Ten Top Tips to help you find the right International Courier

There are so many courier companies in the U.K, it’s untrue.  At the end of the day, when it comes down to the points that matter how many of them can actually deliver on the promises they make either in written or verbal marketing.

Finding the right International Courier company can be a nightmare for any consumer or business, especially when you consider that using the wrong courier company could damage the reputation of their own business.

Here are 10 top tips that can help you find the right courier company:

1.      Reliability.  Probably the most important factor when looking for a good courier company is their ability to deliver your parcels within the time-scales they promise.  This should be measured on both the collection and delivery times.

2.       ‘No-Fuss’ service.  Does the courier company just get up and go, and deliver your consignments or do they go through a painful process of paperwork and if’s and but’s before the delivery can begin.  You want your delivery to go as smoothly and easily as possible,

3.       Honesty in terms of managing expectations.  There is nothing worse than someone saying that something can be achieved and then failing to meet the expectation of a client.   If a courier company is going to struggle to meet your deadline they should say so.  At the end of the day you might be able to renegotiate with your client but there is nothing worse than letting someone down.

4.       Dealing with problems in a fast and effective way.  Unfortunately, from time to time things go wrong, but the measure of a good company is how fast they can resolve the issue. 

5.       Friendliness with a ‘can-do’ and ‘nothing too much trouble’ approach.  When you contact the courier company are you greeted with a helpful and friendly tone.  Any courier company worth their value will be helpful and friendly to all their customers.

6.       Driver knowledge.  The key to a quick and efficient delivery is the knowledge of the fleet drivers.  Do they know the region / area that they are delivering to?  If not, this could have a detrimental effect on the time of your delivery.

7.       Driver security.  If you are delivering valuable items you need to know how secure the vehicle fleet is that will be delivering them.  Let’s face it, you don’t want to put your precious goods into the hands of a delivery company that will end up getting lost!

8.       Driver presentation and courtesy.  Delivery drivers are not only the face of the courier company, but they also have an effect on the reputation of your own company.  If a driver turns up at the destination happy and helpful this has a good reflection on your own business.

9.       Flexibility.  What happens if you need to make alternative arrangements on your delivery, or if you have a last minute parcel that needs to go out.  Can your courier company handle this?  The sign of a good courier company is one that is flexible in its approach.

10.  Expert knowledge of customs requirements.  If you are sending parcels abroad then make sure your courier company has good knowledge of the International procedures to get parcels between international borders. 

There are other factors that you may need to consider, and no two courier companies are the same, but if you generally follow these tips you should find yourself a good business partner.