How the Post Makes Over 750,000 Messages Per Day More Understandable

In Brief:

• Customer satisfaction at record levels: 4.5 out of 5 stars and over 8,000 positive feedbacks in just a few days

• Service instead of status: From mere notification to useful customer experience

• Win-win situation: Fewer inquiries for the Post, better information for recipients

Relevant Information at a Glance: The New Shipment Notifications

As soon as a merchant sends a package, Swiss Post automatically informs the recipients. The shipment notifications show who the package is from, where it currently is, and when it's expected to arrive. They also help recipients make decisions about delivery - for example, whether the package should be left at the front door or deposited in a post office box.

How Swiss Post and Recipients Benefit

Swiss Post sends over 500,000 emails, 250,000 push notifications, and 20,000 SMS messages with shipment information daily. With this volume, unclear or confusing messages can quickly lead to many inquiries. Together with Swiss Post, we have therefore revised the communication to avoid misunderstandings and to relieve both the recipients and Swiss Post's internal processes.

When we communicate clearly and comprehensibly, both sides save time: Recipients can manage their shipments more easily, and Swiss Post avoids unnecessary delivery attempts. This reduces effort on both sides and ultimately increases customer and Swiss Post satisfaction.

Consistent Change of Perspective

When revising the shipment notifications, we always focused on the service concept. We restructured the shipment notifications, reformulated texts, and consistently adopted the perspective of the users. These questions guided us:

• What is the most important information for the recipients?

• What information is necessary?

• What information is helpful?

• How can we formulate content inclusively and comprehensibly?

• How do we motivate recipients to take action?

Design and UX Writing: An Inseparable Connection

It quickly became clear that it's not just about words, but also about design. UX writing had to go hand in hand with a clear information architecture. Together with Swiss Post's design team, we developed a user-friendly layout that highlights essential information and helps recipients quickly grasp content.

Consistency Creates Trust

Another principle is consistency. Whether we designed notifications for email, SMS, or push: We always made sure to use the same terms and a uniform structure. This makes it easier for recipients to find their way around and grasp important information at a glance. This consistency creates trust and makes communication more understandable.

The Principles of Service-Oriented Communication

From our work with Swiss Post, several central principles of service-oriented communication can be derived:

1. Relevance: Every piece of information must be useful and purposeful.

2. Clarity: Less is more. The information should be clear and reduced to the essentials.

3. Action orientation: Recipients should be active where it makes sense.

4. Consistency: Uniformity in language and structure facilitates understanding and creates trust.

5. Design and text in harmony: A clear layout supports the comprehensibility of the messages.

4.5 out of 5 Stars: Customers are Satisfied

The new shipment notifications have been in use since spring 2024. The feedback from recipients confirms our approach:

• Over 8,000 feedbacks in the first few days

• Average rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

• Fewer support inquiries at Swiss Post

• Greater trust in the notifications

Through the redesign, we were able to develop Swiss Post's shipment notifications into a real service: away from mere status updates, towards useful, helpful, and customer-oriented communication.

Would you also like to transform your communication into a real service? Contact us!