A Courier works for a delivery or logistics company. Courier responsibilities include performing the courier service and ensuring timely delivery of packages, following safety rules, and keeping accurate records. Couriers typically report to a Logistics Manager, working part-time, full-time, or on a freelance basis. In short, they are key in terms of how and how well items can get from A to B. This is in terms of how items can be delivered on time and in terms of how safely and carefully items are in turn handled too. There are no end of courier firms out there and they all work in their own ways and have their own terms and conditions too.
Businesses should trust a courier company that has experience in dealing with warehouses. Also other aspects such as third-party logistics providers, transportation and all of the other major areas of this service. It is a specialist area after all. Sameday couriers can work wonders when they work to the best of their ability. They can really transform your customer service levels too.
An overview of a courier service
A courier is a company or person who delivers a package from one place to another. Well known examples include Hermes Group, FedEx and Parcel Monkey. Most courier services are privately owned companies; however, the Royal Mail is somewhat an exception. Courier delivery services are used frequently for ecommerce fulfilment as they allow for more localised or regional services, can deliver multiple packages and take away the responsibility from the seller. Small scale businesses such as independent sellers are more likely to use public services like the Royal Mail. Whereas larger businesses may have contracts with courier services for cost effective mass deliveries.
There are the big brand couriers and then there are the smaller and more independent outfits. With the smaller firms you can be sure to get more of a personal and one to one service. Courier delivery services are extremely popular and offer businesses cost effective ways to distribute products both nationally and across the world. They are at the backbone of most major economies.
Getting a successful operation in place
E-commerce is growing at a rapid pace, and it’s making parcel delivery a major concern for companies of all sizes. Large corporations and small businesses alike are wading into the waters of in-house delivery to reduce shipping costs and maintain control over their customer experience.
In-house courier delivery can be extremely beneficial if you do it well. You’d be hard-pressed to find a third-party courier service that cares more about your products and your customers than you do. But there’s a lot to consider when running your own delivery operation. To conquer courier management, you need a solid understanding of the basics, a handy guide for spotting areas that need improvement, and easy-to-use software – a robust courier management system.
Getting the most out of your couriers
When a customer shops online, couriers are the only brand representative customers meet. Couriers are arguably your most valuable asset, so it makes sense to support them any way you can. Here’s how you can enable couriers to perform their best and, in turn, drive revenue for your company using a route optimisation.
The importance of real-time tracking with this service
Another function of courier services and how they differ from postal services is their ability to provide real-time tracking. That’s not to say that postal services don’t offer tracking features. Although they tend to be more generic. This is such as where the shipment is located and the day it should arrive. Courier services, however, provide you with real-time tracking so you know exactly where your shipments are. What also makes courier services more unique is that you have the ability to phone the courier company you work with to ask for updates as well.
A dedicated customer services team proactively manages all of your deliveries. So you can worry less about shipments and focus on core business tasks instead. With dedicated customer service teams on the other end of the phone, you’re a lot likelier to receive accurate updates of your shipments’ whereabouts. When shipping goods internationally, it’s important you still have great visibility on where the goods you’re sending are at. The easiest way to do this is through international tracking but again, this differs between courier and postal services.
If you select a postal service, then it’s important to know that they only offer the most basic tracking (such as departure and arrival) when posting internationally. The only way you can get this added feature is if you specifically choose a mail service that offers tracking. On the other hand, courier services always offer international tracking. Of course, some are better than others depending on the service you choose. But you can be sure that there will be a form of international tracking you can utilise.
Overall
If you’re sending important items via courier, then it’s wise to choose a partner that you can trust throughout the whole process. To enjoy the benefits we’ve mentioned above and set your business up for success, it is best to look at assessing a variety of different couriers. Put simply, just make sure and be sure you do all of the research. Do what you can before you hire in a courier. From this, look to ensure they have a good break down of the service offering. All of this is going to be key if you are going to get the best service provider for your business in the long run.