A courier service is a premium, all-inclusive service which is there to help you get your goods from A to B in a most effective, safe and seamless manner. It is very popular too as a B2B service. No end of businesses large and small will outsource this as a means to helping them run their key operations all the more effectively. You can be sure to find and hire couriers all over the UK. There are the big national firms and then the more small and independent firms all offering these key services.
Working with the wrong courier can create various problems for your business. When an issue does arise, if your courier does little to rectify the situation, it can still have a negative impact on your business. With all of this in mind, it helps also to take all of this into consideration. This is very much something you should factor in too as a means of how you also go about running this as a key operation.
There are times when deliveries can end up being late
Late deliveries are a problem for both the recipient and the sender. The recipient doesn’t want to wait longer than they need to. Also, you don’t want your business to get a bad name for not being able to deliver on schedule. Customers will make plans around the time your courier has specified for delivery, so they’ll be frustrated and inconvenienced if that deadline is missed. This is where same day couriers can make a difference.
One way you can combat this is by conducting extensive research into a courier’s reputation. For example, take a look at their testimonials and reviews before you make a decision. If a courier receives plenty of five-star reviews for timely deliveries, you’ll know that you can trust them to get your goods to their destination on time.
Items can also end up getting damaged along the way
You want your goods to get there in the condition that you originally sent them in. What you don’t want is for your recipients to contact you, saying that items are broken or unfit for purpose. If this happens, you’ll have to send replacement stock so it’ll be your business that loses out. Your courier should ensure the safe delivery of your goods to the best of their ability.
To avoid your goods arriving at their destination in an unacceptable condition, the best thing you can do is work with a reputable courier that will be able to offer advice on safely packing your products. Each and every item should be packed safely and securely so that nothing is damaged or lost during the delivery.
It is best to have a good think as to how much you are willing to pay
Nobody wants to pay over the odds for a service that they’re not receiving. You need to find the right balance between affordable and wildly expensive. If you choose an option that’s too cheap, there’s a possibility that you may receive poor service. However, that doesn’t mean the most expensive option will be the best for your business either.
So you get items on time, see if there is some form of software in place
The time it takes for your customers to receive their items from your courier service can impact the reputation of your business and increase (or decrease) your overall sales. This is because the happier your customers are, the more likely they are to buy again from you. A recent survey on delivery times found that most customers buying online in the United Kingdom expect a maximum delivery time of three to five days. If your competition is high, then you may need even shorter delivery times – especially when selling on marketplaces. Therefore, it can be a good idea to explore your opportunities with inventory management software. It can automate many different tasks. It can also maximise the efficiency of your order fulfilment processes.
Take the time to research what your competitors are doing and send out a survey or social media poll to see what your customers expect from online deliveries. After all, the more research you do, then the more likely you are to get the shipping experience right for your customers. If next day delivery or same day delivery is essential for your industry and business, you may not necessarily need to pay more for a faster courier service. You can factor these extra costs into the shipping fees your customers pay you. This means in turn that your profit margins in turn won’t end up getting too badly hit. For any business, it is best you know the ins and outs of the service your courier will be able to deliver to you.
Good customer service is always going to be key
Even though your deliveries are handled by a separate company, your customers associate a great (or terrible!) shipping experience with your business – not the courier service you use. The customer service provided by delivery companies may not be completely within your control. It’s worth considering the reputation of your chosen shipping partner. You can do this by checking out online reviews and drawing your own conclusions. As an online business, it’s worth remembering to keep customers happy. The only human interaction your customers are likely to have with you is through your courier service.
How the delivery driver behaves in front of your customers is key. It may impact how likely they are to buy from you again. At the same time, there are problems surrounding delivery companies. Being aware of common issues your customers may experience when buying online and receiving deliveries can help you to find the right courier service for your business. See too if they take on board your feedback. See also if they are able to give you everything you both want and need. This is key no end.
Weigh up cost to value hand in hand
As an online business owner, you’re likely to be aware that the delivery costs for outsourcing shipping operations. They can after all add up quickly. This is why you need to be able to work out your delivery costs against the value provided for your business. This can be challenging as it’s difficult to attach a measurable numerical value when you’re improving customer experience. Increasing your sales is almost always going to be your number one goal. You also need to measure and monitor your success in other (less quantifiable) ways. You can measure the value delivered to your business by your chosen courier services through checking your reviews. Or you can send out a quick survey to see how happy your customers are. This is all to do with the shipping experience provided to them.
Overall
When it comes to comparing delivery companies, this courier comparison checklist should go some way in helping you find the right solution to support the growth of your business. If you can get the shipping experience right for your customers, you’ll start to build more trust in your online business, boost your online reputation and increase your overall sales. Finding the best courier service may seem like a challenging task. That aside, it is certainly a worthwhile investment of your time. As said and touched on here, feel free to take your time. Put simply, you need the best team in place to handle this area of your business.
