| | DECEMBER 20208VANTAGE POINTI t was not too long ago that home delivery of products such as Furniture and televisions was straight forward and rigid, with very few choices for customers. However, today there is a dramatic change in the way consumers experience their purchases. There is no longer the need for them to frequent the brick and mortar stores for their shopping. With the rise of and the influence of e-commerce, the pro-liferation of technology via the internet, smartphones, tablets and mobile the apps, the ability to research, view, select and buy virtually practically. Any product or service online, from anywhere, has become a reality.The purchases that are getting delivered to homes range from products like durable lifestyle goods, FMCGs to delivery of services like housekeeping or even getting a spa at home. Delivery windows have shrunk, in some cases on the same day as the purchase. Now it is the retailer and the last-mile delivery provider who are obligated to adapt to the consumer's schedule and meet their higher expectations for visibility and flexibility.The accelerating growth in e-commerce has flagged the way for many specific logistics firms in the country. The sector currently employs more than 100,000 delivery boys and girls and have testified at 200-300% hike over last year's numbers. Growth is forecasted to be alike, this year.It has become a familiar sight to spot delivery boys and girls with huge bags on their back as they drive down to deliver products and service from the warehouses of e-commerce com-panies to offices and residences of the consumers.The last-mile delivery dynamic, which was once mostly an afterthought for retailers, today has grown to become an in-tegral and strategic part of a company's customer service and brand prestige. The providers of last-mile delivery services are displaying the face of the retailer.In such a scenario the skills of the last mile delivery agents assume great importance. A level of presentability custom-er service, product knowledge and communication skills all oriented towards the consumer, including the ability in some cases to quickly and accurately assemble or install a product and many such things should become the second nature of these last-mile delivery agents. In a vast country like India, the retail sector is by far the largest employer of the last-mile delivery of goods and ser-vices. It is changing fast with organized retail, comprising of online and brick and mortar retailers, growing faster than the overall industry in itself. SKILLS REQUIRED TO BE A LAST-MILE AMBASSADOR(DELIVERY AND PACKAGING INDUSTRY) By Gayathri Vasudevan, Executive Chairperson and Cofounder of LabourNetGayathri Vasudevan
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