31 October 2024

Customer experience is everything when it comes to brand loyalty, and this is just as relevant for overseas shoppers as it is for domestic ones. Over two thirds of shoppers would change retailers based on their delivery experience!¹ But international customers can face hurdles like delivery delays when goods spend additional time in customs; or experience unexpected charges caused by incorrect data.

We identify five of the biggest challenges with exporting, as cited by businesses and outline some of the solutions that will help you improve your overall customer experience and encourage repeat business.

1. Shipments being delayed in customs

Goods being held at the border is as frustrating for your shoppers as it is for you, they aren’t getting their parcels in the expected timeframe and each instance has the potential to be an enquiry or complaint!

Delays are commonly caused by failing to attach the right documentation and missing or incorrect customs data. Electronic customs data is mandatory when you send items abroad, despite this, 41.4% of businesses say customs regulatory compliance and Harmonised System (HS) codes are top international ecommerce challenges,² meaning there’s still no widespread mastery of data.

Missing, incorrect or incomplete data can add days of delays to delivery time as customs try to contact the correct recipients via email or phone. If these are not provided in the electronic data, then the item will be returned to sender – which is frustrating for both you and your recipients.

Royal Mail can help you navigate customs and provide guidance so you can get the data right every time, wherever in the world your goods go. Our Click & Drop and Pro Shipping platforms capture and generate customs data files and automatically create the required labels, leaving less room for error! Plus, our detailed country sending guides are packed with useful information on the specific customs requirements for every destination.

2. Added supply chain and delivery costs

Customs delays can have other knock-on effects too. You might incur additional supply chain and delivery costs, as you need to work with your shipping partner and customs authorities to resolve the problem and reschedule the delivery. Otherwise rejected goods will need to be returned to you, potentially causing poor customer experience and complaints.

41% of businesses cite added supply chain costs as a cross-border ecommerce challenge,³ but if you’re among them, there’s an easy way to alleviate the burden in the last mile: taking care of your customs data can help prevent additional fees. Our electronic customs data guides are another useful resource to help you navigate your data.

Other added costs can come earlier in the supply chain: for example, needing to switch from importing via road to air because of geopolitical disruption. To avoid these costs, 58% of UK manufacturers have started to ‘reshore’:⁴ bringing manufacturing processes back to Britain. This could be a good option for any business looking for more certainty and control.

3. Added costs of tariffs and duties

Since the UK’s departure from the EU’s single market, tariffs or customs duties apply to movements of goods to the EU. Not paying the correct VAT and duties up front can mean these costs are added on after checkout, giving your customers an unexpected additional charge on arrival.

Royal Mail offers a range of international services and customs approaches that enable you to easily take care of VAT and customs duties in the most appropriate way for you. Delivery Duties Unpaid (DDU) can be selected by those retailers who are happy for the customer to settle any charges on arrival. Or use a Pre-Registered VAT Scheme as appropriate for a destination, such as Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) for the EU, or our Postal Delivery Duties Paid (PDDP) service, to ensure all necessary fees are correctly paid at checkout – resulting in a more seamless customer experience.

4. Language and cultural barriers

Language barriers, a lack of understanding of consumer behaviour in international markets, and a lack of local knowledge can pose a significant challenge. In fact, 23% of businesses report these elements as one of their main issues when exporting.⁵

Don’t let this prevent you from expanding beyond borders. There are a number of translation plugins available for cart and checkout pages that enable you to present them in a customers’ native language without having to build in the functionality yourself.

The delivery challenges are even easier to solve. Royal Mail use local postal carriers and partners with exceptional knowledge of the communities they work in, boosting your first-time delivery success. They are the carriers your international customers know and trust – which is imperative because 68% of consumers would stop shopping with a retailer that uses a delivery company they don’t trust.⁵

Plus, our International Business Tracked service (available to 80 destinations) offers notifications in 6 local languages, including Spanish, Arabic and Hindi, so your shoppers can track their orders every step of the way.

5. A smoother customer experience

Consumers regularly demand a seamless and efficient delivery process with their purchased goods, and international shoppers are no different. 20.5% of businesses say that a poor user experience for cross-border shoppers is one of their main international ecommerce challenges.⁶

Customer experience encompasses a lot of factors, from easy shopping and a variety of options to fast and efficient delivery, but essentially you want to offer your overseas recipients the same great service – from website checkout to delivery – as your domestic shoppers receive. And for international online purchases, 48% of consumers would choose one retailer over another if it offered a wide range of delivery options,⁷ so ensuring flexibility forms part of their experience will help secure sales.

For shoppers who want extra peace of mind, Royal Mail’s International Business Tracked^® service offers end to end tracking, so your recipients always know the progress of their order. It also features online delivery confirmation for the customer, keeping you and your shopper in the know and in control. There’s even a Tracked & Signed option⁸ that provides a signature on delivery if either party wants additional reassurance.

“We offer tracking on all of our international orders now. Royal Mail links up with the local trusted networks in each of the countries we send to. It just saves a lot of time and is a much smoother operation.”

- Sanjay Aggarwal, co-founder, Spice Kitchen.

Don’t let international ecommerce barriers prevent you from expanding your exporting horizons! Choosing the right delivery partner can make it easy for you to offer the same great customer experience overseas as you do at home. Take a look at Royal Mail’s tools and support available to help you start or grow your exporting needs.