Contactless delivery: what it is and how to organize it

Contactless delivery is not a new trend, but rather a necessary measure developed and implemented by delivery services for customers in a pandemic. In just a week, the demand for courier services has increased by 20-25%. The press services of the companies state that contactless delivery will prevent the virus from spreading, and that protection measures have been strengthened for courier clients and their employees. In three days, the service has reached a new level, and this suggests that in the future, companies will use this method of delivery.

The essence of contactless delivery

To use the service, customers make a note in the comments section of the order and pay for it by bank transfer. Couriers then contact customers by phone and discuss where to leave the package. Most often, they leave the order at the door and leave, thus avoiding unnecessary contact. Company owners claim that delivery time has also decreased by 10-15%, so employees can serve more customers.

The well-known services Uber Eats, Glovo, Door Dash, Instacart, Just Eat, Raketa, and other corporations have taken care of contactless delivery. In the next 2-3 weeks, the demand for food delivery may increase by 70%.

Torgsoft users can notify their customers about the possibility of contactless delivery using Mass e-mail or SMS.

Contactless delivery was first tested in China. Meituan, the largest food supplier in the country, made its debut in this area in Wuhan. By the beginning of last month, demand grew by 80%. Then KFC, Pizza Hut, Ele.me, Starbucks, and McDonald's joined the corporation. In countries where this type of service is available, couriers wear masks and use antiseptics to disinfect their hands before and after each delivery.

In order to minimize the time spent interacting with another person, companies recommend using contactless cards such as Google Pay or Apple Pay.

The service set off a chain reaction across the country. Other retail chains have also introduced it, offering clothing, footwear, accessories, cosmetics, hygiene products, some appliances, repair materials, and tools.

The fashion segment minimized the contact between the customer and the supplier, especially those stores that offer fitting of ordered goods. However, a well-known clothing and footwear brand Red and Dog organized a door-to-door delivery service. The company's employees ask customers to warn them that they need a "no contact" delivery service. It is also possible to order it with or without a fitting.

Additional protective packaging

Door-to-door delivery is not the only innovation that companies have launched. They have gone further and are packaging food in protective plastic. Supermarkets across the country are following suit. This issue is especially relevant in stores that sell fresh baked goods - bakery products are packaged in cling film. This trend was introduced by large retail chains, including ATB, Silpo, Auchan, and Metro. And in bakeries where food is prepared, safety measures have been strengthened - additional disinfection and air filtration have been introduced.
Customers like these changes. Despite the fact that these are forced measures, users approve of the rapid mobilization of services and note that an enhanced food safety and security system should have been introduced long ago. Perhaps this is the only positive thing in the current circumstances.

How to organize contactless delivery in your store

You can organize contactless delivery if you have your own courier, city delivery, or the Nova Poshta delivery service.

1. Contactless delivery implies a full prepayment for the goods by default.
2. Ship goods to Torgsoft - create an invoice.
3. Print the necessary documents
1. If the client pays from his/her bank account to your bank account, you don't need to print any receipts. For the customer, the fact of payment is a payment order from the bank. When you ship the goods, print a delivery note as a proof of receipt of the goods by the buyer.
2. If a customer pays from his card to your bank account, he has a payment order in his mobile banking that confirms the fact of payment. We print an invoice when shipping and packing the goods.
3. If the client pays through a cash desk or a terminal to a bank account, the bank gives the client a payment receipt.
4. If an entrepreneur has a cash register, he or she prints a fiscal receipt at the time of receipt of money, regardless of how the client paid, and issues an expense invoice on the date of shipment of goods or provision of services.
4. When packing the goods, treat your hands with an antiseptic or wash them well.
5. Wrap the goods in stretch film, which the customer can unpack after the courier's hands and throw away immediately.
6. If you have the resources, you can add an antiseptic gel to the product as a gift. It will be a nice and very useful sign of attention now.
7. Ask the customer where to leave the goods.
8. Hand over the goods to the courier.
9. In Torgsoft, send a notification to the customer that the courier has already left and the estimated time of arrival.
10. Upon arrival, the courier informs you that the goods are there, and you notify the customer. Or if it's your courier, provide them with a working Viber and enter the customer's contacts in advance so that the courier can notify the customer about the delivery of the goods with a photo confirmation.
11. We recommend that the courier wait for the customer and make sure that they come out and pick up the goods.

Contactless delivery by Nova Poshta

1. It is possible to use the contactless system
2. Delivery to the door
3. Shipping costs must be paid either by the sender or online in advance

The Nova Poshta courier who will deliver the goods to the customer must be informed that it should be a contactless delivery. The courier brings the parcel to the customer and stays at a distance of 1.5 meters. The customer picks it up, inspects it, and if everything is okay, gives the courier permission to put an electronic signature on the parcel.