When a business relies on online sales or delivering goods to their customers, finding the courier service that adapts best to their needs is key. It keeps customers satisfied, saves money, and helps business grow. Of course, some research is necessary to determine which provider is best suited for a business’s specific needs. This includes comparing pricing, reliability, delivery speed, and customer service.
Here are 9 aspects to consider when evaluating Courier Services
1. Speed of delivery
Speed of delivery is crucial for customer satisfaction. The time it takes for a customer to receive a product after they’ve ordered will affect overall sales. Happy customers translate into them buying more from a business. And if in a competitive market, it’s important to find out what a customer expects as maximum delivery time and make it shorter. This doesn’t mean spending more money, as this fee can be included in the customer’s bill. Many are willing to pay extra for shorter shipping times.
2. Reputation or proven track record
It’s important to research a courier service’s historical performance, their successes, and failures. Reviews of the courier service will help you see the quality of their service and customer support. This will be a key point when choosing the best courier service for your business.
3. Cost to Value
Wanting to keep costs low is obvious in a business, but this might backfire when choosing a courier service. The important thing is to get the best value for the money. A cheap courier service might give you a substandard shipping experience and unhappy customers. Therefore, it’s crucial to know if the courier service will be able to offer the services you need before you consider the cost.
4. Tracking Capability
Getting a courier service that tracks parcels and allows you to see them in real-time is key. To do this, getting a courier that uses modern technology tracking is the way to go. Choosing couriers with outdated tracking systems can result in deliveries being less successful, and therefore, customer dissatisfaction.
5. Size and weight limitations
Bear in mind that the size and weight of your products will impact the courier service you choose, either because larger items cost more or because they don’t have the infrastructure to carry big and heavy items. Also, each courier service has different restrictions on the products they can deliver. It’s helpful to know couriers use the dimensional weight technique to price parcels. This means the weight of a package is calculated by its height, width, and length. And the fee is based on whichever is greater, the dimensional weight or the actual weight.
6. Proof of delivery
Courier services that provide proof of delivery will set up a business for success. Not only will you have proof the customers received your product, but it will also help you know if the company is doing what’s expected when it comes to deliveries.
Proof of delivery goes hand in hand with parcel tracking and recorded delivery options, which give both businesses and customers peace of mind. Courier services that send text messages to customers that include the exact time of delivery and the name of the driver can go a long way.
7. Customer service
Even though the courier service you use is only a partner to your company, your customers will associate their shipping experience with your business. It’s possible that the only human interaction your customers will have with you is through the courier service. From receiving a package directly from a delivery driver to having an issue with the delivery and calling customer service, your customers will connect this experience to your brand. It’s a good idea to know the process your customers might have to go through if they have issues with their package.
8. Availability of services on time
Assess if the courier service is available to pick up your goods like clockwork. This will mean they have a well-organized network of distributors and fulfillment centers. It’s important to make the company you’re evaluating aware of the daily number of orders and delivery schedule for your product to see if they can handle it.
9. Provides insurance
Insurance is extremely important when evaluating courier services, especially when shipping expensive goods. Make sure you read your courier service’s insurance coverage before you make a decision. If a shipment doesn’t make it to its destination, your business won’t be responsible for this issue.
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