Approximately 15.05 billion deliveries were completed in 2020. While that number has gone down since cities have reopened, it’s clear that consumers prefer to shop online. Since that trend is unlikely to change, you need to keep up with your customer’s needs by hiring a courier.
Florida is quickly becoming a hub for startups and courier companies. You’re going to face a lot of competition in this sector, so you need to find a service that represents your business well.
6 Factors to Consider When Hiring a Courier Service
1. Courier Reviews and Experience
While experience isn’t the most crucial thing to consider there’s typically a correlation between reliability and the age of the company. At the very least, they should be around long enough to build up a repertoire of online reviews and customer testimonials. If they’re providing poor customer service, they won’t be able to keep their clients. Investigate the courier’s reputation within your Florida community and internationally, if applicable.
2. How Quickly They Can Deliver
A great courier service will offer your customer plenty of delivery options, such as same-day delivery, next day, standard express, and standard. For example, Drop Off, a courier service in Tampa can offer these options to several neighborhoods, such as West and East Tampa.
However, these options won’t matter if a company can’t reliably deliver packages based on your customer’s time preferences, so it’s a good idea to test-run the company before hiring them. You should also check how the company handles late or misplaced deliveries when they occur.
3. Whether They Use Technology
Promoting your business online can be difficult, but if your courier company uses technology to streamline the delivery process, more people will flock to your company. That’s because route optimization software and package tracking tools give your customers what they love: visibility. An informed customer is a happy customer, but make sure the courier service is using this technology responsibility. Packages can still show up late if couriers aren’t well-trained.
4. If the Staff is Highly-Trained
We may think that a courier’s job is nothing more than driving a truck, but that simply isn’t true. Drivers must optimize their time, load and transport packages without damaging them, and speak to their customers. To do all of that and more, the courier needs to be highly trained.
If you’re a medical business and need to maintain HIPAA compliance, the driver’s expertise can make the difference between life or death. Don’t leave your delivery compliance to chance. Always ask about the courier’s training process.
5. A Customer Service Department
Most courier services will have a customer service department that handles disputes, but they won’t necessarily be in-house. Some companies will enlist the help of a third party, which leaves too much separation between you, the courier, and the people who speak to your customers.
If they do have a customer service department in-house, go undercover. See how quickly they respond to emails, pick up the phone, and whether or not the staff were kind and helpful.
6. What Vibes They Give Off
While it may seem illogical to judge a book by its cover, sometimes red flags are so obvious that it would be unsmart not to listen to them. For example, if you see a courier driver fling boxes into the back of the truck, a dirty truck or uniform or abusive management, don’t hire them.
Always remember that the courier service your hire reflects back on your business. Your customers will assume that the third party you hired is a part of your workforce. If you want to make a good first impression on new clients, a courier service should do the same in return.
