Do you own a Business that relies on delivering goods to customers? Thankfully if you run your business through Amazon or any other online service you don’t have to take care of the delivery aspect yourself.

Managing the supply chain and the large fleet of vehicles you’d need could be a logistical nightmare.

Instead, you can hire a Courier company that can take care of everything for you. But do you ensure they do a good job? After all, they are representing your company. Many delivery services will be a vital link between you, the small business, and the customer.

Here’s everything you need to know about delivery services.

1. Are They Reliable?

The first and most important question to ask when hiring a shipping company is whether they are reliable. Can they get packages to your customers on time? It’s no use the company simply saying this, you will need concrete evidence.

Ask to see how many of their packages arrive on time in real data. Be sure to scroll through the internet reviews section and see how their customers respond. When they come into the office for an interview be sure to quiz them on all of this.

Remember reliability is not just about minimizing the number of customers who don’t get their packages on time. Reliability is also about how the company responds to problems with the delivery services processes.

No system can be effective 100% of the time. How does the courier service deal with customers who can’t get their package on time? Do they follow up with them and do they offer them a refund and some compensation? Customers are your bread and butter and you want to make them as happy as possible.

2. Are they Fast?

The next question you need to ask when deciding what courier company to hire is how fast they are.

You want your customers to get your goods in record time. That means making sure your couriers understand this.

Can they offer next day delivery services? Could they even offer same-day delivery within a few hours? As a company, you may have to pay extra for this but it can be worth it.

Also, consider what cities you want to sell in? Where is your target audience largely based? Are they in rural areas or in the cities? If they are based in the cities then it makes more sense to invest in a company that can get faster deliveries out to the cities.

If however, your client base is in more rural areas then you would want to prioritize transport options to remoter areas: coverage over speed.

3. What Cars or Planes Do They Use?

Connected to how fast you expect your courier service to deliver your goods for you is what type of cars or planes they are using.

If they are using old cars or vans then you can expect your products to take longer to ship. This also tells you a lot about the courier company. It means they are not willing to invest in new tech to put their money where their mouth is.

Fast cars and vans to get your goods around America are great but these still take time. Ideally, you also want a courier company that has great links with airlines to get your goods from New York to San Fran in record time.

4. Will They Adopt New Tech Fast?

How fast will your courier company adopt new tech? This is a crucial question that will allow you to stay ahead of the game.

We know that drone deliveries are coming sooner than you think and that the tech already exists for driverless cars and trucks, it’s just waiting for governments to accept that it is safe enough. Driverless trucks or lorries were tested in the U.K

5G, which is being rolled out across America thanks to its inclusion on the iPhone 12, will enable this to happen more quickly. Drones and driverless cars can all start to communicate with each other, clearing the skies and the roads so that everything is less congested.

Money and Attitude

The answer to this question will largely depend on how much money the courier company has at its disposal. If they are doing well and have a lean and efficient business they should be able to invest in new technology.

Be sure to check out their bank balance beforehand by doing some basic preliminary checks on the company.

But it also comes down to attitude as well. You want to work with a company that is prepared to take a risk and that loves innovation, a disrupter. This might mean working with a company with younger staff: a startup or a company that hasn’t yet built a reputation like FedEx or DHL but it’s a strategy that could pay off in the decades to come.

Hire a Courier Company That Looks to the Future

The world of the courier company is going to look completely different by the end of the decade. With technology like 5G, driverless cars, and drones on the cusp of being accepted, customers will soon be able to get their goods within hours, if not minutes.

Your business is your customers and you want to be able to keep them happy and keep ahead of the game. Invest in a company that has a great long term strategy and you will reap the rewards in years to come.

If you are interested in learning more about hiring a courier company be sure to check out the rest of our site.

The post The Most Important Things to Consider When Hiring a Courier Company for Your Business appeared first on Virteract.