MaltaPost and EasiPik sustainably delivering the goods in Malta

In August 2023 here at TAPP Water in Malta we switched from a local courier company to the eSeller service with MaltaPost for all of our deliveries both to retail consumers purchasing on our website and to our 26 retail partners in Malta.

We can now look back and describe our experience in the delivery of over 2000 orders since the change was made, and offer encouragement to anyone thinking of making the change.

Why we changed to MaltaPost from a traditional courier?

We had considered several factors before making the change but in 2023 we were looking to drive operational efficiency within our business and ensure tat our customers had efficient deliveries.

Our previous couriers would provide a good service, and if the items were not delivered first time they would contact the customer to arrange a second and third try. This appeared to be a better service in comparison to MaltaPost who would try once and then leave it at the local post office. But - we had encountered numerous complaints over attempting a delivery more than once from both our couriers and customers because in practice couriers cannot really give an effective time window and stick with it whilst keeping the cost reasonable.

Our average order value does not mean we can spent 8 to 10 euros per delivery, we really needed to be around 50% of that, so we had to balance service with cost.

The advantage of the MaltaPost system is that there is clarity with the tracking number over where an order can be collected if the first delivery fails.

Our second factor was CO2 emissions, our previous courier had launched with a zero emission service and electric vehicles which had proven difficult to maintain, we felt that MaltaPost as a large organisation would switch to more reliable specialist electric vehicles and thy were able to quantify the CO2 emissions per delivery. Reliable data is vital to our overall business sustainability focus.

Finally we decided to bring fulfilment in-house so that we could really tailor the customer experience and apply the highest quality of customer service. Fulfilment being contracted out does sound great at first, but we decided based on our experience with a third party that we could do a better job, be more flexible and at a lower cost per order.

Why we were nervous over changing to MaltaPost for our online store in Malta

Our main nervousness was that we had not used the eSellers service and had only read numerous poor reports on social media of disastrous deliveries with MaltaPost.

We ran a selective test for the MaltaPost courier service for some deliveries over a period of several months. These all had to be booked manually without the advantages of the eSeller system, but we found that the service was reliable and customers were generally very happy.

eSellers system - an efficient platform for deliveries in Malta

For our size of average order, in the region of 750 gms in a small 30cm by 25cm by 15cm package, and at our numbers of orders so approximately 200 orders a month we have found the online eSellers platform to be excellent.

There is no inbuilt integration with Shopify, which i think would be a great advantage so we manually input each delivery into the eSeller platform but this takes less than 2 minutes per order.

The result of the input is the tracking number which is then sent to the customer in our fulfilment advice in a clickable link, we always explain to customers that nothing will show on this link until MaltaPost has collected the orders from us and processed them.

We get collections twice a week from us, so twice a week we print the labels and a manifest from the eSellers platform and attach labels to the packed orders. The prepared batch is then collected during a time window the next day.

Fast deliveries all over Malta and Gozo by MaltaPost Premium Courier

Collections from us in Gozo on a Tuesday are normally delivered on Thursday, and sometimes a Wednesday. Collections on Friday morning are normally with the customer on Saturday or Monday. The timings are consistent so we can give consistent information to our customers which really helps.

In addition the tracking number always advises people where the delivery is, and we make sure we communicate the tracking number to the customer in a clear way.

How has MaltaPost impacted our customer service from the online store in Malta?

Since changing in August 2023 we receive far less enquiries from customers about "where is my order" and when we do get that question we can reply quickly with the tracking number and help the customer understand the information we are getting.

The biggest surprise to us has been the effect of not having a second try at deliveries. Most deliveries get through the first time, on the occasions when they do not we are not getting complaints from customers as they know exactly where the order is and can go to the post office to collect it. This was unexpected and customers have no issue accepting they missed the delivery and will go and collect it. After nearly 2 years on tis project we believe the reason for the low level of dissatisfaction is due to the high level of clarity over the solution - we always know where the order is after a failed delivery and where it can be collected from.

Integrated EasiPik - the jewel in the crown 

Over the time of using MaltaPost for all our deliveries in Malta and Gozo from our online store we have found that the EasiPik service integrated into eSellers has been the biggest game changer.

For an customer that would prefer control over when they will get their order, easiPik offers the solution with over 30 locations and an effective easy to use system.  Customers receive a code by SMS, enter their code in a locker and collect their order when the locker door opens. With 72 hours to collect 24/7 after getting their code the system provides a solution to anyone working or even travelling on a short break.

Every month more and mor repeat customers are using the EasiPik option especially when they understand that no account is needed by the customer as its all integrated in our system.

In our online store customers can choose the locker from a drop down menu, and when we manually configure the eSeller order we can d likewise inside the eSeller system.

There are a few location gaps in the network of EasiPik ockers in Malta and Gozo but there is ongoing investment in new locations regularly so we have confidence that this service will only get better.

What is support like from MaltaPost?

We have an account manager who can handle the inevitable few issues that we get. Communcation was more difficult at the start but improved dramatically once we had contact with a MaltaPost employee who was there for the purpose of eSeller support.

With the 1 or 2 queries we get a month we get a reply within 1 working day and have managed to resolve small issues nice and quickly.

Generally I would say MaltaPost means business, they are professional and interested in our business and certainly get the job done.

How we handle returns with MaltaPost in Malta

We use a Business Return Licence for free returns from our customers in Malta. Luckily we do not get so many but with 1 or 2 a month we needed an efficient system and with some effort on both sides we have been using our BRS licence for small package returns which customers take to the post office and is all pre-paid by ourselves.

Conclusion - does MaltaPost provide an efficient delivery service for an online store in Malta

For TAPP Water a resounding yes. Our experience shows good communication on our side, managing expectations and using efficient systems all contribute to a high customer satisfaction rate in our reviews.

If you are looking at options for your online store in Malta then MaltaPost and integrated EasiPik is a great solution to consider.