Courier Company Secrets Let Out of the Bag Part 2
Rush Deliveries and Holdbacks
Your courier company functions as an extension of your business to your customers.
You need one that puts forth the best face forward to make a lasting polished impression to help to make your company shine.
Uncovering some of the practices and nuances that various trucking companies employ can make a world of difference in making or breaking that image.
Here’s how.
Hold Backs and Rush Deliveries
Some courier companies will “holdback” on regular delivery service even though they aren’t busy; they’ll park roadside and let time pass until they come for pickup or they will pick up your order quickly and then holdback on delivering it for hours.
This is a less than desirable practice designed to force your hand to call your provider for a rush service!
A reputable courier company will not follow these shady industry practices.
One that aspires to provide top-rate service will capture and deliver your shipment as soon as they’re able to do so, even if it isn’t a rush service.
Unfortunately, there are those that do not follow the industry's best procedures when it comes to delivering your goods.
If you are fortunate to be in partnership with an express courier that implements the standards of quick pickup and delivery when circumstances permit, it would not be prudent to take advantage by not requesting a rush delivery when you honestly need it.
You could find yourself in a dilemma with your customer when your courier was too busy to deliver as quickly as you had needed without upgrading it to priority expedited service.
After Hours and Hot Shot Service
After hours service is rather self-explanatory, but a hot shot is not such an evident term for those not familiar with the service.
Simply put, a hotshot is when you need a delivery picked up and delivered as fast as possible.
You are searching for a courier company that works after regular business hours, and can also provide delivery service on a moment’s notice when you have those urgent “fires to put out.”
How do you know how find one that you can count on for such critical needs to serve your customers?
The obvious is to look for one advertising that they provide 24/7 courier service, 365 days a year.
The not-so-obvious is how your call is handled by those that state they cater to these emergency situations.
Try calling them after regular business hours to see what kind of actual live response you’ll get in your search.
They may only have an answering service during those hours, and you’ll be wasting precious time waiting for their response.
How do you know that you have only reached a call service?
They may state that they will have someone return your call shortly, and not take all of your pertinent information immediately.
You want to make contact with a knowledgeable human being on the other end of the line who works for the company, not a person that's simply taking messages for them after hours.
Don't be caught unaware.
Come up with a contingency plan in advance for the worst case situations that you are typically confronted with so that you're not left in dire straights when the emergencies and urgent predicaments occur.
Conclusion
Understanding some of the fundamentals in making decisions for which courier company you use will be one of the most important things your company needs to be aware of.
Your best arsenal to prevent a poor company image with delivery of your products is to be informed of many of the less than desirable practices for courier service which some companies perpetuate and stay away from those who do not uphold the industry’s best practices and standards.