Introduction
In today’s rapidly changing consumer market, shaping exceptional customer experiences has become a new pathway for enterprises to achieve stable and sustainable growth. By clarifying brand positioning and values, formulating comprehensive experience strategies, and creating unique and memorable experiences at critical moments, enterprises can deeply resonate with customers, build solid relationships, and realize continuous growth. As a company specializing in experience consulting, we fully understand the importance of experience empowerment. Leveraging our unique thinking and methodological models, we will analyze typical representatives of successful enterprises in the market, exploring how they achieve business breakthroughs and success through customer experience strategies. We look forward to sharing our research results to provide inspiration and reference for more enterprises, jointly ushering in a new era of experience-driven business.
Industry Overview
Driven by global economic integration and digital transformation, the logistics industry, as the core of the global supply chain, is undergoing profound changes, gradually transitioning from traditional services to high-tech applications. The booming development of e-commerce has led to an explosive growth in logistics demand, especially for last-mile delivery services. Consumers’ expectations for fast and convenient services have driven logistics enterprises to continuously upgrade their delivery experiences. Furthermore, the widespread application of new technologies has enabled the logistics industry to gradually transform from traditional transportation service providers to comprehensive solution providers.
As one of the world’s most dynamic markets, China’s logistics industry has achieved rapid development in recent years. The vitality of this market benefits from the prosperity of e-commerce and consumption upgrading. According to projections from the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, China’s express delivery business revenue will reach 1.3458 trillion yuan in 2024 and is expected to grow to 2.3151 trillion yuan by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 11.46% from 2024 to 2029.
The wave of consumption upgrading has further driven the improvement of service quality. In the past, the core focus of consumers was the accessibility of express delivery, but now they pay more attention to delivery speed, service details, and the enhancement of personalized experiences. Driven by this trend, many enterprises have begun to re-examine their service models to better meet consumers’ expectations for high-quality logistics services.
China’s logistics market shows a highly competitive landscape, where "Sitong Yida" (China Post Express, ZTO Express, YTO Express, STO Express, and JD Logistics), SF Express, JD Logistics, and numerous cross-border logistics enterprises jointly constitute the main forces in the market. Among them, SF Express stands out with its high-end market positioning, taking "timeliness" and "high-quality" services as its core competitiveness and becoming an industry benchmark. SF Express has ranked first in the express service satisfaction brand ranking for several consecutive years and holds the largest market share among Chinese express delivery enterprises. At the same time, the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce has also promoted the development of cross-border logistics. Leading enterprises are actively laying out global service networks to enhance their international competitiveness.
Brand Characteristics
Resource Allocation Under Differentiation Strategy
In the early days of the express delivery industry, where the prevailing trend was to "win through low prices," SF Express chose a distinct path. It adopted "high efficiency, speed, and high-quality service" as its core differentiation strategy, focusing on meeting the needs of high-end customers. Guided by this strategy, SF Express took the lead in developing charter flight services, ushering in the era of air transportation for private express delivery in China. Meanwhile, it gradually increased investment in technology and launched a technological transformation to further strengthen its time efficiency advantages. SF Express was the first in China to introduce time-limited delivery services and built a nationwide efficient logistics network, providing precise time guarantees for both corporate and individual customers. This focus on service quality helped SF Express establish a unique brand image in the fiercely competitive express delivery market, making its brand labels of "punctuality, safety, and high quality" deeply rooted in the public mind.
In the process of emphasizing timeliness and high quality, SF Express pays special attention to two aspects:
- Focus on product implementation: Wang Wei, Chairman of SF Holding, once emphasized, "A healthy product and positioning will eliminate many customers. We do not pursue unhealthy optimism, nor do we want to be a backup option. We will never engage in products with negative gross margins." Wang Wei believes that stable, high-quality customers with a sense of value identity are the core target of SF Express in the future.
- Comprehensive improvement of customer experience: SF Express has built a complete service system, strengthening collaboration and optimization across all links—from product design to operation management, from cargo transportation to distribution centers, and from corporate headquarters to regional outlets—to continuously enhance customer experience and service quality. SF Express has always been committed to providing customers with better, more stable services, which has become a key focus of its long-term efforts.
Strengths and Advantages
Based on its differentiation strategy, SF Express has gradually built core capabilities covering the entire process during its brand development, which have formed its competitive barriers in the industry:
- Extensive and efficient logistics network: SF Express has built a nationwide self-operated logistics network, especially an efficient connection mechanism between core cities and remote areas. Whether in ground distribution or air transportation networks, SF Express leads the industry. In addition, its self-built airline has significantly improved the timeliness of cross-regional delivery, forming a unique "land-air integration" advantage.
-Technology-empowered service innovation: SF Express took the lead in introducing technologies such as drone delivery, automated sorting systems, and AI algorithm optimization in the industry. For example, the application of drones in remote mountainous areas has significantly improved delivery efficiency, while intelligent sorting systems have enhanced the accuracy and speed of warehouse operations. At the same time, SF Express has built an intelligent logistics scheduling system using big data technology, greatly improving the overall efficiency of the logistics chain.
-Diversified product and service system: Customer需求-oriented, SF Express has created a diversified product system covering time-sensitive parcels, economic parcels, cold chain transportation, cross-border logistics, and warehousing services. For instance, the "SF Preferred" service provides a full-chain solution from warehousing to distribution for fresh produce and high-end food e-commerce; cross-border logistics, combined with its international network, offers one-stop logistics services for import and export enterprises.
Brand Experience Analysis
Brand Commitment
— Clarifying brand commitments and reshaping consumer perception
Adhering to the customer-centric philosophy, SF Express has clearly defined its commitment: "Wholehearted delivery, dedicated to fulfilling every care, trust, and expectation." SF Express believes that every item is infused with users’ trust and expectations. To respond to such trust and expectations and become a reliable choice for customers, SF Express, based on its in-depth understanding and grasp of industry customers, provides customized one-stop solutions for different industry customers and, moreover, acts as a service provider for the ecological management of industry customers. SF Express understands the supply chain needs and pain points of industry customers, addresses the pain points in the industry chain, and provides same-city, cross-regional, and even cross-border logistics services through a seamless logistics network. While providing efficient logistics services, it achieves optimal cost-effectiveness.
Experience Strategy
— Defining clear experience strategies and principles to guide experience implementation and fulfill the brand’s commitment to consumers
To respond to the numerous customers’ trust and expectations, SF Express emphasizes the values of "swiftness and peace of mind, efficiency and reliability," which are reflected in corresponding strategies: such as a seamless and comprehensive service system, diversified and customized solutions, and an intelligent logistics system. These principles and strategies help improve network operation efficiency, guide the specific implementation of experiences, and ensure the experience satisfaction of customers and suppliers.
Customer Journey and Moments of Truth:
— The core of shaping an experience journey lies in starting from customer needs, creating Moments of Truth (MOT), and leaving customers with unforgettable memories.
By gaining insights into customer needs, SF Express is committed to creating efficient and seamless logistics experiences that meet customers’ high expectations.
Combining business goals, customer experience objectives, and its strengths, take C-end customers as an example: SF Express has crafted surprise moments in key stages where customers receive experiences that exceed their expectations:
1. When booking a delivery online: Service hours are extended to 22:00, offering night delivery services and 1-hour on-site pickup. This makes delivery timely and controllable, meeting the needs of many customers such as office workers.
2. For urgent deliveries: Next-day delivery and same-day delivery services are available, suitable for the transportation of urgent documents and important items, satisfying customers’ expectations for speed and efficiency.
3. When checking logistics information: SF Express provides transparent and accurate logistics updates throughout the transportation process, including detailed updates at each stage. Users can track the package status at any time. This full-process visualized logistics tracking function enhances users’ sense of security.
4. During transportation: SF Express ensures customers’ peace of mind with its robust cargo protection. For instance, its cold chain logistics is renowned for strict temperature control technology. Perishable foods, pharmaceuticals, and other sensitive goods maintain stable temperature control throughout transportation, ensuring they arrive at the destination intact. This is a differentiated advantage in the industry.
5. While waiting for delivery: Delivery routes are optimized through data algorithms, and last-mile delivery efficiency is enhanced by upgrading equipment (such as using electric balance bikes), making the delivery service more professional and efficient while providing better cargo protection. At the same time, flexible delivery options (such as redirecting to smart lockers or scheduling deliveries) are offered to meet users’ personalized needs.
6. During delivery: The SF Express APP and mini-program feature a "Delivery Preference Setting" function. Users can choose the delivery time and location—whether to their doorstep, a service point, a security booth, or a reception desk. For those who wish to avoid disturbance, options like "no phone calls" or "no doorbell ringing" are available, providing customized services.
7. Delivery and after-sales contact: Customer contact is handled through data desensitization and intelligent outbound calls. The call interface displays desensitized protected numbers, or calls are directly initiated by the backend. SF Express staff do not need to know customers’ phone numbers, ensuring the security of customer data and privacy.
These Moments of Truth not only embody SF Express’s dedication and professionalism in customer experience but also deepen users’ trust and reliance on the SF Express brand throughout each customer journey, earning SF Express a strong reputation and market advantages.
Experience Implementation:
— Diagnosis, Optimization, and Enhancement of Customer Experience
Customer Experience Diagnosis and Management
Leveraging advanced digital tools and big data analytics, SF Express realizes real-time monitoring and early warning of potential issues across all links of the logistics chain. By integrating customer feedback, operational data, and market dynamics, SF Express can accurately identify experience pain points in each环节. For example, during the pandemic, through monitoring indicators such as order delays and customer complaints, SF Express quickly detected and resolved potential problems in its logistics network, providing robust data support for subsequent optimizations. Meanwhile, SF Express incorporates customer experience metrics into the performance evaluations of management at all levels. Through internal training and incentive mechanisms, it strengthens frontline employees’ service awareness, ensuring that experience improvement measures are effectively implemented.
Actions and Enhancements
SF Express enhances its service capabilities through flexible supply chains and efficient fulfillment models.
-Flexible Supply Chain: SF Express has significantly improved supply chain flexibility and response speed through its "warehouse-up, transfer-down" forward warehouse model and flexible network coverage. For instance, an international cosmetics group entrusted over 4 million products to SF Express during peak seasons, which were pre-allocated to forward warehouses in advance, drastically shortening end-delivery time. This strategy not only improves delivery efficiency but also effectively reduces inventory pressure for brand owners.
-Efficient Fulfillment: Based on the "extreme pre-positioning" strategy, SF Express has built a multi-level fulfillment system. Through precise inventory allocation and intelligent scheduling, it achieves rapid fulfillment of peak-season orders. This strategy not only meets brand owners’ high standards for timeliness but also effectively reduces inventory and delivery costs, creating greater value for customers.
From upgrading logistics models for bulk merchants to the precise delivery of fresh produce from origin to table, SF Express continues to innovate supply chain models and refine operations, creating a multi-level and diversified product line. While meeting customers’ diverse needs, it helps digitize the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, forming a complete integrated supply chain solution. This data-driven and continuous improvement-focused model enables SF Express to continuously optimize customer experience and ensure service stability and high-quality delivery in complex environments.
Conclusion
Through continuous service optimization and technological innovation, SF Express constantly raises the bar for customer experience and sets a benchmark in the logistics industry. With precise customer insights and differentiated brand value propositions, SF Express has not only won widespread market recognition but also established a brand image of "safety, reliability, and efficiency" in customers’ minds. In the future, we look forward to SF Express continuing to put customers at the center, continuously optimizing service details, expanding its global network, and moving toward its goal of becoming a "globally leading comprehensive logistics solution provider." This also proves that in a challenging market environment, valuing and appropriately investing in customer experience can yield stable, sustainable, and cost-effective long-term returns.
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