How do you handle LTL Freight-Order customers who do not answer their phone calls?
How do you handle LTL Freight-Order customers who do not answer their phone calls? We have some large items listed with the special Freight Template which prompts customers to confirm their phone #, but some customers leave phone #s which they do not seem to answer. Then we hold back from the freight/LTL-shipped product because nothing worse than the LTL company not being able to get ahold of the customer (or worse, attempt delivery when customer is not present). Then eventually we are forced to cancel the order and get hit with a cancellation defect.
Can anyone give me advice on how to best handle LTL/freight-ordered items where customers provide unreachable phone numbers?
How do you handle LTL Freight-Order customers who do not answer their phone calls?
How do you handle LTL Freight-Order customers who do not answer their phone calls? We have some large items listed with the special Freight Template which prompts customers to confirm their phone #, but some customers leave phone #s which they do not seem to answer. Then we hold back from the freight/LTL-shipped product because nothing worse than the LTL company not being able to get ahold of the customer (or worse, attempt delivery when customer is not present). Then eventually we are forced to cancel the order and get hit with a cancellation defect.
Can anyone give me advice on how to best handle LTL/freight-ordered items where customers provide unreachable phone numbers?
6 replies
Dominic_Amazon
Hi @Seller_ujsRxnlGg9l9v,
Dominic from Amazon here, happy to try to help. Is this an arranged freight delivery or scheduled delivery?
- Arranged Freight Delivery
This option requires you, or your carrier, to contact the customer via phone or Buyer-Seller Messaging within 2 business days of the order being placed, to set up a delivery appointment time. At checkout, customers are notified that they will be contacted to arrange the date of the delivery, and are given an option to update their phone number. This is the default shipping option, and will always be enabled for products listed on the freight-shipping template. Note that all calls to customers should happen between 8am - 8pm based on the customer’s local time zone.
- Scheduled Delivery
The customer will see the available delivery slots, and will have the option to pick any available slot at their convenience. You can use Seller Central to offer either day or day and time slots during which you or your carrier can deliver. This is an optional shipping method for freight templates, and you will have the choice to enable this ship option alongside Arranged Freight Delivery. If the customer selects Scheduled Delivery, you are not required to contact them post-order. All Scheduled Delivery orders will have a “Scheduled Delivery” message displayed on the Manage Orders page along with the date of delivery.
Best,
Dominic
Seller_ujsRxnlGg9l9v
Arranged. We need to contact the customer ahead-of-time (after time of order) to arrange the delivery. Problem is that many customers simply do not pick up their phone or return the voicemails we leave for them. Also, many customers either do not receive, or do not reply, to related messages that we send them through Amazon Messaging.
The other issue that arises with these non-responsive customers is that we are then forced to cancel their orders and consequently receive a cancelled order defect.
Seller_ujsRxnlGg9l9v
Bump? Any advice on improving customer outreach success for Arranged LTL freight shipments?
Dominic_Amazon
Hi @Seller_ujsRxnlGg9l9v,
Sorry for the delay on this, did you submit a case to Seller Support on this? Understand the cancellation of orders is not the best way to handle this.
Best,
Dominic
Seller_12zeLCqpxtzUo
Good afternoon, I experience the same problem.
With every freight order, we call the number listed on their order to be sure it is a working number. If the number does not work, we send a message to the customer using the amazon messenger. If they do not reply with a working phone number before the order becomes a late shipment, we cancel the order as address undeliverable.
But for some orders, we call the number and it goes to voicemail. That at least indicates that it is a working number, especially if the customer's name is in the voice mail greeting. So we ship the product. But then a few days later i get an email from the carrier saying that the customer is not answering the phone or calling back. So we try to call or send a message on amazon (can't always message a customer after a product has shipped because they mark their profile that they don't want unsolicited messages from sellers... but it's not unsolicited, the product is ready for delivery and there is now no way at all to communicate to the customer that they need to call the carrier.) We then have no choice but to cancel the order and return the freight shipment. If we don't, the shipment begins to accrue storage charges that can be about $150 per day depending on the carrier. The real problem is that we lose the shipping and return shipping charges just because the customer does not answer their phone. When the product gets back to our facility, the customer will then make an A-Z claim stating they never received their package.
I think that this is the price of doing business on Amazon. If you get enough completed orders, i guess it balances out, but the shipping for these freight products are at least $300 each way.
(edition) I might start trying to text those phone numbers as well as call.
Seller_WAZNnMBpd99sI
BETSTCO In reply to: Dominic_Amazon's post
The real problem is that we lose the shipping and return shipping charges just because the customer does not answer their phone. When the product gets back to our facility, the customer will then make an A-Z claim stating they never received their package.
I think that this is the price of doing business on Amazon. If you get enough completed orders, i guess it balances out, but the shipping for these freight products are at least $300 each way.
Charge $300 delivery, Upon Return, withhold Restock Fee from product Price
Then fight it out with senseless Amazon A-to-Z Reps.
