Same day delivery. It is important to have it as an option for your business, as it provides the ultimate level of flexibility for the customer.
About 51% of retailers offer a same day delivery service and 49% of customers revealed that they are more willing to buy something online if there is an option to get it delivered the same day.
With this in mind, your business is going to need a same day delivery courier.
What is a same day delivery courier? Can they handle time-sensitive packages? What do you need to look for before you pick a courier service?
This is your guide.
Consider the Cost
The first thing that you need to do is consider the cost of the service. Because this is a business that revolves around delivering items on the same day, they need to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
To provide that level of service and flexibility for customers, people are going to want to be fairly compensated. What this means is that you need to expect this to cost more than a typical delivery service. There is a surcharge attached to it and some people are willing to pay this.
However, in return, you get your items out as soon as possible and the customers get the items that they purchased as soon as possible.
What you need to do is sit down and figure out how much you can afford to spend on delivery service. Make sure that the numbers make sense and that it is something that you can afford before signing a contract with anybody.
Consider Your Location Radius
Next, you need to keep in mind where your business is located and where most of your customers are located. If you are a local business, it is likely easier to offer same day delivery service than if you are a business that has customers all over the country.
Not only is this important to be aware of on your end but also on the courier’s end. You may need to know where they are based and how fast they can get to you.
Along with this, you need to be aware of the courier’s policy in situations like this. Some companies may not make deliveries outside of the primary city they do business in.
This is something that you need to ask a courier about before coming to an agreement with them. Then, you can decide if you still want to do business with this company and just let customers know this only applies in certain locations. Or, you can decide that you need a wider radius and look for another company.
Shop Around
If you are new to dealing with courier services, you likely do not know what the industry standards and typical rates are. Assuming you are in this situation, it is important not to rush into an agreement with a courier.
What you want to do here is find as many as possible that have services in your area. Then, go around and get price quotes from each of them and ask them certain questions about your specific needs.
This gives you a better idea of the overall market for this business. More importantly, it gives you options.
If you were hesitant to pay one company their quote and another company offers a much cheaper quote, you can go with that one. If one company only has a limited delivery radius while the other is willing to go deep into the suburbs, you can go with the latter.
Consider the Reputation
When you are doing business with a courier service, you need to consider the reputation that it has among past customers. This can help you identify the positives and negatives of their services.
Were deliveries on time? Were any products damaged? Are they an easy company to deal with?
These are all things that you can find out through reviews and testimonials. Businesses want positive reviews because, at the end of the day, it makes them more money.
Negative reviews can impact a business significantly. When businesses see a one-star increase in reviews on certain platforms, they can increase their revenue by 5-9%.
It is normal to be curious about what other people think as potential customers. About 95% of customers will read reviews of a business before making a purchase with them.
Take the time to read reviews and get a better idea of if this business is the right fit for you.
Ask About Unique Products
Finally, some couriers will have certain rules about delivering unique products. These can be unusually large items or items in weird shapes.
When this happens, some couriers will refuse to deliver items over a certain size. If your business has a lot of items in this category, it is important to ask about this and note the policies of the courier here before agreeing to their services.
Hire a Same Day Delivery Courier
These are just some of the things that you need to keep in mind before hiring a same day delivery courier. You should get an idea of what their reputation is, how much they cost, what their location radius is, and what your other options are.
When you find all of this information, you should have the courier that fits your needs.
Are you in need of a same day delivery service? Message us to see how we can help you today.