When you need courier services for your business, getting the right partner is very important. Not only do you want to consider the price but also the quality of the service. Poor quality services can harm your business and make a bad impression on your customers. So how do you choose the right courier services?
Understand the parcel
The first step to getting the right courier service is to understand your parcel or parcels and what kind of service you need. After all, courier companies can only offer a quote based on the information that you give them. Let’s say you need large parcel delivery – what’s the size and weight of the parcel? Where do you need it to be delivered to? What kind of time frames are you working with?
Once you understand the parcel or parcels you are sending, then you are in the right place to get the quotes from the different companies.
Understanding pricing
Somewhat confusingly, some companies charge by the size and weight of the parcel while others charge by the distance it has to go.There’s no right or wrong answer but it is important to understand these pricing structures to be able to compare them. A service offering a price per mile might seem more expensive but if you have a large, heavy parcel, then they might work out cheaper. Whereas a smaller, lighter parcel travelling around the UK might work out cheapest using a size/weight pricing structure.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about prices, how they are worked out and even if there are any discounts for bulk or regular customers. Courier companies are always keen to help!
Do some research
The company’s website is always a great place to start as they will proudly display customer testimonials. These are references given by previous customers that show they were happy with the service received and would recommend the company to other people. Take a look at these and particularly for companies in similar industries to your own.
You can also look at independent review sites and some companies may feature on these. Always remember there is context for a review, so a bad review might not mean a bad company but simply a problem has occurred. But reviews can be a good way to get a feel for a company.
Make sure they have insurance
When you are getting quotes and prices from companies and chatting about time frames and expectations, also check about their insurance and protection. If something goes wrong, say a vehicle has an accident and your parcels are damaged, how will you be compensated? Make sure they have all the right coverage in place to protect you so that if something goes wrong, your business doesn’t end up out of pocket.
Have clear expectations
One of the most common problems with a courier service is that there’s a breakdown in expectations. The client needs the item to reach their customer within 24 hours but only took a 48-hour delivery service. Or there’s a last minute change that adds a day to the delivery time and the customer doesn’t realise. You need to have clear expectations and outline these to your customers as well as to the courier company.
Also remember if you are delivering abroad, there can be factors that are different there than here in the UK. For example, while things like Christmas are celebrated across Europe, other holidays aren’t such as May Bank Holiday. Different countries have their own holidays and if you try to have a delivery on one of these holidays, it can delay things.
To find out more about our courier services, visit our website or get in touch today!