Small Business Saturday will be here before you know it...

All over Cleveland and throughout Northeast Ohio business owners will band together the Saturday after Thanksgiving to go head-to-head with big box stores, promoting all things local. There's a supply chain management through all aspects of this effort. From businesses carrying the right amount of inventory, partnering in clusters of businesses to ensure a solid shopping experience with a diversified amount of products and services, marketing efforts and of course same-day delivery. Reliable Runners can help, more on that later.

One of the greatest advantages small businesses have over big box stores is the ability to approach all things in a more personal manner, leading to more intimate relationships with customers. The ways in which people shop, however, are evolving and small business owners are continuously having to find new ways to grow their customer base. And one of the most rapidly evolving factors in retail is delivery.

In today’s retail landscape, offering expedited delivery options is becoming the norm. As major retailers like Target and Amazon continue to fine-tune their last mile delivery solutions, there’s also a trend of consumers favoring retailers with fast delivery options. Meeting this rising demand will help small businesses attract new and retain existing customers who are shopping online and in stores.

WHY OffeR Same-Day Delivery?

Small businesses that offer same-day delivery in Cleveland, Ohio have a lot to gain: growing their customer base, retaining their existing customers, and getting an edge on local competition in Northeast Ohio. And providing convenient delivery solutions for customers increases the chances that they’ll write positive online reviews and generate more word-of-mouth referrals. It also keeps customers coming back. 74% of U.S. consumers say they’re more likely to purchase from a company again after receiving same-day delivery on an item.

While there’s a lot to gain by offering same-day delivery, there’s also a lot to lose when it’s not offered. According to a 2017 study, 51% of retailers offer same-day delivery (a 16% increase from the previous year) and 65% of retailers intend to offer it in the future. Additionally, there’s an increase in retailers using third-party delivery services. As more retailers begin offering expedited delivery services, and more consumers come to expect it, small businesses without fast (or any) delivery options might get left behind.

MeetING Delivery Expectations

Providing same-day delivery, and doing it well, is no small task for any size business, whether you are high end fashion boutique or your are Amazon. By offering a quality delivery experience that meets consumer expectations, small businesses gain a more competitive edge and encourage customer loyalty.

upfront pricing

Studies have shown that consumers are willing to pay more for same-day and expedited delivery, but no one likes being thrown for a loop with surge pricing. Being transparent about delivery fees staves off potential future complaints about unexpected costs. Providing this kind of transparency also promotes the more personable touch that most small businesses offer.

Employ professional drivers

Those who deliver a package are a direct reflection of the business from which the product was purchased. And as is the case for all customer service interactions, a negative delivery experience could keep customers from shopping with a business again. In fact, 70% of consumers agree that when the delivery person is dressed in uniform, it increases their trust. And more than half (57%) wouldn’t purchase from a retailer again if the delivery person was unprofessional. By employing courteous, timely, and well-kempt drivers, small businesses can ensure they’re being represented well.

real-time tracking

Same-day delivery loses its convenience factor if you’re waiting around for a delivery. Providing real-time tracking lets customers know when to expect their package, making it easier not to plan their day around the process. Leveraging this kind of technology also helps small businesses keep pace with larger companies who already offer real-time tracking capabilities, especially in the the winters of Northeast Ohio!

Looking Outward for Same-Day Delivery Solutions

Effectively managing a successful delivery service requires an abundance of resources, such as drivers, vehicles, technology, money, and time. Yet not all small businesses have the resources to accomplish same-day delivery.

This puts them in a precarious position: they run the risk of losing out on customers if they don’t offer same-day delivery, but they also risk losing customers if they don’t offer a high-quality experience for customers. As much as there is to gain, there’s just as much to lose when not fulfilled properly. For small businesses that can meet consumers’ delivery expectations, there’s a huge opportunity to entice those who’ve had negative delivery experiences with other companies.

By outsourcing delivery, small businesses can reap the benefits of leveraging a professional,  on-demand, same-day delivery service  in Cleveland, Ohio without all the liability. Many delivery services function as an extension of your business, meaning customers correlate positive experiences with the retailer rather than the delivery provider. Ultimately, delivery service providers manage the complex logistics with built-in technology so that retailers can focus on operating their business. 

ABOUT RELIABLE RUNNERS

Reliable Runners is much more than Northeast Ohio's premier expedited delivery service provider. From our new corporate headquarters just outside Cleveland, our goal is to provide a total logistics solution for every one of our more than 1,500 clients, regardless of size or need, from envelopes to truckloads.

We work with clients across the United States, providing them with 24/7/365 service, while meeting the highest standards they have come to expect. The services we provide to entrepreneurs and e-businesses are just as effective as those that our Fortune 500 clients expect, so we're able to help all of our clients achieve a competitive advantage by driving down their inventory expenses, reducing their transportation costs and improving customer service.

With Reliable Runners, the premier Ohio courier service, logistics is taken to the next level.

We realized nearly three decades ago when we started out that our goal would be to revolutionize expedited delivery services, and today we're doing just that - helping our clients transform the logistics cost equation and address any logistics challenge they might encounter.

Whatever it takes to get time-sensitive materials from one place to another, Reliable Runners will do, whether that means outsourcing a customer's current dispatch activities, providing distribution and fulfillment solutions, or preparing for a scheduled or on-call delivery. We'll make sure your shipment arrives on time...and for less.

We will also service both those who need courier service on-demand and our complement of clients that regularly use our service, all of which can vouch for the consistency and reliability of our service. These benefits, along with accountability, speed, customer service and convenience, is what sets Reliable Runners apart.

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC TECHNOLOGY. INDUSTRY-LEADING INNOVATION.

Reliable Runners recognized long ago that offering a whole new level of delivery and expedited delivery service would require continued investment in the most advanced technology. Its only through cutting-edge solutions that we're able to deliver more than just on-time shipments to our customers - we draw on our three decades of experience to develop solutions that we know distribution chain stakeholders require.  

The crown jewel in our suite of logistics technology is eZrunner™, a web-based, comprehensive account management solution. eZrunner™ provides users:

Online quoteReal-Time
• me Order Tracking
• Proof of delivery
• Reporting
• Electronic invoice receipt
• Online payments

In today's fast-paced, global distribution chain, efficiency, accuracy and cost are the most critical components of deliveries. Part of the reason Reliable Runners has been trusted as the top Ohio courier service for nearly 30 years is because we understand the unique challenges preventing logistics providers from achieving peak performance in these areas.

Through eZrunner™, Reliable Runners can help clients achieve these benefits by linking together several state-of-the-art technologies into one intuitive dashboard system. These specific technologies facilitate valuable functions, including:

• "Proof of delivery" information that is instantly recorded and transmitted
• Real-time delivery data, status updates and online reporting
• Driver tracking
• Instant customer account information, quoting and order tracking.
• Reliable Runners: We support the beginning, middle and end of your supply chain

Logistics services are ultimately about transporting materials from one point to another, as quickly as possible and without interruption. The process should be straightforward. With Reliable Runners, it will be, and next-level expedited delivery services should be within your reach.