The facts are facts, and, we can’t both look at ____________ and then say “well these aren’t straight” because they look pretty straight. Along these lines, no dispatch business can say:
- Well, my courier company provides good customer service
- Well, my fleet of drivers are friendly enough
- Well, I am the owner driver and I always greet my customers with a friendly smile
Having an attitude along those lines as a courier business owner will ensure that business growth is stagnated, slow. Instead, having in place strategies (even if you are just starting out as a delivery driver in UK) for improving customer service is, a must for all business’s including courier service providers. You know this, all businesses know this, because its the foundations of business growth.
Your customer will appreciate great competitive prices for deliveries (especially business to business customers who will tend to require your services on regular basis (keeping the cash-flow coming in so that you can focus on business growth with greater confidence)). But they will always remember the face from a friendly smile with a pleasant personality.
Today, when we talk about the courier to customer relationships, it can be said that fast deliveries, or competitive rates are just couple of the many aspects of successful business operations. Service, customer service is the factor that distinguishes a successful courier operator. Imagine this, your repeat customers will remember your great customer service more so than the prices they paid for receiving packages.
How Can We Then Improve This Important Part of Our UK Courier Business?
Customer service standards can be improved further by defining what a customer expects and wants, and then, having standards in place (written vision statement for small or even larger fleet owners) which remind all employees and management of the requirements for improving customer service. Perhaps we can all say “well we are aware of this and are doing our best”. However, our best may not be all that we can do. Meaning, continuous improvements is a must for all courier business operators because we tip-toe around one of the most competitive business arena in England.
Ever seen a delivery person on his bicycle in London streets? Even s/he must improve his or her delivery times, know the streets like a black cab chauffeur and courier drivers, anticipate and understand peak hours and traffic conditions. Above all else, problem solving improvements is another area which must be on the “to be improved list” for all transport businesses. Using Delivery Master Software can become your silent customer service improver working automatically within the system of your courier business operations. For example, your new software and web portal has the latest features such as:
- Customers can book jobs online 24/7
- Accept or reject customer online booking requests
- Provide instant quotes
- Real-time status updates
- POB & POD and captured signature retrieval
- Customers can enter collection & delivery addresses
- DPD integration automatically updating all your shipping details
Define Service Standards
If you are just starting out in our industry, timeliness, appropriateness and accuracy are some of the necessary ingredients of a great customer service standards for courier service providers. For example: ‘Same day delivery‘ or ‘delivered in 1 hour‘ are some of the difference which can easily distinguish the level of service standards. This however, must be adhered to by your team’s dedication and commitment. Now, before we consider statements like that for better service standards, we should assess, scrutinize their viability and or deliverability.
In simpler terms, if you’re providing same day delivery service, does it apply to all the UK locations? If the fleet can deliver in 1 hour, are we expecting a 100% success rate within that time-frame? What if there is a traffic jam? How will you address this and relay the setbacks to your valued customers? These are the type of questions that are required to be asked and answered when defining standards.
Another important factor is continuous staff training, because if you are not owner-driver, then, its your employees who interact with customers every day, never overlook the importance of training, and have in place regular internal company checks. Because attitudes like “What would they know? Not all customers understand the difficulties within our courier industry!” is a sure sign that its time to get back to the drawing board.
Keep in mind that not only your drivers are a valuable part of your company, they are also a great source of information on day to day operations. They are the human face of your courier company, front line of daily battles to get the parcels to their destinations quickly. No standards can be complete without involving their valuable input.
Also, remember that Delivery Master Software support services team is here to share our valuable courier industry experience, because your new software was developed as a game changer for UK courier businesses. It provides everything you need in a single easy-to-use software solution. Whatever the size of your business is, from start-up to large enterprise, we can be your source of knowledge towards improving and growing your courier business so that it becomes more profitable. Call 0333 30 55 250 to talk to us, or contact us using our web form as we are certain that your new software can be a great investment for your business growth.