E-commerce companies now have the ability to eliminate imprecise addressing
The global e-commerce landscape is rapidly increasing. Still, companies worldwide face a challenge regarding delivery: imprecise addressing, and consumers taking notice., AxleHire, which provides e-commerce companies with expedited, urban, same- and next-day deliveries, announced its collaboration with innovative location technology company what3words to address this issue head-on. AxleHire is what3words’ first last-mile delivery partner in the United States.
A what3words *survey revealed that nearly three-quarters (73%) of US residents say that deliveries or services struggle to find their homes, and over two-thirds (68%) say they’d benefit from a more accurate addressing system. Moreover, the problem is so widespread that over one-third (35%) of residents say they’d be willing to adopt an entirely new address system.
what3words provides a straightforward solution to imprecise shipping issues, solving problems created by street name changes, large buildings with multiple access points, rural locations, and much more. It divides the world into a grid of 10ft x 10ft (or 3 meters x 3 meters) squares and gives each square a unique combination of three random words: a what3words address. So, for example, you can find the front of the Statue of Liberty monument at ///darker.highs.pans. Likewise, every door, building entrance, delivery point, and even parking space on the planet has a unique address.
With this collaboration, AxleHire’s clients will be able to collect what3words addresses from customers and share them within AxleHire’s delivery app, allowing drivers to deliver more efficiently than ever before, minimizing the risk of lost packages and unhappy consumers.
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“A typical driver might spend 10 minutes driving around an unfamiliar apartment complex, trying to find the right building and then the exact unit number, wasting time, fuel, and patience,” said Evan Robinson, VP of Engineering, AxleHire. “With what3words, the driver can see the exact 10-foot square they need to go to, allowing them to find the right drop-off location much more seamlessly… and with a home delivery, the driver will be able to see exactly where the customer wants their package left, whether it be in front, at the back door, near the garage, etc.”
AxleHire has already begun to build systems to make it easier for e-commerce businesses and their customers to identify a doorstep’s location.
“Using a what3words address has been shown to significantly reduce delivery times for our partners and ensures parcels arrive exactly where they need to go. Accurate addresses also mean fewer time-consuming phone calls to customers asking for directions and a better customer experience. AxleHire is leading the way in thinking about what the world of digital delivery looks like. We’re excited to work with them as our first last-mile delivery provider in the U.S.,” adds Chris Sheldrick, Co-Founder & CEO of what3words.
Around the world, what3words is being used by thousands of businesses on a daily basis whether that’s logistics and e-commerce businesses ensuring goods are delivered exactly where they’re needed, or helping travelers to find the right hotel entrance or a hard-to-find restaurant. The technology has also been built into in-car navigation systems by automakers like Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover, Subaru of America, and Mitsubishi, enabling drivers to enter any destination with just three words. Emergency call centers are also embracing what3words at a rapid pace, with control rooms in the UK, US, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Singapore, Canada, India, and South Africa. The technology is available offline and in 54 languages to date.
*Survey results based on analysis from a survey of 1,000 motorists across the US aged 18+.
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