with delivery exceptions

Easyship is designed to give you the easiest shipping process from start to finish. As such, the company has taken several actions that can help you manage a delivery exception:

• Exception Prevention:The Easyship platform notifies you when there are anticipated problems with deliveries, such as: B. wrong addresses. It also allows you to automatically generate shipping labels and pre-filled customs declarations to minimize these hassles. You can also edit information such as addresses later in the fulfillment process.
• Secure:With Easyship you can have yourShipments up to $10,000. In addition, claims processing is quick and easy. Perhaps most importantly, the platform offers flexible insurance settings so you can get exactly the type of coverage you need for your shipments.
• Follow up:When you book a shipment with Easyship, both you and your customers can track the package during transit. This will help you spot any exceptions.
• Answer quickly:El EasyshipCustomer Service Teamcan quickly respond to concerns about exceptions. You can also process claims for packages that are lost or damaged in transit.

Avoid delivery exceptions with Easyship

Some delivery exceptions can be avoided, while others, such as B. bad weather and public holidays, this can not. Because of this, eCommerce businesses need to take steps to handle shipping exceptions in a way that leads to happy customers. For example, verifying addresses, labels, and customs forms is helpful, as is hiring the services of a trusted shipping solutions company like Easyship.

You can create a free Easyship account to get instant access to pre-negotiated shipping rates with discounts of up to 91% at retail.Sign up here free of charge.

Frequently asked questions about delivery exceptions

How long does a shipping exception last?

The duration of a shipping exception depends on the cause of the delay, but most exceptions resolve in less than seven days.

What does the "shipment damaged" exception mean?

If a package was damaged in transit, the label is missing, or the label has become unusable, carriers attach the "damaged" label to the delivery exception.

What does "No Delivery Attempt Exception" mean?

This notification appears when the carrier made no attempt to deliver the package. This can be due to various reasons including inclement weather, vehicle issues, driver error or personal issues of the delivery driver.