Hermes Germany has launched a digital parcel return label which will enable customers to preparetheir return parcels for shipping back without having to print a label and started a temporary
spring sales campaign offering a discount on a specific parcel product.The company claimed to be the first parcel operator in Germany to introduce the digitalparcel return label.
In future, customers of participating online retailers who want to send a parcel back with amobile return label will just need to log in to the shop website or the retailer’s app and choosethe article to be returned. The system then automatically generates a QR Code saving it in thecustomer account or the app.
The shippers can then show their individual returns QR Code at the Hermes parcel shops ontheir smartphones, tablets or notebooks and get it scanned from the shop owner. The return labelwill then be printed on site without any additional costs to the customers. The QR Code is createdindividually for each return shipment based on the required information which ensures safe andsmooth transportation.
The new service will be available to numerous retailers in the next few weeks. Already inDecember 2014, Hermes introduced the digital parcel label as the first parcel operator in Germany,according to the company. With the new digital return label, online retailers can decide in futurewhether they want to enclose a printed return label with their outbound shipments.
“The demand is already huge because the mobile return label simplifies the return processesfor all persons involved,” Thomas Horst, Managing Director Hermes Logistics Group Germany (HLGD),said. “Online retailers get another customer loyalty tool that increases satisfaction and makesshipping more professional. Moreover, the processing time of the return shipments is reduced as theQR-Code can contain encoded information about the shipment. This way, articles can be resold againquicker.”
Hermes said it is responding with the new service to the demand from many customers tofurther simplify the return process. According to a study by the E-Commerce-Centre Cologne (ECC),87 per cent of respondents indicated that a smooth return process is very important to them. Withthe mobile return label, customers can even create their label on the way to a Hermes parcel shopto send back their shipments. This avoids printing, cutting and pasting the label.
Four months after the commercial launch of the parcel digital label, Horst took positivestock of the new service: “Since the launch in December, the number of created mobile parcel labelsmore than doubled and continues to rise. This is a great confirmation showing that we are on theright track consistently focusing on services for mobile devices. That’s why I am convinced thatthe new mobile return label will be a great success.”
The digital return label is part of the company’s service initiative for parcel deliveriesin Germany which saw Hermes introducing various new services in recent weeks and months such asparcel notification and fixed pick-up times at the parcel shops.
As part of its new spring sales campaign, Hermes Germany is now offering customers a discounton the popular ‘S’ parcel size, which will be temporarily available for only €4.44 instead of theusual €4.69 on the domestic level within Germany until 17 April. This discount is valid for allshipments with an online or mobile parcel label that are handed in at one of the Hermes parcelshops. Even when buying via eBay, customers benefit from the price reduction.
Despite the discount, the services related to the S parcel remain unchanged, includingmaximum weight of up to 25 kg and liability of up to 500 kg in case of loss or damage. Up to fourdelivery attempts are also included in the price, along with free online tracking and the parcelnotification service. The nationwide delivery time for the Hermes S parcel amounts to one-twoworking days. Cardboard boxes for shipping are available for €1.69 in many of more than 14,000Hermes parcel shops across Germany.
