“Just Swift It” campaign introduces e-commerce to Zim logistics

With online payments and e-commerce pretty much figured out thanks to various options like Paynow, Pay4App and vPayments, everyone who prefers “e-simplicity” is looking at how local merchants and service providers will make it a part of the ordinary transaction experience.

In a first from local transport and logistics concerns, freight company Swift has taken a step in that direction with its new campaign called “Just Swift It”, which extends to an easy online service experience that has an e-commerce component attached to it.

According to Swift’s PR and marketing manager Kerne Mackie, “Just Swift It” is meant to simplify the whole process of identifying and choosing what sort of service a customer wants with the internet facilitating this, together with an option to pay for the service digitally.

Through the “Just Swift It” web application clients are able to get an online quote on a parcel or cargo weighing between 0.1kgs and 6 tonnes, book a delivery and make online payments for goods. The payment process has been enabled through local payment gateway Paynow, which makes options such as EcoCash, Telecash and VISA available.

A user has to specify the size of the package they want delivered in terms of volumetric weight (the limit is 45cm x 45cm x 40cm) and since the service is currently limited to Swift Courier Express (small parcels and documents only) the package weight maximum is 20kg.

Once a user has received a quote they can proceed to pay through Paynow. If the package is at a business address Swift will come and collect it for free. However packages that need to be collected from a residential address attract a surcharge of $5.

The other services on the site include the option to track and trace parcels and find the nearest Swift depot. There is also live online help which is ready to address any questions that a client might have.

The Swift web application scores a lot of points in terms of a simplified interface and service layout. Anyone landing on the page will find it fairly easy to navigate through processes such as getting a quote, finding a depot, tracking a package or paying for it. Its mobile friendliness (long live HTML5) and online help chat also add significant value.

So will this web application mean anything for tech startups involved in e-commerce?

The team from Swift indicated that they are exploring an integration with e-commerce services that want to factor in a product delivery option for their services. This element, though not yet defined at this stage, would definitely be a strong boost for local e-commerce and e-tailing efforts.

Other services to look forward to include SMS and e-mail updates for parcels in transit and increased thresholds for parcel volumes whose delivery can be paid for online. This will also hopefully unfold to include cross border deliveries through Swift’s Skynet Worldwide Express service.

Have you used the Swift web service? What has been your experience and how does it measure against competing services? Are you keen on trying it out if you have never used it before? Please feel free to share your opinions in the comments section below.