12 keys to choose the best courier service
A business of this type may be the solution you are looking for to bring your products to new markets, even international ones.
Whether you do home delivery, have an online store, or a business targeting foreign markets, professional courier and parcel services can help you take your business to the next level. They are not just another service provider, "it is a strategic logistics partner that can strengthen small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) to optimize their processes, access technology, new niches and be more efficient," says Bertha Mercado, manager Marketing of the SME and Retail segment at UPS Mexico.
According to a statistic from IBISWorld, the courier service market invariably growing every year.
you can count on an excellent product, but if the distribution is not adequate or you do not have the capacity in your coverage, there could be shortages on the shelf, delays in deliveries, losses or damages during transportation, which in the end will leave to a dissatisfied customer.
It is not a minor issue. According to the annual analysis of the OECD, Economic Outlook for Latin America 2014, it is estimated that in the region national logistics costs –including inventory management, warehousing, transportation and distribution– can add up to more than 42% of total sales for the pymes.
According to the Profeco Purchase Compass, 2,941 private companies –Mexican and transnational– and a public one –the Mexican Postal Service– operate in the country that offer everything from the collection and delivery of packages, to the transfer, tracking, distribution and follow-up of orders.
Sure, you can do it yourself. However, consider the experience and infrastructure that these companies have to ensure that your shipment reaches its destination on time, as well as the volume of their logistics procedures. This allows them to offer lower prices than if you did it on your own.
Evaluate the options
Because the solutions are tailor-made, “they exist for businesses of any size and line of business; to help small entrepreneurs to concentrate on doing what they do well (such as dedicating themselves to generating ideas and products) and to leave their logistics in the hands of the experts ”, explains Ingo Babrikowski, general director of Estafeta. Next, we present the offer of some brands so that you have a clearer picture. Although they did not give rates, most offer an online quote to calculate the price.
has more than 450 access points throughout the country, including UPS Express counters, where clients receive advice. The entrepreneur can manage shipments from their website to create shipments, print labels, track the movement of their packages, pay online, invoice and schedule collections.
For the more technological, it has an app to find shipping locations, calculate rates, make shipments, track and manage their packages, from a smartphone. And for those who want to export, reimbursements in Payback points and discounts with free packaging.
One of its most recent solutions is UPS My Choice, a mobile and personalized service with which SMEs and end users receive advance notifications of the delivery time of their packages, and with which they can redirect purchases or reschedule orders. Another is UPS Access Point through which packages can be picked up at convenience stores at night or on weekends. Both services prevent failed deliveries and provide flexibility of delivery at the customer's convenience.
It also offers the Packaging Advisor tool to comply with basic instructions to prepare the shipment and ensure that it arrives safely, as well as personalized packaging guidelines. Another plus: the carbon neutral service, with which SMEs can reduce their CO impact to offset the impact of the emissions caused by their shipments.
company with access to 220 countries, as well as the entire Mexican Republic, which exports, imports and makes national shipments, urgent or not, from small packages to heavy shipments.
To access discounts and preferential rates, just go to their website and open an account. Once registered, the customer obtains an address book and can make shipments, create labels, view their history, schedule collections and track their packages from a computer or through its iOS app. And if it requires more robust operations, the brand offers the installation of special software on SME computers from which these tasks can be carried out.
FedEx has different packaging, be it envelopes, boxes or tubes, which can be collected at its branches or requested from a courier (messenger). In addition, it offers its clients guides with recommendations and tools to make a suitable packaging.
In recent years, this company has partnered with various organizations –such as Entrepreneur, commercial banks, universities– and business organizations to promote the SME segment in the country. Thus, they are part of the Pyme Solutions Center, which provides everything from infrastructure, mobile applications, billing, e-commerce and financing, to transportation of goods and a platform for export, according to customer needs and with access to multiple forms of payment.
with national coverage to more than 30,000 postal codes and 40 operating centers, its own airline and more than 2,600 land vehicles, this company offers a complete portfolio of services to streamline the flow of shipments between companies and their customers, suppliers and partners, or within a network of branches, distributors and agents. It also provides them with electronic tools and software for high volume clients to manage and control the flow of their shipments in a functional and efficient way.
Some of its most innovative services are: deliveries to hard-to-reach towns, shipping protection and insurance contracting, SMS messages to reschedule deliveries, consolidated cargo for those with little cargo for different parts of the country - the merchandise is handled on pallets which reduces the cost–, delivery of brochures, samples and advertising flyers, app to check the status of shipments and online manual to pack correctly. Likewise, as a Socially Responsible Company, it monitors its processes to reduce its environmental impact.
users can make shipments online, schedule package pickup, print export documents, save addresses and customer profiles, and monitor deliveries, as well as coordinate import processes and customs procedures.
For those who want to export, it has a tool on its website to find out market data, requirements and information on how to do business in different countries.
In addition, it is the ally of Kichink! Deliveries, the platform for predesigned virtual stores.
Tips to choose best courier service
1. Research the coverage and characteristics of the service in different companies. According to the time and destination that interests you, choose the most competitive price.
2. Identify what the objective of your SME is, where you want it to go and what you want to achieve with it.
3. Check online quotes for approximate price.
4. Schedule shipping and delivery dates taking into account holidays and non-working days. The latter have an extra charge.
5. Take care of the wrapping, packaging and labeling. If you are going to do the packaging yourself, follow the company's instructions.
6. Remember that if the package exceeds the maximum weight or lengths, you will pay an additional charge.
7. Write the shipping address clearly and completely, since an error may be the cause of the return of the package.
8. Research the guarantees; what happens if the shipment is not delivered, additional charges, compensation for non-compliance in delivery terms, means for tracking and coverage, among other issues.
9. One of the most important things to consider is that your courier service must use up-to-date technologies and smart courier management platform to have better customer loyalty and increase the delivery success rate.
10. consider the type of goods that you want to deliver with a courier service. Ensure that the courier company provides all situations for successful transportation of your goods from start to end. If your goods need a particular situation like a specific temperature, your chosen company should provide a suitable situation in all delivery flow for this type of goods.
11. based on delivery range or distance, you can choose a local courier company or a large one. For small range, it's better to choose a local courier service because of better flexibility and more efficiency and for long ways choose large companies.
12. POC (proof of collection) and POD (proof of delivery) systems are highly needed for providing more security. if a courier company integrates its system with good delivery management software, including customer and driver apps and dispatcher, pod feature is one of its benefits that can provide.
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