Do you run a small business?

If so you’ll know that delivering your promises is critical in terms of managing your reputation, building your brand and encouraging repeat purchases.

This is especially true if you run an online store. In this situation it’s likely you’ll have a requirement to fulfil orders. This means ensuring parcels arrive on time and in one piece. It’s all part of building trust and convincing customers you’ll deliver and it’s a big challenge for the small business owner, especially if the brand is new, small or relatively unknown.

That’s where a courier company could help enhance your customer service.

Let me explain…

Most of the big brand courier companies work hard to ensure their delivery specification is achieved. In fact, their entire network is set up to maximise the chances of a parcel that’s collected by the cut-off time, arriving at its destination on time.

It’s complex. Especially when you consider the journey an average parcel makes on its way from A to B.

Tracking adds visibility and offers information

One of the key ways a courier company can help enhance your customer service is through the electronic tracking information that you can access. It means your important parcel will not simply disappear into a void when it’s posted.

The amount of tracking information will vary depending on the company that you choose but often includes collection and delivery tracks as a minimum. What’s more, because you can access this information online, it means you’re empowered to answer customer enquiries about the whereabouts of their order.

Next time you have a parcel to go, maybe a courier company could help enhance the customer service that you offer. What do you think?

If you have a parcel to go, you’ll want it delivered on time, to the right recipient and in one piece.

You’ve probably heard the horror stories about parcels that have gone astray, turned up late or arrived broken and damaged, and whilst this is a possibility, there are steps you can take to minimise this risk.

1.      Pack your parcel securely

It’s really important that when you despatch a parcel to a courier it has been packaged to withstand the inevitable stresses and strains of the courier network. Your parcel is going to get moved around during sorting and during distribution and so you want to be sure that the box you use is robust, the tape is secure and the contents fit snuggly. In addition, consider using bubble wrap or packing paper as an additional level of protection.

2.      Write legibly

You need to ensure the courier driver can read the address. It’s important that you include the postcode too as this will be used by the sorting technology to route the parcel to the correct delivery office.

3.      Choose the right delivery specification

Most couriers offer a range of different delivery specifications. This includes Timed services such as by 9am, by 10am and by noon. These products are ideal if you want to ensure your parcel arrives in the morning. Alternatively, you could choose the Next Day product, or if you have more time, consider a 48-hour delivery service. The price point of these services reflects the speed of delivery so budget may also be relevant.

4.      Factor in collection cut off times

Some people make the mistake of forgetting to consider the cut off times for booking a collection. These vary by courier. So if you need a parcel delivered by tomorrow, first you’ll need to check that a collection can be performed today. If not, you’ll need to shift your delivery expectations.

Couriers offer a fast and reliable way of getting your parcel from A to B. But as you can see, there are some key things that you can do to help ensure your parcel arrives safely.

If you’re struggling for some inspiration of why you may need to use a courier service, check out these 10 top reasons.

1. You run an online shop and you need a reliable method to fulfil your customer orders.
2. It’s your brother’s birthday. He lives in Hong Kong and you want an affordable By Air service to ensure your special gift arrives on time and in one piece.
3. You have some urgent documents that need to arrive with your solicitor before lunchtime. You take advantage of the Next Day Timed delivery services.
4. It’s Valentines Day and you want to surprise your sweetheart with a gift that doesn’t involve flowers.
5. You don’t want the hassle of taking all those wrapped Christmas presents down to the Post Office and would much rather someone collected them from you instead.
6. You have an item that absolutely has to be with a supplier TODAY. Luckily you can access the Sameday network to make it a possibility.
7. That gorgeous looking dress you ordered from the catalogue just doesn’t look the same on and you want to return it.
8. You’ve ordered some food online and are waiting for the courier driver to deliver it.
9. It’s your parents wedding anniversary and you want to send them a special gift to mark their special day.
10. You need to send a prototype product back to the designer for refining.

But what will you send…