FedEx to give consumers “extra peace of mind”
FedEx is launching Picture Proof of Delivery (PPOD) for express residential deliveries. It will be available in markets within the Asia Pacific region, where signatures-upon-delivery are not required.
FedEx Express is among the first carriers in the region to offer Picture Proof of Delivery. The service is another step in the company’s continued efforts to digitize its services and improve the customer experience while supporting e-commerce growth in the region.
With the B2C e-commerce market growing by 12.5% in Asia Pacific this year, residential deliveries are on the rise. With consumers not always home to receive their deliveries, the no-signature-required delivery option allows for their packages to be delivered although it can come with uncertainty about whether the package has actually arrived, even with parcel tracking available. Now a simple photograph brings peace of mind to e-commerce merchants and consumers.
Starting in November 2022, customers in Hong Kong and New Zealand who choose the “no-signature-required” delivery option benefit from an additional service feature whereby they can receive a photo showing the exact location of their package once it’s delivered to their doorstep, by tracking their package on www.fedex.com. The service will subsequently be rolled out in other Asia Pacific markets in 2023. Picture Proof of Delivery is a free delivery service option and will not require enrollment, an account or login.
“Consumers are now reporting that over half of their spending is going online which means that e-commerce has become truly mainstream,” said Kawal Preet, president of the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) at FedEx Express. “We are working rapidly to find ways to innovate digitally across our operations. This will help to differentiate our service offerings and deliver an enhanced end-to-end customer experience.”
“We know that consumers increasingly expect an accurate and mobile-friendly parcel tracking experience when shopping online. Consumers also want the assurance of knowing that their package has arrived at their doorstep,” said Salil Chari, senior vice president, Marketing and Customer Experience at FedEx AMEA. “By providing visual confirmation once the package arrives, we’re giving extra peace of mind, boosting consumer confidence in making future purchases which ultimately also benefits e-tailers.”
FedEx has been strengthening its e-commerce offerings for e-merchants and consumers. Most recently, FedEx integrated WhatsApp, one of the region’s most popular instant messaging apps, into its e-commerce delivery solution FedEx Delivery Manager International. Using the service, recipients expecting inbound shipments can receive delivery notifications, chat with FedEx directly and manage redirect options with the click of a button.
FedEx has also expanded its international, day-definite, e-commerce shipping service FedEx® International Connect Plus (FICP) to cover 14 markets in the AMEA region including Australia, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, mainland China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The service combines competitive delivery speeds and attractive, value-for-money prices for consumers shopping online.
