Do you want to hire a courier service for your business? If so, are you unsure of what qualities to look for?
With the rise of internet shopping, courier services have become vital to businesses all over the world. They help to keep companies operating whilst delivering cost-saving solutions. After all, many businesses wouldn’t stay afloat if they had to handle their own deliveries.
But, just like in every industry, there are better professionals than others.
Some courier services try to cut corners and don’t deliver what they promise. As a result, this reflects badly on the businesses that hire them. In fact, they can even lose customers based on the courier’s actions.
So, you need to ensure you hire a reliable courier service that focuses on high standards. But don’t worry, they’re not as difficult to find as you may think.
In this article, we’ll share six factors to consider when hiring a courier service. By following our advice, you’ll hire someone who meets your needs and represents your business well.
Read on for more information.
1. How Much Experience Do They Have?
The first thing to look for is how long they’ve been operating.
The best courier services have been around for many years, which shows they’re doing something right. After all, if they were delivering poor customer service, then they would not keep their clients.
Plus, couriers with the most experience tend to have the most efficient system in place. They’ve gone through a lot of trial and error to find the best way to work.
Whereas someone new to the industry is still finding their feet. They’ve most likely got some teething issues to figure out and how best to work.
Ultimately you want to stay away from these types of couriers.
2. Are Their Reviews Positive?
Every local courier service will claim that they’re the best around. Unfortunately, this isn’t true, so you need a quick way of separating the good from the bad.
An easy way to do this is by reading their online customer reviews. This gives you a great overview of their customer satisfaction rating and allows you to identify possible red flags.
The best place to read online customer reviews is on their Google My Business page. This is often where most of the reviews will be, plus they’re unlikely to be fake.
Whereas reviews posted on websites such as Yelp may not be genuine.
Whilst reading the reviews, keep note of any common complaints from customers. If there’s a pattern of things like slow service or damaged goods, then proceed with caution.
Yet, it’s important to remember that every company will have negative reviews. Sometimes things go wrong, which can’t be avoided.
As long as there is more positive feedback than negative, you should be ok.
3. Which Areas Do They Cover?
Some businesses only send parcels to nearby locations, whereas others ship them all over the world. So, it’s important that the courier can get your parcels to where they need to go.
Determine the areas where you send packages and ask them if they operate in these parts.
If the answer is no, then start looking for someone who does, even if they claim they could accommodate your needs. Ideally, you want to hire a courier who is already operating in the areas you do business.
4. How Fast Can They Deliver?
One of the most important factors to consider is speed.
In this modern age, customers expect packages to arrive within a couple of days. In fact, certain people expect a same-day delivery service depending on where they live.
So, it’s crucial when hiring a courier service to ask what range of speeds they can deliver at.
Some couriers may only offer a standard delivery option which is usually several days. Yet others can offer many services, including:
- Standard
- Standard Express
- Next Day
The more services they offer, the more beneficial it is for you and your customers. Even if you don’t need a fast service regularly, you never know what the future holds. So, it’s better to have the option just in case.
5. What Are Your First Impressions of Them?
Customers often associate courier services with the business they purchased from. They don’t always know that the courier is a third party who is working in partnership with the business.
With this in mind, you should understand that the courier will be representing you whilst out in public. So, when you first meet them, take note of your first impressions of them.
If they are polite and look professional, then it’s going to boost your image. However, if they are the opposite, then you need to decide if they can negatively affect you. And, a majority of the time, the answer is yes.
6. Do They Offer Great Customer Service?
You want to ensure that if you experience issues, you can get them handled right away. So, you need to analyze their customer service skills.
You can do this by answering the following questions:
- How quickly do they respond to emails?
- How quickly do they pick up the phone?
- Are they helpful?
If you’re satisfied with the answers, then you should move forward with them.
How to Identify a Great Courier Service
We feel these are the most important factors to consider when searching for a courier service.
It’s important they can meet all of your needs whilst offering great customer service. Make sure you ask questions and don’t be pressured into hiring them.
Finally, if you would like to find out about the services we can offer, please contact us.