There may be a plethora of courier and delivery services operating in the UK, but the sheer number of services can actually make it more difficult for you to choose the proper one for your needs. There is no doubt that a courier company can provide you with a very invaluable, necessary service, especially if you are an ecommerce business, but which one is the right fit for your requirements, your customers or business partners and your budget? Rather than taking the time to call or contact each and every one of these courier services, it’s better to know what you need first – and go on from there. Here, then, are some top tips for selecting the best UK courier and delivery service for your needs.
Time is essential when it comes to delivery services, so ask yourself this: how urgent is the delivery? Most of the courier services available today will offer services during a pre-determined frame of time, and this includes overnight or next day delivery, two to three-day delivery, or economy services. You have to decide on the urgency of the delivery so you can determine which service would be able to fulfil your requirements.
Another factor you should consider when choosing a courier or delivery service is the tracking feature or tool they provide. Whilst most companies will offer or provide you with an online tracking feature, these tracking tools are not equal – which means that some will be better than others. For instance, some will only have basic information, whilst there are those which will come with more detailed information and display both the collection time as well as the delivery time and where the parcel is in between. If the parcel you are shipping is important, you want to do a real-time check on its progress, so you want a service that can provide you with easy and convenient access to its online tracking system and which can show you step-by-step information on its process of delivery. This would include when they collect the parcel, when they check it into the terminal or transport hub, and when they hand it over to the recipient.
The package size matters as well, and if you decide to use overnight or next day delivery service, know that this will cost you more if your parcel or package is of a large size, as confirmed by specialists in packaging supplies in London such as UK Packaging. You can do some research and compare the cost of the courier service you have in mind, or you can contact the service directly for a quote on the actual parcel.
You also need to consider the insurance offered by the courier and delivery service, particularly if you are planning to send something that’s valuable or you need to send it as urgently as possible. That being said, take note of the insurance coverage offered by the service, so you can have additional peace of mind in case things go wrong and the parcel gets damaged or lost. You need to read the full details on the insurance coverage, however, because some courier services will provide a premium depending on a fixed value (which is unrelated to the real value of the item). It’s best for you to choose a service that can allow you to specify the item’s value and then adjust their premium to suit the actual value of the item, or at least a close approximation.
Marina Pal is a renowned author and social media enthusiast.