What Every Retailer Should Ask Their Last-Mile Partner (But Doesn’t)

Alara Ateş

The delivery experience doesn’t just reflect your brand. It defines it. Yet many retailers still treat last-mile logistics as a background task and skip the most important questions when choosing a delivery provider.

That decision can make or break how your customers remember you.

At Urbify, we work with retailers who understand that great delivery is a competitive advantage. It starts with asking the right questions. The kind that protect your brand and keep customers coming back.

1. What is your actual first-attempt delivery rate?

Don’t settle for general claims or ideal-case numbers. Ask for verified delivery performance data.

At Urbify, our first-attempt success rate exceeds 99 percent. That means fewer failed handovers, reduced re-delivery costs, and a better customer experience from the very first order.

If a provider cannot confidently share this figure, it may signal a lack of operational consistency.

2. Do you offer guaranteed 1-hour delivery windows?

Customers expect more than vague messages like “arriving today.”

Urbify provides defined 1-hour delivery windows. This improves planning, reduces missed handovers, and builds customer confidence. A predictable slot helps people plan their day and reduces frustration.

If a provider avoids this question or relies on full-day windows, that can lead to unnecessary uncertainty for your customers.

3. How are delivery exceptions handled?

Mistakes and delays happen in logistics. The question is whether your delivery partner is prepared to resolve them quickly.

Urbify monitors all routes and deliveries in real time. If something needs attention, we step in immediately to reroute, communicate, or update the customer. This keeps experiences smooth and avoids surprises.

Ask whether your partner provides live support, enables mid-route changes, or manages exceptions proactively.

4. How do you ensure address accuracy?

Failed deliveries are often caused by inaccurate or incomplete addresses.

Urbify uses advanced address validation, smart correction tools, and what3words integration to make sure drivers know exactly where to go. We guide couriers precisely to prevent confusion at the last moment.

Partners who rely solely on customer comments or outdated GPS data are likely to see higher failure rates.

5. Can you handle specialized delivery needs?

Every product type has its own challenges. Whether you’re shipping perishables, temperature-sensitive goods, or high-value items, your provider should be equipped to handle them.

Urbify supports:

PIN-verified and secure handovers
Temperature-controlled deliveries
Product-specific handling for fragile or urgent goods

Not every courier can scale across product categories without compromising on service quality. Make sure yours can.

6. What does your post-purchase experience look like?

The moment after a customer completes an order is when trust is either built or lost.

At Urbify, we maintain branded communication throughout the delivery process. We send proactive SMS updates, offer real-time delivery status, and make sure every touchpoint reflects your brand values.

If your provider goes silent after pick-up, you miss a valuable opportunity to reinforce your customer experience.

7. How do you approach sustainability?

Today’s customers care about how products reach their door. Many factor environmental responsibility into their purchase decisions.

Urbify helps brands lower their delivery emissions by using electric vehicles, consolidating routes, and minimizing failed deliveries. We build sustainability directly into our logistics design.

Ask whether your provider is reducing carbon impact or simply offsetting it with credits. One reflects real change, the other just adds marketing polish.

8. Can your system integrate with ours?

Adding a new delivery partner should not require rebuilding your operations from scratch.

Urbify integrates with popular e-commerce platforms and order management tools. Our system supports live tracking, delivery analytics, and flexible dashboards so your team can stay in control.

If onboarding takes weeks or requires replacing existing systems, it may be more trouble than it’s worth.

9. How do you measure customer satisfaction?

You cannot improve what you do not measure. Delivery satisfaction is a real performance metric, not just a soft signal.

Urbify tracks CSAT and NPS consistently. Our customer satisfaction rate is above 99 percent because we learn from feedback and improve our service accordingly.

Make sure your partner is not just collecting data. They should be acting on it too.

10. What are your operational boundaries?

No provider can be everywhere or do everything well. Honest providers know their limits.

At Urbify, we focus on specific zones and product types where we can deliver reliably. We say no when it protects your customer experience.

Choosing a delivery partner that stretches beyond its capacity may lead to dropped service levels and customer complaints.

Why this matters more than ever

Retailers that treat last-mile delivery as a strategic touchpoint will win loyalty. Those that don’t risk losing it.

More than 80% of German shoppers cite fast, reliable delivery as an essential factor in choosing where to buy.
70% expect to see the exact delivery date when placing an order.
Transparent updates throughout the delivery process via SMS or email are among the top communication expectations in Germany.
In a recent survey, 95% of online shoppers said they would abandon a purchase if their preferred delivery method was unavailable.
Approximately 27% of shoppers report that long delivery times cause them to abandon their carts.

Why retailers choose Urbify

Urbify was built for businesses that care about their customers after checkout. We help brands deliver the experience they promised from the very beginning.

We provide:

Defined 1-hour delivery windows
Real-time exception handling and rerouting
Flexible, product-sensitive handovers
Sustainable delivery practices
Transparent data and performance dashboards
High satisfaction and proven retention impact

Our goal is to make every doorstep interaction a positive brand moment.

Conclusion

Choosing a last-mile partner is not just a logistics decision. It’s a customer experience decision.

The company delivering your products is the one representing your brand when it matters most. If your current provider cannot clearly answer these ten questions, it might be time to explore alternatives.