When searching for a same day courier, there are a few obvious things to look for, reviews and reliability, charges, costs and hidden fees, services, and availability. However, there are a few more things many people don’t think to look for: the courier companies’ communication skills, licenses and certifications, staff training, and equipment. In this post, we are going to dive into the specifics of what you want to look for in each of these categories and disciplines to ensure you are picking the best courier service suited to your wants ad needs.
Reliability
To ensure the reliability of a same day courier service, there are a few things to look at; consistent reviews about their services, the certifications they have, and any other measurable and identifiable qualities. Consistent reviews with customer satisfaction ensure that the courier company can repeatedly perform a task without issue, which betters your chances of receiving the same good service. Consistency of service is key, but it is not always guaranteed as courier services are up to the performance of a delivery driver, and human error can play a factor from time to time. Certifications are also a good indication of reliability as it takes time, practice, and training to achieve and maintain many certifications, such as OSHA and HIPAA certifications or being ranked favorably by the BBB (Better Business Bureau).
Cost
When it comes to charges and fees, it is important to understand the average rate and fees amongst all courier companies and go from there. If there is an alarming difference between the courier company you wish to hire and other services, you will want to research and understand why.
- Charges:
If the average courier company charges a certain amount and the courier service you selected charges a little more or a little less, there is no cause for alarm. If there is a dramatic cost difference, it is important to understand why. Is the courier service charging so much lower than the others because they cannot keep business because they are offering poor services? Or is it due to other external factors? This is also when research plays an important role in deciding whether or not the courier services charges are fair. - Fees:
Courier service fees can vary from company to company and can be what makes such a grand difference between services. If one courier service has no fees and only one flat rate, they may charge $100 for one trip, whip another company may charge $10 a mile. This is why getting a quote from a courier service and having them explain their charges can help you to better understand the price and the quality of the services you are receiving.
Services
Not every same day courier service is the same, and each offers its own specialties and services depending on training, certifications, and availability. Many same day courier services can offer services to specialized industries or have the availability to perform services in a very short period of time.
- Industries:
Some industries require special certifications for handling or specialized training for safe shipping, so it is important to know if the services you require need specific certifications and training or if it is a requirement you wish the company’s courier had. Some of these certifications can include OSHA regulation Training, HIPAA certifications, and protocol training for industries such as the medical, legal, manufacturing, and trade work fields. - Speeds:
If you are in a time pinch, the shipping speeds offered can mean everything to you when selecting a courier service. It is important to know if the courier service offers the shipping speeds you desire and if they do offer them to ensure they have the availability to fulfill your service. A good courier service company should offer services such as rush delivery, 1-hour delivery, overnight delivery, next flight out delivery, and same day delivery.
Availability
Just because a courier service is in your area does not mean they have couriers available to complete your delivery. Courier services have a limited number of people on staff to complete their daily routed deliveries as well as to handle the incoming daily call in deliveries. A good courier service will always find a way to get coverage on a same day delivery, even if it means calling a driver off of a route for a short period of time or from another location if they have one.
Another key factor to the availability of a good courier service is to note what services are 24/7. Good courier services have 24/7 answering services for quoting and scheduling deliveries, and delivery is available at any time of the day. An exceptional courier service will also offer their 24/7 services for holidays.
Communication
Communication skills are key for a courier service to be good. Packages can be lost or mixed up without good communication skills, drivers may arrive at the wrong addresses, and customers can be left in the dark. A good courier service keeps the client informed by phone or email and double-checks that all information is correct with the customer and the delivery driver.
Licenses/ Certifications
It is important that the courier service you are hiring is a proper and legal entity so they may provide their services as well as insurance on your delivery. With this, a good courier service will also require minimum certifications of their delivery driver, such as being drug-free, having a minimum of a high school diploma or GED, and training completion for their regular deliveries. An excellent courier service may require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college, OSHA and HIPAA certifications, and the completion of protocol training courses for specialized deliveries for industries such as the medical and legal fields.
Equipment
A good courier service company will always have the proper equipment and vehicles required to safely transport a delivery. Every vehicle utilized for a shipment should properly accommodate the size of a package, have the devices necessary to secure the package, have safety and emergency equipment on board, and have electronics for communication, navigation, and keeping records/ chain of custody.
Summary
Overall, a good courier service should ideally follow all of these principles to maintain good practices and great customer service experiences. If you are able to find all of these qualities in a same day courier service, then you have found a good same day courier service. Finding the courier service, however, takes time and dedication to go through all of the researching, analyzing, and then ranking the courier services you found to be best, but luckily there’s a quicker way to get through the process.
The quickest way to complete the research and compare process is to utilize the list of same day couriers TopResearched has already vetted. The researchers and analysts of TopResearched have already found all of the available same day courier services in your area and have compiled all of them into a list. The same day couriers are ranked on everything a good and excellent courier should have and are placed on our list for our readers to choose from. View the best same day couriers in your area now on TopResearched.
