Let’s visualize a scenario. You’re a business owner or administrator. You have something that needs to get somewhere – and fast. Just pick a delivery company, any one off a Google search or through the Yellow Pages, and you’re good to go, right?
Not exactly. While there are a lot of courier and delivery services out there, finding one that is right for both you and a particular situation involves a few conditions.
- What you need to get delivered
- Where it needs to go
- When it needs to get there, and not just out on the road. This is especially important for business or legal items
You’ll also want to consider special conditions like strict regulatory expectations. Some organizations like medical providers will have privacy and confidentiality needs that only certain couriers will be able to support. And the cost of services sometimes means that large courier companies are not an option, especially for small businesses.
Once you’ve figured out the what, where, and when, consider the following questions before making your decision.
Has the courier worked with situations like yours?
If you connect with the courier service by phone or chat and they seem either unfamiliar with or daunted by the request you’re making, this is probably a red flag. If the courier makes clear that fulfilling it will involve extensive logistics they’ve never engaged before, you may want to explore other options.
What is their delivery range?
You’ll want to know how far a courier can and will go, and whether there are extra charges involved outside of a specific radius. However, this hardly means you should avoid choosing a local courier service. In fact, if you just need a highly sensitive item to be delivered across town, this may be better for you than choosing FedEx or UPS, which engages local, national and international orders all at once.
On the other hand, some courier services may need to either refer you to one of their partners or engage a third-party service provider to get a delivery beyond a certain radius. Either way, it never hurts to ask.
What expectations do your customers have?
First, there’s speed. One survey of American shoppers suggested 42% of them prioritized same-day delivery. Another indicated that shipping costs were the reason 63% of e-commerce shoppers abandoned their orders. Businesses have every incentive to keep courier expenses down, to avoid passing on these costs to customers.
Second, for small service businesses, a personalized touch is often a huge factor in choosing a courier service. This includes how a package or service arrives to the customer, and whether it’s delivered in-person, face-to-face or just left at a designated area is very consequential.
Third, the transparency provided by quick and easy order tracking plays an important role in customer satisfaction and retention. Negative or disappointing customer service interactions can stick: There’s even science behind the idea that our brains have better recall of bad memories than good ones. If getting information about a delivery or order is confusing or cumbersome, it will make your customer or recipient think twice about working with your business again.
What to do when you need to make a delivery today
If you’re in the southeast, Blue Sky Couriers is definitely an option to explore. We pride ourselves on providing on-time deliveries, a broad range of services, fair rates, and excellent customer service.
To contact our offices, you can email us or give us a call to discuss the specifics of your delivery needs.