How to Communicate Shipping ETAs for the Holidays

As the December holidays draw closer, ensuring your customers receive their packages on time is crucial for building trust and maintaining a positive brand reputation. Holiday shipping delays can cause customer frustration and hurt brand loyalty. To avoid this, proactive communication of your shipping ETAs (Estimated Time of Arrival) is key. Here’s how your brand can navigate the complexities of holiday shipping and ensure a smooth customer experience.

How Should You Handle Holiday ETAs?

During the holiday season, package volumes surge, and shipping timelines can become unpredictable. Managing customer expectations around delivery dates is essential. Here’s some tips from the Wonderment team:

1. Leverage Delivery Promise Options:

• Delivery Promise allows you to provide customers with a range of delivery timelines, with minimum, middle, and maximum estimates. This helps set realistic expectations for when they can anticipate receiving their orders.

• If you currently only use the minimum and middle delivery estimates, it may be wise to adopt a more conservative approach during the holiday rush. The shipping landscape in December can be unpredictable, and giving yourself a buffer (using maximum timelines) can prevent missed expectations if delays occur.

2. Consider Shipping Method Adjustments:

• For high-value or urgent holiday gifts, consider promoting faster shipping options with explicit delivery promises to encourage customers to upgrade for peace of mind.

• If you’re unsure about the reliability of certain carriers or shipping methods during the holiday season, adjust your estimates and communicate this to customers early on. Low-cost carriers (popular for free shipping) are going to see the slowest performance, so as the season goes on you should counsel customers away from those choices. 

When’s Your Last Date to Ship?

Timing is everything when it comes to holiday shipping. Knowing your absolute last date to ship packages to ensure delivery by December 24th is crucial.

1. Analyze Your Fulfillment and Carrier Speeds:

• Consider your 3PL (third-party logistics) handling times and the speeds of different carriers. How quickly can your fulfillment partner process and hand off orders to carriers? Factor in extra days for potential delays as carriers handle increased volumes. Check your Fulfillment Cycle Reporting in Wonderment as the season progresses. 

• Good news this year: With December 25th falling on a Wednesday, there’s an extra cushion for last-minute shipments. This means you may be able to ship orders as late as December 20th or 21st and still achieve a delivery by Christmas Eve, especially if using expedited or priority shipping services.

2. Establish and Communicate Clear Cutoff Dates:

• Announce your last order date for guaranteed Christmas delivery across your marketing channels. Highlight expedited shipping options for those ordering after the standard cutoff.

• Be transparent with customers: if there’s uncertainty due to weather or other unpredictable factors, encourage them to order early.

What Should You Communicate and Where?

To ensure your customers are aware of your holiday shipping policies, it’s important to communicate key information across multiple touchpoints. Here are some of the most effective ways to do this:

1. Website Banner:

• Add a prominent banner on your homepage indicating your holiday shipping deadlines and expected delivery times. This serves as a quick, visible reminder for customers browsing your site.

2. FAQ Page:

• Update your FAQ section with details about holiday shipping, including cutoff dates, available shipping options, and expected delays. Include a link to this page in your order confirmation emails for easy reference.

3. Product Detail Page (PDP):

• On the Product Detail Page, update the Delivery Promise prompt to include language about the last day to order for Christmas delivery. For example, add a note like: “Order by December 20th with Express Shipping to receive by Christmas.”

4. Email and Social Media Announcements:

• Use your email list and social media platforms to remind customers of approaching shipping deadlines. Include links to the relevant pages on your website where they can find more details.

What Reports Should You Monitor as the Holidays Approach?

Staying on top of shipping performance is essential as the holiday season progresses. Monitoring your data can help you anticipate and address issues before they impact customer satisfaction.

1. Track Orders with Holiday-Sensitive ETAs:

• Create reports that highlight orders with an ETA past December 25th. These reports can help you proactively reach out to affected customers, offering solutions like upgraded shipping or alternative delivery arrangements.

• Example: This Dashboard report will show you packages with an ETA after 12/24/24. 

2. Segment by Carrier Performance:

• Filter your Shipments Dashboard data by carrier, region, or service level to identify potential bottlenecks. If one carrier is experiencing delays, consider shifting shipments to a more reliable service or notifying customers who may be impacted.

• Build and export customer lists based on these filters for targeted messaging. For instance, if you notice a spike in delays with a specific carrier, communicate directly with those affected customers to set expectations.

3. Watch Delivery Time Reports:

• Monitor your delivery time reports daily throughout December. Look for emerging patterns or delays to adjust your communication strategy as needed. If you see consistent delays, adjust your Delivery Promise on your site to reflect more realistic timelines.

• Use these insights to inform your last-minute cutoff dates and update customers accordingly.