TECH & INNOVATION  /  HEALTHCARE

By FedEx | First published: September 25, 2021     Updated: November 17, 2024

Smart logistics can help businesses connect with their customers in new ways. Here’s how FedEx is leveraging the latest innovations to deliver next-level convenience and visibility – for both you and your customers.

• The logistics experience goes beyond delivering goods – today’s customers expect excellent support at every step of the shipping process. 
• From AI to analytics, new technologies are transforming what great customer service looks like in logistics.
• By working with the right logistics provider, businesses can leverage these technologies to boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Customer service in the logistics industry has traditionally relied on frontline couriers – like your friendly delivery man. But today’s customers have far higher expectations for convenience, clarity, and control throughout the shipping journey.

95% of consumers say that having convenient delivery options is a major factor in choosing which online retailers to use. Features such as real-time tracking and choice of delivery timings can shape customer satisfaction. B2B buyers are bringing these expectations into their business purchases too: for example, over one in two want automated delivery tracking to be standard in online buying.

Your brand needs to deliver excellent customer support from pickup to doorstep – and logistics providers are innovating to help businesses achieve this. Here’s how customer service technology can enhance your logistics experience, empowering you to better support your own customers.

Transforming customer support with innovative technologies

Technology is redefining what great customer service looks like, from instant replies to predictive insights. By tapping smart tools from the right logistics provider, your business can stay connected with customers at every stage of shipping.

1. AI provides always-on support

Customer service no longer runs on a 9-to-5 schedule. With AI-powered customer service solutions, logistics companies can offer customers instant, 24/7 answers to most of their urgent queries. At FedEx, we use an Intelligent Virtual Assistant – an AI-powered chatbot that helps us advise customers on how to ship their goods and handle international imports. In turn, businesses can provide their customers with prompt, accurate information about the shipping process.

FedEx has also leveraged generative AI to help businesses create new shipments more efficiently on FedEx Ship Manager. The first of its kind in the industry, our Customs AI chatbot can generate item descriptions and suggest HS codes to classify products. This means your business can save time and reduce the likelihood of costly errors, while your customers benefit from smoother cross-border deliveries. 

2. Real-time shipment tracking keeps everyone on the same page

Customers have rightly come to expect full transparency on when their packages will arrive. About 63% of shoppers want the ability to choose the exact date and time of their delivery. What's more, 61% are willing to pay extra for advanced parcel tracking features. By offering such transparency, businesses can build a customer experience that keeps shoppers coming back.

For industries with mission-critical or temperature-sensitive shipments, tracking services can make or break the customer experience. In healthcare, for example, vaccines and biological samples must be shipped at precise temperatures and arrive within a specific time frame. Real-time visibility ensures shipment integrity and helps to manage disruptions.

At FedEx, we’ve developed next-level shipment tracking technology to give both your business and your customers peace of mind at every step of the way. Our FedEx SenseAware tracking service, for instance, provides real-time information about both the location and condition of your package – including its temperature, humidity level, and exposure to light.

This best-in-class sensor technology is especially important for healthcare shipments, where items like biogenetics, clinical samples, medicines, and biomaterials can be shipped at consistent temperatures for days. This reduces the risk of loss of damage in the face of wildly varying climates, enabling you to deliver a reliable customer experience.

3. Predictive analytics enables proactive support

Great customer service goes beyond answering queries or providing information – it also means anticipating problems and preempting them for your customers. This is especially critical for businesses relying on just-in-time or high-stakes shipments, where a single delay can derail operations. 

Predictive analytics has the potential to transform customer service in logistics by anticipating issues before they occur. AI and machine learning technologies can analyze vast amounts of historical and real-time data to predict potential disruptions in the shipping process. Not only does this keep your customers informed, it also enables you to proactively identify and resolve issues ahead of time.

FedEx has integrated such cutting-edge technologies into FedEx Surround. With this monitoring and intervention tool, our customers benefit from predictive delay alerts and customized advisories on weather events that could impact their shipments. With early warning, you can take swift action to mitigate risk and create backup plans to support your customers.

Deliver exceptional customer service to stay ahead 

Logistics is more than shipping packages – it’s an important avenue for businesses to connect with customers and deliver excellent service. Delivery innovation matters to keep your customers satisfied and loyal to your brand.

As new technologies emerge, FedEx strives to continuously innovate and enhance our customer service in logistics. In turn, this empowers businesses to raise the bar with smarter and smoother customer experiences.