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In the contemporary internet-oriented era, the trend of online shopping is growing every day. Online shoppers expect their parcels as soon as possible and when the delivery gets delayed, they are disappointed. Shipping carriers try their level best to deliver the orders on time. However, there are many instances in which they are unable to deliver the parcels. It is essential for shipping careers to stay prepared for this type of situation as it can affect customer satisfaction. Such a situation is known as a delivery exception or shipment exception. Here is an article with all you need to know about shipment exceptions, and how to deal with them. Nitty Gritty of Delivery Exception For online shoppers, nothing is more frustrating than delayed delivery. According to a study, 69% of customers are less likely to shop again from a retailer if the item they ordered earlier is not delivered on time or within two days of the decided delivery date.   Delays in delivery are known as delivery exceptions. They can negatively impact customer satisfaction and retention rate. Fulfillment Hub USA works with top-notch shipping carriers to ensure on-time delivery of goods to the customers. Additionally, it reduces the chances of carrier issues. However, no one can do anything about natural calamities or some other exceptions that can cause a delayed delivery. Continue reading the article to find out what are shipment exceptions.  What is a Delivery Exception?   A delivery exception refers to the status when a shipping carrier cannot complete the delivery of parcels at a determined time because of a delay in transit. There could be various reasons for the same ranging from issues with a delivery address to issues with carriers.  Keep in mind that a shipment exception does not mean that the product will not be delivered or will be necessarily too late. It simply means that the expected delivery date of the parcel will be missed or dramatically impacted.  Main Causes of Delivery Exceptions  No matter how reliable the order tracking system you have, a lot of things can happen with parcels when they are in transit. It can cause delayed delivery which in turn leads to frustrated customers.   According to a study, around 40% of shoppers consider delivery as the most important decisive factor in the overall shopping experience. Though shipment exceptions are unintentional and also unpreventable in most cases, they can cause customer dissatisfaction. Now that you know what a delivery exception is, let’s dive into its major causes.  Federal Holidays  There are higher chances of shipment exceptions if there is a national holiday either in the destination country or in the origin country. On federal holidays, shipping carriers do not operate. Due to the day off, it is normal for the shipping carriers to delay the delivery of the parcel.   Customs Delays  International shipping includes a lot of challenges. Many times, the customs hold the packages for a longer time and it can lead to missed or delayed delivery dates. Make sure to have the correct tariff codes as it can help to make the shipping process seamless and hassle-free.   Missing or Damaged Labels  It is common to have delayed delivery when the shipping labels are damaged or the barcode is unscannable, or the address is wrong. When the essential details are unscannable or illegible, it leads to generate a delivery exception code. The same thing happens if the label on the parcel has an incorrect address.   Weather Conditions  In case there is a natural disaster like an earthquake or flood that damages the delivery route or makes it unpassable, then there is a delay in the order delivery. These types of shipment exceptions are unpredictable and are out of control.   If you use different warehousing services, you may be able to deliver the order to your customers from different locations. In order to deal with situations related to weather conditions, most shipping carriers keep contingency plans to resume the shipping services in affected areas.   Incorrect Address  If the delivery address present on the label of any package is wrong, incomplete, undeliverable, or unclear, then there are higher chances of delivery exceptions. It is one of the most common exceptions in international shipping.   Missed Drop-Off  It is another common shipment exception. It happens when a parcel reaches your apartment or home but no one is present to receive the parcel. In such cases, the delivery person attempts delivery the next day.    Know More Possible Outcomes of Delivery Exception In case any of the above-mentioned events transpire, it is possible to avoid delays in the delivery. Here are some possible outcomes of shipment exceptions.  Package is Delivered on Time  In some cases, the shipment exception is only a notice that there are chances of delay in the delivery of your parcel due to different reasons. However, the parcel arrives on time.   Late Delivery of Package  The delays caused by shipment exceptions are usually short. In most cases, the parcel arrives the next day. For example, if no one is present at the delivery location to receive the parcel, the delivery person will attempt delivery the next day.   Package is Returned  In case the shipping carriers cannot deliver the package due to a shipment exception, then they return it to the seller or the sender.   Tips to Handle Delivery Exception  In the modern-day competitive era, big brands like Flipkart and Amazon have set high standards of delivery. It has led to higher customer expectations for delivery. Therefore, it is essential to understand what your customers actually want and when they want to receive the item.   Ecommerce businesses should smartly respond to the shipment exception depending on the main causes of the exception. Below mentioned are some tips to follow if you notice chances of exceptions while the order or parcel is in transit.  Contact the Carrier  You can easily track the location of a parcel when it is in transit. It can help you to figure out the reasons for delivery exceptions. In such cases, it is a good idea to contact the carrier directly. They

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