For businesses, that growth creates exciting opportunities. It also raises the bar for the delivery experience.

Sending an order from your warehouse, store or office is only the start. Customers expect their shipments to arrive safely, at the right address and at a time that works for them. But schedules change, meetings run late and customers aren’t always available when a delivery is due.

That’s where DHL On Demand Delivery can help.

When delivery plans change

A shipment can be progressing exactly as expected and still arrive at an inconvenient time.

A customer may be at work, away from home or unable to receive the shipment on the scheduled delivery date. What should have been a simple final step can quickly become frustrating. The customer might miss the delivery, contact the business for help or need to make alternative arrangements.

DHL On Demand Delivery gives recipients of eligible DHL Express shipments more control over how they receive their delivery. Depending on the shipment and destination, available options may include:

• Rescheduling the delivery for another date

• Redirecting the shipment to another eligible address

• Arranging collection from an available DHL location

For businesses, this means the delivery experience doesn’t have to be completely fixed once a shipment has left your premises. Customers can respond to changes in their own circumstances while the shipment continues moving through the DHL Express network.

If the original delivery date no longer suits the customer, they may be able to reschedule it. If they need the shipment delivered somewhere else, redirection may be available. And when delivery is no longer the most convenient option, collection may provide a practical alternative.

For businesses sending products, equipment, documents or other time-sensitive shipments, this flexibility can make the final stage of the journey easier to manage.

The shipment still travels through the DHL Express network, but eligible recipients have more say in how they receive it. That can make a real difference when plans change at short notice.

Every customer has a different schedule

A delivery time that works well for one customer may not work for another.

This matters even more for businesses serving customers across different cities, provinces and time zones, as well as people with different working patterns and daily commitments. Someone may place an order from home but be at the office, travelling or somewhere else entirely when the shipment is due to arrive.

Giving eligible recipients more control can help reduce the friction caused by these everyday changes. Instead of every delivery adjustment becoming a conversation between the customer and the business, the recipient can check the options available for their shipment and select the one that suits them best.

For businesses, this can mean fewer avoidable delivery complications and a more convenient experience for customers.

Available options depend on the shipment

DHL On Demand Delivery does not mean that every option is available for every shipment.

The choices shown to the recipient depend on factors such as the shipment, destination and applicable restrictions. Customs requirements, security considerations and the contents of the shipment may affect which changes can be made.

Businesses should therefore avoid promising a specific delivery option to every customer. Instead, recipients can use their DHL Express shipment tracking information to check whether their shipment is eligible and see which delivery preferences are available.

This gives businesses a practical way to offer greater flexibility without creating expectations around options that may not apply to every shipment.

DHL Express On Demand Delivery combines shipment tracking with delivery preferences for eligible shipments. Customers can stay informed and manage the final stage of delivery with greater flexibility, while businesses can provide a smoother and more convenient service.

Businesses can also use MyDHL+ to create shipments, manage shipping documentation, arrange collections and track deliveries in one place.

Want to make shipping easier to manage for your business and more convenient for your customers? Open a DHL Express Business Account to access DHL Express shipping solutions and digital tools designed to support your business’s shipping needs.

FAQs