FedEx Express announces WhatsApp integration in AMEA region
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world's largest express transportation company, is enhancing its services with delivery notifications and personalised options now available on WhatsApp.
The integration of the popular instant messaging app into the FedEx Delivery Manager International (FDMi) e-commerce solution is being launched in FedEx Express Australian market and eight other markets in its Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region: New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
FDMi is an interactive e-commerce delivery solution that provides customisable delivery options and alerts. E-tailers using the solution can offer their residential customers the ability to pick the timing and location of their deliveries to fit their schedule and change the delivery address when the shipment is in transit giving them extra flexibility at no extra cost, the company states.
The WhatsApp instant messaging social media platform currently has over 2 billion active users globally. In Australia and New Zealand, the WhatsApp platform is used by around 40% of the population as people are spending more time online than ever before.
More than 80% of the population over the age of 16 in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the UAE are WhatsApp users, while more than one in four Filipinos use WhatsApp, making it the most favoured social media platform in those countries.
With such high penetration in each market, the integration of WhatsApp into FDMi makes it an effective solution for shoppers, FedEx Express states.
Recipients expecting inbound deliveries receive a WhatsApp notification from FedEx Express upon shipment pickup. FedEx uses a Meta verified WhatsApp business account to help mitigate the risk of recipients responding to scams perpetrated on WhatsApp using the FedEx brands.
Recipients can access tracking status and re-direct options with the click of a button directly in the WhatsApp chat window.
Peter Langley, Vice President of FedEx Express Australasia, says, "We continuously strive to enhance our services to make our solutions more accessible and useful while adding value and supporting the growth of local businesses. The integration is another important step in continuous augmentation of our service suites to better support making business easier and deliveries more manageable for customers within this dynamic region."
Salil Chari, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Customer Experience of FedEx Express AMEA Region, says, "We know that consumers have an increasing preference for personalised delivery services. Integrating social platforms of choice like WhatsApp into our digital solutions gives an added boost to the convenience we can offer to e-commerce customers. This service enhancement is another example of how we are working at the intersection of our digital and physical networks to create differentiated, customer-centric service experiences."
As FedEx Express states, the integration of WhatsApp into FDMi is a win-win for all participants in the e-commerce ecosystem. In an increasingly competitive online marketplace, FDMi helps e-tailers, especially SMEs, provide a differentiated service offer. Customers get more peace of mind through the traceability of their package on their mobile device as well as an enhanced online shopping experience. It also helps FedEx Express minimise delivery attempts to recipients who may not be at home.
