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DPD parcel delivery email notification — smart, but let’s go mobile too?

NewScreen Shot 2011 09 19 at 09 59 52

Here’s the email I just received from DPD. I ordered a lot of stuff from Amazon on Friday and over the weekend so we’re due a few deliveries today. It was nice to get this update by email. It’s a super example of smart thinking. Amazon already has my email address. I am utterly content for Amazon to pass this information (one-time) to DPD to help me receive the package reliably.

I clicked through on ‘Change Date’ and sure enough, it’s ultra easy for me to change the date of delivery.

I just forwarded the mail to my wife. Turns out she’s going to be out in the afternoon.

Genius.

I just clicked ‘change date’ and selected tomorrow.

That is smart.

I’d like to get a delivery notification for every sizeable delivery from Amazon. Better still I’d like a push notification from the Amazon Shopping iPhone app — which is where I ordered the package I think.

It’s a clear, pleasant email from DPD though. Their site doesn’t appear to optimise for mobiles — that’s a wee bit of a disappointment — so on a smartphone it’ll just take a little while longer to load.

One thing that would be helpful is some kind of description as to what’s IN the package. Now I know that it’s probably best for these update emails to be reasonably anonymous (e.g. “We’re delivering your £10k diamond-plated Vertu this morning” isn’t something you probably want too public) but it would be useful to have some way of connecting the notification to the order.

If Amazon was emailing me instead of DPD, then I think it would be fine for them to mention the details.

Surely DPD are just the delivery mechanism, right? My transaction was with Amazon — therefore why didn’t I get a communication from Amazon, rather than DPD? Ideally the whole experience should be branded Amazon, no?

Anyway. The net result is satisfaction for me.

Update: Thanks to Bhupinder Hare of Geopost UK (DPD) marketing who got in touch in the comments below to point out that DPD will have a mobile website ready in early 2012. I’m looking forward to that Bhupinder, this is super news!

7 COMMENTS

  1. Amazon have probably low control over the delivery itself. DPD knows where the parcel is and where the drivers are. They are best placed to control over the delivery.
    Howver, DPD could offer to its customers (Amazon) a white lable solution, in a similar way we had online shop specialist mimicking the seller experience, like Digital River.

  2. Good morning Ewan. 

    I’m messaging from DPD’s Marketing Department. First things first, thanks for your opinions and kind words. We’re glad that you like the email notifications that we provide to parcel recipients. We’re also pleased to hear that you found the process involved with changing your delivery easy to follow.

    We just wanted to give you a heads up that we’re currently developing a mobile version of the DPD website, in order to optimise the experience for mobile device users. We expect that this will be ready early in 2012.

    Please take a look at the services we offer at http://www.dpd.co.uk
    Alternatively, you can Tweet us @DPD_UK:disqusOr you can ‘Like’ us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/dpd.uk

    Thanks again for sharing your opinions.

    Kind Regards,

    DPD.  

  3. Bhypinder, thank you for taking the time to write! I’ll update the post with that information — I look forward to the new mobile version 😀

  4. Hi Ewan, no worries.

    We always welcome opinions and feedback. We’re now following Mobile Industry Review on Twitter. Be sure to follow us so you can keep up with our news and innovations!

    Thanks,

    DPD.

  5. It’s all well and good when it works.. but it doesn’t always work. When Vodafone sent me a new phone I got my delivery time via SMS first thing on the delivery day. Seemed impressive. I was able to book a few appointments and plan my day knowing that the parcel would be with me in the hour slot 14.15-15.15. It wasn’t.

    After much dicking about, a few tweets and calls between DPD’s social media team the parcel arrived after 6pm with a rather sheepish driver saying ‘Better late than never..’

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