Addressing Delivery Discrepancies

I tried the delivery agent role long before Deepinder Goyal. While working at Furlenco, scaling in a city like Bangalore came with its own set of challenges. After cracking the trust issue with rental furniture, we encountered a bigger hurdle: Delivery. Delivering heavy furniture to apartments with narrow corridors or no lifts was a logistical nightmare. One delay often snowballed, disrupting the entire day’s schedule. The hardest hit? Our delivery agents were shouldering physical strain and customer frustration altogether. Remember delivery agents hauling a sofa up 4 floors using ropes through balconies? This wasn’t just an operational issue; it was a human one too. So, I decided to become a delivery agent for a day. Here’s what I learned—and what worked for us: 1) Ask questions upfront When taking orders, we started asking: “Does your building have a lift?” If not, we informed customers of possible delays—no extra charges, but transparency about the effort involved. 2) Set clear expectations We gave delivery estimates, similar to DTC services, based on size and weight. This reduced customer uncertainty. 3) Empower the delivery team We equipped agents with accurate data and tools to address customer queries confidently on the spot. The result? - NPS score jumped to 4/5. - Happier customers and delivery agents. - 60-70% of the fulfillment issues were solved. Product management isn’t just about solving for end users. It’s also about empowering every single person working around your product to make it a success together. Quick question to all PMs - what’s a unique challenge you’ve faced, and how did you solve it?

Improving the habit of “over-promising and under-delivering” in the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) business environment in India requires a structured, cultural, and operational shift. This behavior is often rooted in aggressive competition, pressure to meet short-term targets, or poor internal alignment. Here’s a practical roadmap to address this habit: 🔧 Step-by-Step Strategy to Improve “Over-Promise, Under-Deliver”: 1. Root Cause Diagnosis • Why it happens: • Sales pressure to hit unrealistic targets • Misalignment between sales, supply chain, and marketing • Lack of real-time data visibility • Cultural belief that saying “no” means weakness • What to do: • Conduct internal audits and team interviews to understand where promises break. • Analyze top 10 cases of missed delivery vs. committed promises. 2. Set Clear, Realistic KPIs • Replace “targets at any cost” with “accuracy of commitments” as a performance metric. • Examples of KPIs: • Promise Accuracy Score (% of commitments met on time) • Forecast vs. Actual Variance • Service Level Agreement (SLA) adherence 3. Build Cross-Functional Alignment • Create a Sales–Supply Chain–Operations bridge. • Weekly alignment meetings to review: • Stock availability • In-transit logistics • Market demand trends • Encourage “truth-telling” culture: enable teams to flag risks without fear of blame. 4. Customer Expectation Management • Train sales teams to set realistic expectations, even if it means risking a tough conversation. • Use tiered delivery models: • Tier 1: Fast-track SKUs with consistent availability • Tier 2: Variable lead time products • Tier 3: Seasonal/Special packs with limited promise scope 5. Create Feedback Loops • After-action reviews: every failed commitment should have a feedback loop. • Engage with distributors/retailers to recalibrate expectations regularly. • Reward honesty and transparency in sales discussions. 6. Use Tech & Tools • Implement real-time tracking dashboards for: • Inventory levels • Order-to-delivery timelines • Promises made vs. actual deliveries • Adopt demand planning and S&OP (Sales and Operations Planning) tools suited for Indian FMCG nuances. 🚀 Culture Shift: “Under-Promise, Over-Deliver” Train leadership and front-line managers in “promise discipline”: • Internalize that reputation > short-term sale • Celebrate stories where accurate forecasting improved client trust • Encourage sales to say, “Let me check and get back” rather than committing instantly Indian FMCG-Specific Insights: • Trust and relationship-based business: Be honest and consistent rather than enthusiastic and unreliable. • Rural and semi-urban markets: Delivery reliability builds long-term loyalty more than flashy promises. • Retailer loyalty is hard-won and quickly lost—missed deliveries cost more than a lost order. #Leadership #Process #Planning #KPIs #Review #Execution

There has been a sudden spike in customer 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. As a PM at Zomato, how would you address this issue?🚨 One of the most effective ways to tackle this issue is by 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀. Here’s how I would take this data-driven approach: 𝟭. 𝗧𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, check for: ❗ Customer Complaints: A surge in complaints about missing items in deliveries. ❗CSAT Scores: A noticeable drop in CSAT scores related to delivery issues. 𝟮. 𝗧𝗼 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀, look at: ❗Order Completion Rate: An increase in frequent incomplete deliveries. 𝟯. 𝗧𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁, check for: ❗Return/Refund Rate: Increased refund and return requests that might be impacting revenue. ❗Churn Risk: A poor delivery experience could cause customers to stop using the service. ❗Customer Retention: A decline in user retention. 𝟰. 𝗧𝗼 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, examine: ❗App Reviews: A surge in negative reviews mentioning delivery issues. ❗Ratings: A decline in ratings due to delivery complaints. When an issue like a spike in partial order deliveries occurs, understanding the right metrics to investigate is essential for pinpointing the root cause. By this, a PM can make informed decisions that not only resolve the issue but also create opportunities for long-term improvements💡 #ProductManagement #DataDriven #Zomato #Metrics #RootCauseAnalysis #CustomerFeedback #BusinessStrategy #Innovation #TechTrends #TechLeadership #DigitalTransformation

I'll never forget the first time I had to deal with a shipping error in my e-commerce business. A delayed package, a frustrated customer, and a lot of uncertainty about how to resolve the issue. But, I learned a valuable lesson that day that it's not about being perfect. It's about being prepared and proactive when things go wrong. Since then, I've developed some key strategies for handling shipping exceptions and delays. Here's a few of them: 𝟭. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆: Keep your customers informed throughout the shipping process, especially when exceptions occur. Be transparent about the issue. This builds trust and sets expectations. 𝟮. 𝗕𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰: Put yourself in your customer's shoes and acknowledge their frustration. Make sure your customer support team is trained to handle exceptions with empathy. 𝟯. 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺-𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲: Act fast to resolve the issue. Have a clear process in place and empower your team to make decisions. 𝟰. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀: Analyse errors to identify the areas for improvement. Use this insight to refine your shipping processes, improve carrier selection, or enhance packaging. Remember, you have to become empathetic and solution-focused. This will help you build trust and loyalty with your customers even when things don’t go as planned. #ecommercetips #customerservice #zopoxo