February 2018

7 Times You Need a Walking Courier

walking courier

‘Postman, postman, please be quick, get this to my cutie quick, quick, quick!’ That little ditty might raise a smile, but the truth is, it can be hard to find a delivery service to sort out the more special or time-sensitive deliveries in your business life.

Nationwide courier services are great for general deliveries, non-sensitive and non-urgent items, and we love them for that. But not every item and customer has the same delivery needs. Check out these 7 instances you should use a walking courier to deliver your parcel.

1. Highly Sensitive Documents

Whatever your business does, it’s likely that at some point, you’re going to have some private or sensitive documents to sign. Or, perhaps you need to send out original copies of important and precious documents.

Either way, sending them by mail is pretty risky. After all, how many times have you heard that an item was never received, or was lost in the mail?

When you’re dealing with very sensitive documents, then a walking courier is the safest and most reliable way to go.

2. Forge Customer Relationships

Do you have a new customer and want to build trust? Using a walking courier is a good way to provide great service.

It can be difficult to show your clients that you’re serious about doing business with them, so you need to make a good impression.

If you have a product or document that needs to be delivered to a client, it will show them you really value them if you get it there the same day. Plus, it’ll get your work done faster, too.

3. Meeting Deadlines

If the pressure’s on and you’re dealing with deadlines at work, you’ll need to get things done, fast.

Maybe your customer needs their item delivered for an IT installation the next day. Or perhaps you need a quick turnaround for a wedding cake tasting for a busy bride.

No matter what your business or goods to be delivered, a walking courier can get it there on time.

They’ll handle your package with care, and deliver it safely to the recipient, adding that personal touch that makes business sweet. And it gets you across the finish line in great time.

4. You Need Documents Signed the Same Day

This one’s kind of self-explanatory, but in the world of business, time is money.

There will be customer contracts that need to be signed and exchanged. Perhaps you’re renting new office space. Or maybe it’s something bigger, like a business merger.

When you need documents signed by both parties, and you can’t get there yourself, then a walking courier is the man (or woman) for the job.

Entrust your documents into their care, and they’ll make sure they arrive with the recipient on the same day, so everyone can sign on the dotted line in record time.

5. Get Your Exchange, or Money Back, Fast

Ever ordered something from another company and it’s been damaged, or wasn’t what you thought it was?

For inexpensive items, it’s not such a hardship to wait a week or so to return your item and get your refund.

For a costly item, though, you might be less inclined – or simply unable – to wait patiently for them to put that large amount of money back in your business account.

Or, if you desperately need that item for a specific job, or to help your business run, then you can’t sit twiddling your thumbs while a standard courier ferries the item back and forth.

This is where a walking courier comes in real handy. They’ll collect your item and deliver it back to the supplier so you can get what you need when you need it.

6. If You Mess Up

It happens to all of us at some point – we mess up a client’s order.

If your business is delivering goods to customers and you’ve made a mistake, the best way to make it better is to first say sorry, and then fix it as quickly as possible.

While the initial reaction from your customer might be really bad, hopefully, you can win back their good favor by showing them how eager you are to make things better.

A walking courier can collect a new item from you, and take it straight to your customer that same day.

And even if you don’t provide a physical service, you can use a walking courier to send a disappointed client something to say sorry, such as a gift basket.

7. If You Want to Save the Planet

Earth is a pretty awesome place to live, but us humans are making it sick. And with all the exhaust fumes, heat and gasses that are being released into the air every day from vehicles on the road, Earth gets a little sicker every day.

If the thought of a dying planet makes you sad, then using a walking courier will help cheer you up because they, well… walk.

That way, you know your goods are getting to where they need to be, and all with a pretty carbon-neutral footprint to boot.

The Verdict on a Walking Courier

When you have a package that needs to get somewhere fast, your options are kind of limited.

You could, of course, deliver the item yourself, but that’s pretty inconvenient, and wastes time that you could be using on something more profitable.

Or, you could entrust your precious item to a national delivery service, knowing it’ll get there the next day, at least. The next day’s fine… right?

Well, maybe. But if you want to really impress your customers, have important documents signed pronto, or exchange that duff product for another, a walking courier might be exactly what you need.

If you ever find yourself in one of these 7 situations, remember our advice, and check out the walking couriers available in your area. It makes good business sense, we promise.

If you’re in the market for a walking courier, then click here to see how we can help.

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What Causes Delivery Delays?

delayed shipping

They said Tuesday.

You called them Tuesday. Then they said Wednesday. You called them Wednesday. You got it on Friday.

Delivery delays can be a serious headache. Not just causing frustration, but delays in fulfilling promises to your customers.

If it’s a personal order you waste time and productivity sitting around while things don’t come.

Understanding some of the most common reasons for delays can be the first step in combatting them and keeping your productivity where it needs to be.

Here’s our guide to the top 5 reasons for delays, and how to overcome them.

1. Peak Time Deliveries

In many businesses, the time before and around the holidays is nuts. Delivery companies are no exception.

With more and more consumers buying their gifts, and everything else, online, couriers have never been busier. Companies do try to factor this in and make arrangements to deal with it.

However, as was seen last year with Amazon’s shipping partner around Christmas, many delivery centers are simply overwhelmed with the volume of packages they have to process.

Solution

It’s a headache, it takes forethought, but as much as possible, plan well ahead to avoid peak times.

Although an occasional last-minute order may be inevitable, try to think a few months ahead and highlight peak times on your calendar when deliveries may slow. This will keep productivity high and disappointment low.

2. Incorrect Customs Paperwork

With international shipping, if the vendor misses a detail or two off the customs declaration you’ll face major delays.

The value and type of the goods are the most common issues, as the receiving country needs to ensure that all relevant taxes and duties have been paid.

Be careful with deals from abroad that seem too good to be true – the dream may turn into a nightmare if you are stuck with a hefty bill from customs.

Solution

Check with the vendor before placing the order what they will be declaring to customs and whether it’s in line with your expectations.

Supply them with any additional details needed ahead of time and ensure that they put an accurate value and description on the goods.

Also, check locally and with the vendor for who is liable to pay any taxes and duties that may be levied when your good finally get to you.

Everybody along the chain needs to buy into this chain of accurate information, so follow up to make sure that your information will be passed on to the next link in the supply chain.

3. Manage the Supply Chain

If you are a business dealing in bulk shipments, then there can be a disconnect between your requirements and the capacity of every link in the supply chain.

Imagine you order a large shipment of t-shirts from a supplier in New York to be air freighted to LA. Clearly, there needs to be capacity at both ends of the journey for the order to be stored while awaiting transit.

A communication breakdown could occur between customer and supplier if these factors are not taken into consideration when agreeing on delivery timescales.

Especially with relatively small and medium-sized orders, priority may not be given to them. This can lead to a temporary breakdown in the logistical chain and delay occurring.

Solution

Build relationships with your suppliers.

When placing orders, talk through the logistics of the delivery with them. They may feel that that is their concern, but if it’s going to affect delivery timeframes, it’s very much your concern as well.

Work together to identify potential hold-ups and discuss how to overcome them. It may be that once likely hold-ups are factored in, a supposedly slower method of transport becomes the faster option.

The key is communication and lots of it. Never be afraid to ask awkward questions early in the process – it can save a lot of grief down the line when delivery delays kick in.

4. Monitor the Climate

By climate, we’re talking political, not meteorological here.

Trade union standoffs, strikes and unrest can quickly cause delivery delays to mount up, leaving you not knowing when you’ll receive your merchandise, if ever.

Solution

Whilst no one can see the future, it can pay to keep your ear to the ground and listen out for potential rumblings.

Monitor industry specific websites and news feeds to keep up to date with the latest threats of action. If you’re worried that they will result in delivery delays for your company, be prepared to make alternative arrangements.

5. The Actual Weather

Goods being shipped from overseas can be particularly prone to delays due to seasonal weather conditions.

Certain shipping lanes and ports are affected by typhoons and tropical storms which can add considerable time to journeys, or delay them from setting off.

Within the country, it might be sunny in Arizona, but your supplier in Wisconsin might be knee deep in snow. Road hold-ups can mean that your shipment gets stuck before it even gets started.

Solution

If you’re considering placing a priority order, check the weather.

If there are weather warnings out that might impact on delivery times and logistics, take the safe route and either hold off or choose a supplier who is more likely to deliver the goods on time.

Also, make sure that you are using a quality nationwide courier service who can handle your requirements.

The Takeaway – How to Avoid Delivery Delays

It might not be foolproof, but trying a few of these suggestions could help you to cut down on the number of deliver delays you experience.

Especially when you have crucial orders that are time sensitive, it pays to do some extra homework on the weather sites, trade union boards and shipping lanes to make sure that your goods will arrive when you need them.

For peace of mind, make sure you work with a courier company you can trust and have great logistics.

Need it Now Delivers are specialists in all aspects of shipping from air freight to warehousing and last mile home delivery.

Click here to check out the great services we have for you and your business.

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5 Reasons to Use a Courier Service For Shipping Large Items

If there’s one thing that business owners from across all industries can agree on, it’s that sending large packages can be a pain. Shipping large items is more expensive, they’re not easy to handle, and they’re an overall pain to deal with.

Luckily, there’s something business owners can use to make shipping easier for items of all sizes. A courier service makes shipping and delivering items simple. Curious about how a courier can help your business? Read on to learn more!

Reasons to Use Courier Services for Shipping Large Items

The small amount of money you spend to hire a courier service to help when you’re shipping large items will be well worth the benefits. There’s a reason why so many big-name retailers rely on couriers for their most important shipping needs.

Are you not convinced that your business could benefit from courier services on your biggest deliveries? After you read this post, you’ll be wondering why you haven’t used courier services in the past.

1. Be Timely

It’s a slow day, but a big order just came through. One of your sales representatives is taking down the customer’s information, but they take a moment to pause and ask you a question. “This client needs a big order, but they need it in 24 hours.” In the blink of an eye, one of your biggest sales just disappeared into thin air because you can’t get them what they need on time.

Nearly every business owner has found themselves facing the problem we just mentioned. Luckily, a courier service can help ensure that your customers get the items they crave in a timely manner. Courier services will help you 24/7. It doesn’t matter if your customer needs something in 24 days or 24 hours, a courier will get them what they need.

2. Save Money

If you’re a business owner, you don’t have to be told how expensive overnight shipping is. If you’ve been shipping large items without a courier, you’ve been losing money. In most cases, businesses that use traditional mailing services end up paying a lot of money for overnight shipping. In some cases, the price for shipping may exceed the overall price of the product being shipped.

Think about how much shipping large items cost when you’re doing regular shipping. The weight can add a lot of money to the original price. When you factor in weight and overnight costs, it can get very expensive. There’s also the issue that the average customer expects a lot from the companies they’re buying from.

Thanks to a world where people can purchase items with the click of a button, a lot of your customers aren’t going to want to wait an extra day or two to get their goods. If you want to retain customers, many business owners have no choice but to eat the extra cost of overnight shipping to keep their customers happy.

A courier service is on average more affordable than traditional shipping options. Aside from the fact that you save on the overall cost of shipping, you get better service and overall nice “extras.”

3. Pay For Safety

When you pay for overnight shipping the traditional way, you’re really only paying for the package to get to a location in one day. You don’t pay to ensure that the package and goods are well taken care of. You don’t put any money towards making sure it’ll get there at a certain time. You just pay to ensure that someone drops the goods off.

We’ve all received packages that seemed like they were carelessly tossed on porches or lawns. Now imagine one of your trusted customers getting damaged or broken merchandise because the delivery person was careless. When you use a courier service for shipping large items, you know that your cargo is in good hands.

They’ll treat everything they’re delivering with the utmost respect and care. You won’t have to worry about things being carelessly left in the wrong place and you’ll be guaranteed that your items will arrive on time.

This may come as a shock, but even reputable services like the United States Postal Services have admitted to having issues with internal package theft. You may think it’s difficult to steal large items, but with the right knowledge and equipment, it’s easier than you realize.

4. Pay for Options

What do you know about the USPS or FedEx worker that’s delivering packages to your customer? Can their workers do much else aside from making sure your packages get to where they need to go? If you’re shipping large items with a courier service, you’re going to have a lot of options at your disposal.

One of the best benefits of working with a courier service is the sheer amount of options you have for your delivery. If you need any kind of specialized shipping service, you should go with a courier.

Do you want a white glove delivery service that can make sure your packages arrive with style and class? A courier service can easily do that, but a postal worker can’t. Do you cater to legal clients and need packages delivered with legal process servicing? You couldn’t get that with a traditional shipping service.

5. Guarantee Deliveries

Standard shipping services have gotten better when it comes to making deliveries, but that doesn’t mean you can rely on these companies 24/7. What if you need to ship something during a major holiday, or a government holiday? Would they be able to fulfill and make a delivery that comes in at 6 pm on a Saturday evening?

A courier service is great for shipping large items at all times. It doesn’t matter if you need something sent out on Christmas Day or the weekend, a courier service has you covered.

Your Turn

Now that you know how beneficial a courier service can be, it’s time to start using one for your business! Contact us today so we can talk about your shipping needs and determine which of our services is right for you.

While you’re waiting to talk to us, check out our blog to find ways to improve your shipping. Our post about top 5 shipping problems can help ensure that you’re shipping your goods in the best way possible.

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