10 Questions to Ask Customers to Understand Low Delivery Driver Ratings

Your delivery driver ratings suddenly drop, and you can’t figure out why. 

Is there a broken communication link? Are your drivers disgruntled? Maybe they are simply forgetting to be professional because they are new. 

Asking your customers the right questions will help you understand why the driver ratings are suddenly dropping and give your business the opportunity to fix it. 

Leaving these ratings to continue dropping for too long without any answers can seriously harm your brand and reputation. It can take you far longer to regain the customer’s trust and build confidence than taking a few minutes every day to get to the root of the problem. 

Below, you’ll find ten questions to ask your customers in a feedback session to get to the bottom of these low ratings. 

Delivery Timing and Communication Determine Driver Ratings

1. “Was your delivery on time?”

First off, you want to know if the delivery driver was on time with your customer. This is the number one thing that can frustrate a customer. 

Getting a 2-star rating but no feedback from your customer might leave you wondering for days what could have gone wrong. You will probably also not get anything from your driver, who is too shy to admit that he was late. 

Including this question at the top of your feedback list to the customer can help you figure out if this problem has to do with a specific driver, or the entire team.

Here’s how you can fix it. 

Route optimization: Using route optimization will take the stress off your drivers. They won’t have to rely on their own resources to find the most efficient route or zig-zag through the traffic to make it on time for the delivery. 

Real time tracking: Giving the customer better oversight over where the driver is during the last mile delivery, will certainly help to avoid build up frustration. This way the customer can track the driver and know when he will arrive. 

2. “Did you receive any updates about your delivery?”

When it comes to delivery service, less is definitely not more. Meaning, you want to give your customers as much information about their parcel as possible. 

This way, they can plan, and there are no unrealistic expectations. 

A customer complains that they weren’t informed about their package’s status. This question helps determine if communication gaps are the problem. 

It could be that they expected more frequent communication or that they felt the driver ignored them. It can also be that the customer was anxious because the parcel is an expensive new cellphone. 

Not asking why the customer is unhappy with your service will send you on a wild goose chase. 

Here’s how you fix it. Train drivers to notify customers of issues proactively and provide them with tools for easy customer communication.

Using a driver app can help streamline communication and make it easier for the worker.

Learn more about what a driver app is and how businesses benefit from it. 

Professionalism and Handling Boosts Good Driver Ratings

4. “Was the driver polite and professional?”

A customer leaves a low rating despite receiving their package intact and on time. 

This makes your head spin. What went wrong? And why did the customer leave a low driver rating?

Asking your customer this question might just uncover issues with the driver’s behavior. 

Politeness and professionalism are critical to the last mile delivery journey. A rude driver can overshadow an otherwise smooth delivery.

Here’s how you fix it. Provide customer service training for drivers, emphasizing tone, attitude, and courtesy.

5. “Was your package handled with care?”

But what if the customer does receive a damaged package and gives a 1-star rating? At least you now know why he/she is upset. But you still don’t know who is to blame. 

Customers expect their packages to arrive in perfect condition. Mishandling creates a negative impression on both the driver and the business. But it could be that the package was never damaged by the driver. 

Have you considered the dog damaging it or someone else in the neighborhood? I guess you’ll never know unless you ask for more feedback and information.

Here’s how to fix it. Proof of Delivery (PoD) software can help you and your business determine exactly what went wrong and where. Drivers must take photos of the package once it is delivered, and customers must sign off. 

Learn more about how PoD can help your business in disputes. 

6. “Was the driver’s appearance professional?”

First impressions matter, even when you are a delivery driver sitting in a van or truck all day long. 

Everything went smoothly with the delivery; your driver was on time, and the parcel was in good condition. But yet, they still give a 3-star driver rating. 

You’ll only get the full picture once you ask the customer for feedback using this question. “Was the driver’s appearance professional?” Then, you’ll figure out that the customer was unhappy with the unkempt appearance. 

How to solve the problem? Provide your drivers with branded uniforms and educate them on the importance of personal grooming.

Customer Convenience and Experience Impacts Driver Ratings

7. “Did the driver follow your delivery instructions?”

There’s a reason why a customer has taken the time to leave specific instructions on the delivery note. Ignoring this instruction can lead to an unhappy customer. 

A customer might anticipate rain before they are home, so he/she gives specific instructions about where the parcel must be left under the covered porch. 

Ignoring specific delivery instructions frustrates customers and makes them feel unheard, leading to a bad driver rating. 

Here’s how to fix it: Equip drivers with apps that clearly display customer instructions and provide proof of delivery with photos. Proof of Delivery is an ideal software tool for this. 

8. “Was the delivery experience convenient for you?”

Customers value convenience. A customer who has to wait all day for their package is not happy. 

Asking a customer this feedback question can help your business understand whether it’s a problem with the driver or whether you should adjust website systems to allow for more fine-tuned flexible delivery windows. 

How do you fix it? Giving customers a specific preferred time to drop off their parcels might sound like a lot of work. 

That’s why delivery management software is crucial. The delivery scheduling is all automated, making it easier.

ALSO READ: 6 Ways Delivery Management Software Can Streamline Last-Mile Deliveries

9. “Were you satisfied with the delivery speed?”

A customer rates the delivery poorly despite the parcel arriving within the estimated time. 

What do you read into this? Well, customers may have unrealistic expectations about delivery speed. 

However, understanding their perspective can help manage expectations. 

Here’s what you can do. Set clear expectations during checkout and offer premium same-day or next-day delivery options for time-sensitive orders.

10. “What could we do to make your next delivery better?”

Open-ended questions encourage customers to share valuable insights that might not fit into predefined categories. 

This question is perfect for that: “What could we do to make your next delivery better?”

You’ll be surprised by the suggestions customers offer to improve the service. Analyze recurring themes in customer feedback and implement changes to address common concerns.

Locate2u offers software that can send out an automated message that triggers when a low-star rating comes in. It says something like, “We’re sorry this just occurred; one of our team will contact you to sort this out.”

Doing this means your customer doesn’t have to go to your website to try to find out how to make a complaint.

Getting To The Bottom of a Bad Driver Rating

Asking targeted questions helps the business understand low delivery driver ratings. 

Instead of assuming that it’s the driver or that it’s an overreacting customer, asking the right questions can help your business avoid sinking. 

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