In today’s economy, there are many options to choose from when it comes to your courier service or delivery driver provider. Depending upon what works best for you, your business, and your needs, it is essential to find the right courier service for you. Here are a few things you want to avoid when searching for a provider or reasons you may want to switch providers.

Losing the consumer

The consumer’s dissatisfaction is a big red flag that you need to switch courier services. If you notice a trend in reviews that consumers are overwhelmingly happy with your product and its quality but make remarks about the shipping process, it may be time to switch. Not only can you look at your reviews and seller ratings, but also your cart abandonment rates. This is another key indicator that slow or expensive shipping rates may be the culprit. If your current courier cannot offer low rates at competitive speeds, you will have to make up for it by providing slower shipping methods or expensive premiums. This is not ideal for businesses or consumers, but switching to a delivery service like Reliable Couriers can solve these issues. With our competitive rates and speeds, we can help you with all your shipping needs and help you to maintain your customer satisfaction.

Late pickup/ delivery

One of the biggest red flags a courier service could have is its shipping and delivery times. A courier service should be on time every time for pick up and delivery. If these schedules are consistently being altered or missed, this could create poor customer experiences and lead to negative reviews of your company. Although even the best courier services may miss a deadline or two for acceptable reasons, what separates them from a bad courier is the frequency in which it occurs. If a courier is consistently late and missing the mark for pick-ups and deliveries, it is time to switch courier service providers.

With Reliable couriers, you may avoid this headache entirely. We offer fast and reliable shipping with our same-day and rush delivery services. You can know that your packages will be delivered on time every time. Should our couriers face any delays for acceptable reasons, we will notify you immediately and get your package where it needs to be.

Excuses

A significant indicator that it is time to switch courier services is the number of excuses they give you. Just like in all industries, excuses are rampant, but listening to the excuses a provider offers and their justifications is essential. No matter the time of year, a poor courier service will always have an excuse for why a delivery or pick-up was late and will never notify you until after the scheduled time. Here are some common phrases and excuses to look out for with your courier services.

• Our process is confusing now, but it will work out soon.
  If a courier service struggles to explain its logistics system. They often end up over-explaining or underexplaining the process to their clients and employees, leaving everyone more confused about the process than before. It never gets better or “works out.” With reliable couriers, our logistics process is simple and straightforward, leaving no room for error and ensuring your package’s timely delivery.
• Just missing the KPI- every time.
  KPI is a crucial part of business in measuring costs, team quality, and production. An accurate read in these areas can prove problematic for any logistics manager. While as mentioned before, even the best of couriers miss a deadline from time to time; if a lousy courier is consistently missing deadlines, a logistics manager will have to constantly review the process and work tirelessly to improve and bring on efficiencies when it’s simply a change of courier providers. Another thing to look out for with missing KPI consistently is that the courier cannot keep up with a business’s growing shipment volumes.
• Staffing
  Sometimes, knowing when to switch couriers can be a gut feeling. You can tell something is wrong but cannot put a finger on it. You may often get this feeling because a larger company has acquired the courier, management never seems to have an answer and is always having issues, or all of their staff are on a constantly rotating list.

Freight Claims/ insurance

Another important element of having a good courier service is having good insurance and freight claims. While there should be no need for insurance if you are with a good courier, it will seem like you always need it with a bad courier. With a bad courier, it always seems like every shipment you make with them; the package is always coming up lost, damaged, or broken. In addition, a bad courier always seems involved in claims that are always messy, expensive, legally confusing, and potentially dangerous. Another thing to look out for to know if you’re with a bad courier is that the packaging you shipped it to the consumer with isn’t the same or it appears to be tampered with. While many claims and accidents can occur, bad couriers tend to have a laundry list of them vs. good couriers. Good couriers care about their company’s reputation and integrity regarding insurance and claims, while bad couriers simply want to do as many deliveries as possible. Because of this, their drivers may rush and mishandle packages, have unexpected stops, and have improper vehicles being used for transport. At Reliable Couriers, all our delivery drivers are trained professionals and handle every delivery with care. On staff, we have certified and trained legal messengers and medical couriers who are familiar with all procedures and regulations. Our couriers also have access to a fleet of vehicles ranging from sedans and cargo vans to box trucks with lift gates to accommodate your shipping needs properly.

Communication

If a courier service hardly ever or never contacts you regarding your shipment after the initial placement of the delivery, then it is time to start asking questions. Having a strong communication line between the client and courier is important to maintaining a good relationship and partnership. On the other hand, if you find yourself dredging to call your courier service because you do so frequently with issues or problems or feel like an interruption to them, this is also a good indication that it’s time to switch courier services.

No matter what industry you are in, logistic issues will happen; it’s just a matter of when. Even for the best of couriers, logistical issues happen daily, but what makes them the best is how they handle them and communicate with their clients. A good example of this is the initial nationwide shutdown of 2020, resulting in millions of companies shutting down unless deemed essential. Even courier services deemed essential lost much of their workforce due to the widespread fear of COVID-19. Millions of packages were stuck or lost in the confusion of the coronavirus outbreak, but Reliable Couriers were quick to act and keep things on track. Our staff worked tirelessly to contact all outstanding deliveries, keep clients informed with new ETAs and update our fleet GPS tracking numbers. Even through trying times like Covid-19, good couriers will always constantly communicate with their clients; the bad ones will not.

Commitment to capacity:

While overtime, every vendor will increase their costs; they should not break your budget and honor any agreed-upon rate they have made with you. A good courier should be able to provide a fast and reliable courier service that does not lower your overall net revenue or increase your product costs so high it lowers your conversion rate. You want to ensure the courier does not raise their cost extraordinarily and without notice. Some bad couriers may increase their rates in small increments over time on each order, and they will never be communicated to a client; it is important to watch out for this tactic. A good delivery service will never do this and will always price quote you ahead of time. Call us at (888)-415-1781 or visit our website to get your free quote.

Business expansion:

It is a good idea to evaluate your vendors quarterly to ensure they keep up with your goals and metrics. If your courier service is consistently missing its goals and metrics for your business, it may be another indicator to find a new courier. Your courier should be able to keep pace with your growth rates to achieve your long-term business goals. Being unable to handle your new additional volume will only hinder your business and plans for future success. At Reliable couriers, your goals are our goals, and we want to help your business grow. This is why we provide our services nationally; you can reach new areas and clients when needed.

Picking the right courier:

Now that you know some red flags to avoid when selecting a courier or what to look for to know it’s time to switch delivery services, here are some questions to ask to find a good courier service that suits your needs.

• Pricing
  Do they offer reasonable and consistent rates with quotes before scheduling delivery?
• Experience
  The courier offers services in your industry or is familiar with making deliveries relative to your business needs.
• Restrictions
  Is the delivery service capable of delivering what you are shipping, such as medical specimens, legal documents, or remote employee equipment.
• Capacity
  Many courier services do not offer vehicles larger than sedans; it is important to note if they have a fleet capable of transporting what you need to be delivered.
• Pickup and delivery speeds
  Can the courier keep pace with your schedule and do so in a timely manner. A good indicator of this is a courier service that offers same-day or rush deliveries and next-flight-out services.
• Referrals and reviews
  Does the company have a proven track record of good referrals, reviews, and testimonials from other clients and businesses that have used their services.