#pataa

How many of you remember using mobile phones with switch pad, when we had to press a single button multiple times to type an alphabet. But eventually, mobile phones became smarter and now with just a single touch we are able to do a lot. Similarly, a lot of things have become smarter around us like our homes and our way of interacting with gadgets. Today, with a single voice command we are able to listen to our favorite song or order food from our favorite restaurant. And this is how it should be, the purpose of technological advancement is to make the lives of humans comfortable and convenient. However, still there are various things that need to become smarter like our addresses.

Even today we use methodical and traditional approaches when it comes to addresses. Though, we got multiple map apps in India but still one has to face multiple issues in locating an address. If you have ever used GPS navigation, then you will agree that they certainly guide you about the route but still you end up on wrong paths or dead ends or get stuck in traffic jams or potholes. This is the reason why delivery boys prefer calling you numerous times rather than using map apps.

Do you remember how many times the last delivery guy that came to your place called you? And do you also remember the amount of frustration and anger those calls caused or how disturbing or embarrassing that was for you during those office meetings and conference calls? Without a doubt, explaining address multiple times can become annoying and it also creates a lot of disturbance if you are a part of a group gathering. And not just this, if by chance you end up missing those calls then be ready for late delivery. These scenarios are very common in India and almost each one of us has experienced one or the other instance at least once in our lives. Now, imagine a solution to this problem. An app that uses navigation technology in a more personalized manner and allows sharing address with exact route details and guide. Thankfully, today we have apps available that allow you to share your address in a code form and with that single code the visitor can know the exact details about the address like landmark, audio guide and additional instructions if any. Let us understand this with an example. Say, you want to share your address with your guests visiting you for the first time. So, instead of calling them or them calling you to take clarity on landmark or route, all you have to do is share your address in the code format through the smart device app.

With the code your visitor will get to know the exact location of your home on the map. You can also add landmarks that are popular, easy to find or nearby your place to help your visitors reach you without any trouble. Also, these location platforms allow you to record your address in your own voice as an audio guide to your home. So, if at any place the visitor feels stuck or lost, they can listen to that guide and get more clarity on which route to take, which one to avoid and from where to take the next turn. This is exactly where these apps prove to be an innovative solution because in typical map apps in India, there is automated recording that guides you to take left from 500m or take right from 100m but sometimes those roads are so clumsy or congested that you avoid taking them and end up on a wrong route.

Gone are the days when online shopping was just a convenient option and used by a particular set of people. Today it has become an important way for businesses to engage as it is used by a majority of people especially after the pandemic. The lockdown and the new norms of maintaining physical distance insisted people to order everything online be it groceries, vegetables, fruits or apparels. The increased demand of online shopping also increased the number of online stores and number of parcels that logistics companies have to handle on daily basis.

For most of the people placing orders online and receiving parcels were more like a part of the daily routine. Besides, as orders for essentials and daily consumables were being placed there was an urgency and everyone wanted to receive their placed orders as soon as they can, to ensure their day-to-day activities can go on smoothly. But, during this time when bulk orders were being handled and time was of great importance, it came to realization that there are some loopholes in the current process of delivery that not just impact the operational efficiency but also has huge impact on the customer satisfaction and overall online experience.

So, let us have a look at some of the most common mistakes that these online delivery companies make.

Poor understanding of the address

Inaccurate address is a serious problem in India. The wrong postal or area codes, poor landmark sharing practices and congested roads often increase the delivery time significantly. It is because of these issues that a delivery person has to call you again and again to get better understanding of your address. If you have ever ordered something online, then even you must have had similar experience. It is not sure that who must be blamed for the poor addressing issue, but it definitely is a serious concern for both the consumer and the delivery company. Suppose a delivery boy has 60 parcels to be delivered in a day and he takes 15-20 minutes to understand one address then you can imagine the amount of extra time that he spends in a day to do this unproductive work. Besides, if we look at it from the consumer’s point of view then even if he has only 2 deliveries scheduled for the day from two different vendors then 2-3 phone calls per parcel means, 4-6 unnecessary calls in a day. And sometimes due to an important meeting or any other engagement you end up missing these calls which in turns postpones your delivery by two to three days. This creates serious trouble if you were expecting your medicines or groceries to be delivered urgently.

Asking for directions during the way

There are various incidents of delivery boys disturbing the whole traffic and being the cause of traffic jams. It is a normal scene on roads where delivery guys are seen stopping without any indication disturbing the whole traffic on the road and even while talking on phone, they take turns without giving any left or right indication which leads to traffic snarls and even accidents. This not only poses a threat on everyone’s safety but also increases the delivery time. Today when daily thousands of couriers or parcels are delivered and hundreds of delivery boys are on road, it becomes more than important to address this addressing issue and present the professionals with GPS location app that allows them to track the location and reach on the destination without disturbing the traffic and putting people’s safety at risk. Besides, the GPS navigation is super easy to use, and anyone can use it without any hassle. Also, the delivery companies don’t have to worry about making any investment as most of these apps are available for free and can be easily downloaded from App Store or Google Play Store depending on the operating system of the phone.

Cliched and ineffective approaches

Today, when GPS for ecommerce is gaining popularity, we are still relying on drop down menus for address sharing. The whole inaccurate addressing issue can be resolved if we move to smarter solutions where a consumer is allowed to point his location on a map or share a route guide in audio format. Imagine how easier reaching to an address will become if you knew the exact route, the right path and even have a recorded audio where you are explained from where to take a turn or which route to take and which one to avoid. Thankfully, today apps with map APIs are available where a consumer can easily point his location on the Map and even give instruction on route choices. With these types of apps you can easily avoid calling consumers again and again for understanding the address or asking passerby for directions.

Inability to provide ETA

As companies don’t have clear understanding of the location of the consumer’s house, they are not able to give expected time of arrival. As a result, they generally only give a range (40-50 mins) and not able to share the exact time of the arrival of your parcel. But, with the GPS location app the business can take proper understanding of the address and give proper time for the arrival of the parcel. This can improve the overall delivery experience for the consumer as well as allow companies to make the whole process efficient and deliver more parcels in a day.