Customers have more choices than ever, and they move on quickly when a purchase doesn’t meet expectations.
That reality shaped a recent conversation between three experts who work closely with ecommerce brands every day:
- Lori Boyer, director of content at EasyPost and host of Unboxing Logistics
- Tevon Taylor, long-time global supply chain practitioner
- Scott Luton, founder and CEO of Supply Chain Now
Their discussion in the webinar Decoding Loyalty: What the Latest Research Reveals About Repeat Buyers centered on a simple idea: loyalty is no longer driven only by product quality. It is increasingly shaped by the shipping experience that surrounds every order.
This article highlights the most important lessons from that conversation and breaks them down into practical steps you can apply in your own fulfillment operation.
Why customer loyalty depends on the shipping experience
Lori opened the conversation with a clear signal that customer expectations have shifted.
As she’s dug into new consumer research, she’s uncovered a startling statistic: “Customers who have the best experiences will spend about 140% more than those with poor experiences.”
A strong experience also keeps customers returning. Lori noted they are six times more likely to stick around when things go smoothly. That includes shipping, which many buyers now evaluate as seriously as the product itself.
And even though carriers move the package, customers hold the shipper responsible. Lori described her own recent example when a furniture item arrived broken. The brand told her to take it up with the carrier, but she wasn’t even sure she remembered who shipped it.
Experiences like that push customers away regardless of where the issue occurred.
Tevon reinforced the point, saying that in a competitive environment where switching brands takes only seconds, “you need to control and own the whole experience.” If the buyer can get a similar product from another brand with more reliable delivery, they often will.
What reliability and flexibility really mean to buyers
Consumers want their orders quickly, but speed isn’t the only factor. Research shared during the webinar showed that reliability and flexibility now outrank free shipping as loyalty drivers.
That means buyers value accurate delivery dates, trustworthy tracking, and options that match their schedules.
Scott summarized this dynamic well: “As long as you can deliver a five-day delivery time commitment on time, that is better than promising two days and it being one day late.” Meeting your commitments builds trust. Missing them creates anxiety and frustration, even when the delay is minor.
For small fulfillment teams, this is encouraging!
Reliability is something you can improve without massive budget increases. It comes from clearer communication, proactive tracking updates, and shipping methods you can consistently execute.
Using tracking as a low-lift loyalty builder
Tracking notifications remain one of the most opened forms of customer communication. Lori emphasized the opportunity here: “What an opportunity to just get your name out there or to even upsell with it.”
Customers read tracking notifications because they care about their order. That makes tracking emails and texts a natural place to reinforce confidence and reduce post-purchase anxiety.
Tevon put it simply: tracking is “not just giving updates, it’s reassurance.”
When updates are branded, accurate, and automatic, you create a better experience without extra manual work for your team.
A few quick changes you can implement:
- Turn on SMS notifications if your carrier or technology platform offers them.
- Add your logo and brand colors to tracking pages (a platform like Advanced Tracking by EasyPost makes this simple).
- Send proactive alerts when there is a delay rather than waiting for the customer to ask.
- Avoid forcing customers to log in before they can see a tracking update. As Lori said during the discussion, buyers expect a more seamless experience.
Small changes like these make shipping feel dependable, even when unexpected issues arise.
Reducing friction through claims automation
Lost or damaged packages happen, but most brands treat claims as a back-office chore. Tevon argued that this mindset needs to change.
“It’s no longer a back office task. It’s a customer experience touchpoint.”
Every manual step adds friction for both your team and the customer. Automating the claims process saves time and shows buyers you take their issue seriously.
Making returns easier without raising costs
Returns remain one of the biggest operational challenges. Lori shared new data showing that 84% of consumers will leave a brand if the returns process becomes harder—even if it’s their favorite company.
At the same time, returns are costly for shippers, especially when storage space and labor are tight. Lori spoke with businesses that have “hundreds of thousands of return[ed products] that … are just piling up” because teams just can’t keep up with the volume.
That leads to waste, customer dissatisfaction, and avoidable expenses.
You can improve your returns process with low-effort adjustments:
- Provide clear instructions and pre-generated labels to avoid confusion.
- Reduce fraud by tracking repeat offenders and adjusting policies for customers who consistently abuse lenient rules.
- Explore resale or refurbishment channels to recapture value.
- Consider concierge-style pickup options for high-value or bulky items if your product line supports it.
Tevon also pointed out the opportunity to turn returns into a positive brand moment: “Make a positive return experience, something that helps drive the repurchase and elevate your brand.”
Even a simple apology paired with real-time updates can reduce frustration.
Why ownership of the entire experience matters
A recurring theme throughout the discussion was accountability. While carriers move the package, customers associate everything with the brand they bought from. Scott summarized this risk clearly when he said, “You pass off the ownership of the experience at your own peril.”
This doesn’t mean you need full in-house delivery operations. You just need to take responsibility for communication, issue resolution, and the overall predictability of the experience.
For shippers, this is often the most achievable path to better loyalty. Rather than overhauling your entire fulfillment center, simply control the customer-facing points of the journey.
Loyalty and shipping go hand in hand
Across the conversation, the message was consistent: loyalty grows when shipping feels easy, predictable, and human. It doesn’t require impossible speed or large-scale infrastructure, just thoughtful choices that remove uncertainty from your customer’s mind.
As Tevon said near the end of the discussion, “The customer experience doesn’t end at delivery.” Everything from tracking to claims to returns contributes to how customers perceive your brand. Each step is a chance to reinforce trust.
If you want to explore these ideas in more depth, watch the full webinar recording here.
Build a loyal customer base with EasyPost
EasyPost gives you access to reliable tracking, branded updates, automated claims filing, and real-time visibility tools that remove friction from the shipping experience and keep customers coming back.
