In current pandemic times, being a germophobe has become a new normal. More and more people are getting aware of the hazards and in turn becoming wary of the touchpoints. This made businesses, especially e-commerce to improvise and offer contactless delivery to the customers. With the advent of Covid19 and subsequent lockdowns, people were forced to shop online. As the customers became comfortable with online shopping, it created massive spike in sales. Many business houses enjoyed this boom and also worked on greater customer experience. The main challenge was an efficient supply chain and product delivery. Thankfully Indian logistics space already had dedicated logistics solutions providers, such as Ecom Express, which not only are the experts in the domain but also boast of a robust and efficient service network, making it easier for online sellers to scale up while maintaining greater customer satisfaction.

However, as the pandemic taught us how everyone is a stakeholder in recovery, e-commerce also shared the responsibility and ensured highest safety levels by following all government mandated COVID protocols and also introducing contactless delivery. In this article, we will attempt to describe how to achieve safer delivery experience, so that  you and your customers are away from any risks.

Contactless Delivery – Prevention to avoid having to cure

Contactless delivery is a mechanism to ensure your customer’s and delivery partner’s safety. This involves added sanitation and hygiene at every process level. It’s a myth that contactless delivery is only important for food delivery. The way coronavirus mutates and spreads, every business selling goods, needs to ensure that the packages are taken to their customers securely and with minimum touchpoints. Every channel which makes e-commerce delivery possible, it’s imperative to follow all the protocols and maintain social distancing throughout.

If you have just started as an e-commerce seller, you may find it challenging to implement a contactless delivery system but it’s important. Proper PPE kits, regular and compulsory use of sanitizers and social distancing can go a long way.

Turning Hygiene into a habit

Prevention is better than cure: As old as it sounds, it’s just that important to follow. Hygiene is not just an action to maintain but also a need of the hour. Covid might not appear as potent now but it still exists. Worse, the new mutant version Omicron’s real damage is still unknown.

So, to play safe, all e-commerce businesses must resort to mandatory and perpetual precautions and the most notable one is maintaining compulsory hygiene. Here’s what most e-commerce businesses are doing

Regular Screening – Random testing and regular temperature checks to screen all warehouse and store personnel
Making Personal Protective Equipment a part of their uniform
Frequent and regular sanitization of the warehouse, vehicles and equipment
Optimizing the number of staff to help maintain social distancing
Keeping sanitizers, masks and gloves stocked up

Employee safety at workplace

Being the drivers of the India growth story, many e-commerce and logistics companies are striving to maintain comprehensive safety measures and creating systems to ensure social distancing. For instance, industry major Ecom Express frequently sanitizes its warehouses, vehicles and equipment and follow a zero-error policy in this regard pan India. The company has also ensured that its entire workforce is fully vaccinated and trained at adhering to social distancing protocols. Backed with a robust logistics network and efficient safety policies, Ecom Express played a key role in economic rebound post pandemic.

Likewise, you can make sure of the precautionary measures being followed at your location too. Keep PPE kits, masks and sanitizer handy and train and educate your staff at regular intervals about the risks of losing guard. A concerted effort from your end can prevent any unwanted scenario which could stall your growth.

Contactless Payments

Every note or coin that we touch has been into millions of hands and pockets, making it into a super-spreader. Acknowledging this as a risk, most e-commerce businesses are encouraging and incentivizing customers to switch to online payment modes like UPI, netbanking and credit and debit cards. This makes payments digital, fast, secure and contactless.

Contactless Proof of Delivery

Just like cashless payments, most companies are now switching to contactless POD (Proof of Delivery) by going paperless. Instead of physical receipts, customers now get soft copies of the invoices emailed directly to them at their registered email id. This not only ensures safety but also helps in environment protection by using lesser paper. Also, the invoice stays in the customer inbox for as long as he/she wants, besides saving paper and receipts cost for the seller.

Bring it all on the screen

In a nutshell, online business must strive to offer comprehensive safety net to the customers. This can be achieved by creating a digital ecosystem. From ordering and paying online to tracking the orders online to finally receiving the goods and invoices. While many things can be done digitally, human intervention will always be needed. To negate or minimize the risks arising from human touchpoints, proper and regular hygiene practices need to maintained at all times.