Whether you are an entrepreneur, running your own SME or a manager in a large blue chip organisation, chances are you have spent many an extra hour, working to complete projects and tasks to ensure you are maximising the success and profitability of your business.
With the effort you put in to ensuring a well-oiled business model, the worst thing that could happen is to then be let down by your third party courier company, costing you money and potentially tarnishing your business reputation.
A study by Iain Walker, Head of SME at E.ON, pointed out that the ability to trust other people was ranked highest in a survey of 1,000 business managers in the UK, when asked what they thought was “essential to forming business relationships.”
Long-term business partnerships were most common if people were involved in the supply chain (74 per cent)
So, how do you choose the right partner, someone you know, like and trust to act responsibly as an extension to your business?
A good courier company provides more than just delivery of your products from A to B. This list is by no means exhaustive, but provides a sound basis from which to begin your selection process for your courier provider:
A good courier company:
- Will build close relationships with their customers, to get to know their needs, their regular transportation schedules, specific requirements and preferred methods of transportation.
- Will acknowledge your order, and respond quickly, so you know the job is taken care of.
- Will provide a timely POD so you can rest assured the goods have arrived and are with the right person.
- Will provide flexible delivery solutions to meet your need; from same day or overnight deliveries, domestic or international, reputable courier companies will offer a variety of solutions to ensure delivery deadlines are achieved.
- Will advise on insurance options and appropriate packaging solutions for the shipment of your products.
- Will provide all relevant services to ensure the delivery of your couriered items, including relevant documentation and delivery payments such as customs and VAT.
- Will provide open, transparent and up-to-date communications with you including real time tracking and notification when, on rare instances, there are delays due to incidents such as issues with the transportation or poor weather conditions.
- Employs fully trained, professional, friendly staff who will value you as a client, and represent your company well in any direct communications with your own clients, if such a need arises.
- Will provide appropriate transportation solutions which take into account the urgency and costs for the delivery of your product, including the provision of ‘on board courier’ services for sensitive shipments such as urgent tender documents.
- Will offer the provision of other services enabling you to entrust the complete management of your supply chain solutions with their company, freeing you up to concentrate on other important aspects of your business.
If you want a good level of repeat business, you need to deliver excellent customer service, and that includes timely, reliable delivery. It’s what could give you that crucial competitive advantage.
Don’t accept anything less than a first rate service – you’re busy enough taking care of your business, find a courier that matches your high standards.
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