Delivery touchpoints are becoming more intimate as consumers ramp up their social distancing

by Maggie Whitley | published on April 8, 2020

Each customer touchpoint is now more impactful than ever before. Before COVID-19, you might go to the door, grab your pizza, tip the driver, and never think about them again. But now that extreme social distancing is the new norm, we see consumers putting more stock in these previously mundane interactions.

As in-person social interaction is on the extreme decline due to COVID-19, we have observed customers and delivery drivers interacting in new and interesting ways and looked to social media to understand how behaviors are changing.

Here are the latest trends worth noticing:

Engaging delivery personnel with funny votes or sharing necessities, treats, and kind words

social media post of consumers engaging with delivery personnel through notes on the door.

Notes in delivery boxes have become more meaningful and special

Pre-coronavirus notes like this were not usually photographed and shared online. Simple gestures can go a long way with consumers right now.

collage of social media posts showing companies writing notes to consumers

#DriversAreHeroes shows concern and appreciation for delivery personnel

social media posts that support the drivers are heroes hashtag

What new touchpoints are emerging?

We know that people are viewing traditional touchpoints differently, but we also looked at new touchpoints, like those with grocery stores, to see if the trend is similar.

One thing is for sure: grocers doing home delivery/curbside pickup well will rise above the rest during this trying time. Bellomy recently surveyed over 1,000 consumers across the US, and nearly one-third said they plan to purchase groceries online in the near future. Additionally, our social media analysts have seen tremendous growth in the grocery conversation with consumers organically sharing their feedback on their online shopping experiences.

collage of social media posts to represent how consumer and company interaction is changing

TechCrunch: Grocery deliver apps see record downloads amid coronavirus outbreak, @the_modish_shopper, @mauricio._.herrera

Touchpoints add up to journeys and journeys make up a relationship.

Bellomy's philosophy is that individual touchpoints, while seemingly insignificant, sum to a holistic customer journey and paint the full picture of what each customer wants to accomplish. In this new, socially-distanced, quarantined world, it can feel harder than ever to accomplish anything, especially when there are fewer interactions and touchpoints available. Bellomy’s agile customer experience programs can help you make the most of each customer touchpoint, journey, and relationship — both now and in the future.