In light of the growing popularity of online shopping and changing customer behaviour, responding rapidly to customers’ demands has become increasingly challenging. Courier services’ speed, security and cost-efficiency make them valuable partners to your customer satisfaction efforts.
If you are considering outsourcing your company’s delivery operations and have questions about courier services versus standard parcel delivery, this article aims to shed light on the two and help you identify which to use best for your business’s requirements.
What Is a Standard Delivery Service?
Standard delivery providers offer carrier services to customers with standard, non-urgent delivery requirements. This type of transport is common for e-commerce goods and personal packages.
Often, goods transported via standard delivery take days to arrive, and it can be difficult to predict their exact arrival. In the case of businesses where speed is of the essence and customers require timely deliveries of goods, courier service providers are preferable and can meet your company’s supply chain requirements better than standard delivery services.
What Are Courier Services?
Essentially, a courier service is a comprehensive, all-inclusive service providing pickup and delivery at the fastest possible time. A courier service specialises in express, door-to-door, two-man delivery and more.
Courier services are renowned for their speed and reliable tracking compared to postal services at the national level. They come in handy for businesses that sell products online and need multiple parcel shipping solutions. E-commerce companies with large customer bases usually hire dedicated couriers to deliver their products.
What Is the Difference Between a Delivery Service and a Courier?
A courier service differs significantly from a standard delivery service. The following are some key differences between the two.
Timeliness is a priority
Courier services’ biggest strength is their ability to deliver shipments quickly and efficiently. In other words, if shipping internationally is a significant part of your business and speed is crucial, a courier service might be a better choice.
Couriers usually provide next-day and two-man delivery services. Couriers can also offer more precise next-day delivery times and typically provide more details than postal services. Unlike standard services, couriers handle orders individually and as they are received, allowing them to handle rushed and on-demand jobs. In contrast, standard services are usually performed by drivers travelling through a route with a full truck of parcels.
Available 24/7
Many courier services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And since they are often available at all times, there is no need to wait until morning for them to open.
Packages are sent more securely
When it comes to shipping products to customers, ensuring the package arrives safely is crucial, and courier services are well-equipped to do this. In addition, since these types of deliveries are one-on-one, damage is less likely to occur.
The ability to track parcels in real time
When shipping goods internationally, maintaining good visibility on your packages is essential. With postal services, only basic tracking information, such as arrival and departure, is available. International tracking is, however, always offered by couriers.
You and your customers can monitor packages with the tracking feature provided by courier companies. This allows customers to be notified as to when they should expect their package while at the same time enabling you to stay informed if there are any delays. With dedicated customer service teams handling your inquiries, it’s much more likely that you’ll be informed accurately about the status of your shipments. These status updates will enable you to provide excellent customer service and maintain buyer satisfaction.
Saves you time and other resources
Dedicated courier services reliably handle operations management throughout the entire delivery process. As a result, your business can direct its resources, such as personnel and time, to what it does best. It’s for this reason that choosing couriers to ship your goods is a smart business move.
Scalable
Businesses that operate on a large scale should use courier services. Despite the convenience of mailing a few packages to the post office, using a courier service is more efficient when shipping multiple packages.
Unique solutions
Often, couriers offer tailored solutions based on your needs. As for postal services, they generally provide a one-size-fits-all solution, which is ideal for some shipments but may not be suitable for companies that ship internationally regularly. Being able to provide a wide range of options and services is something to look for in a courier.
When using standard postal services, relationship-building is more challenging because there’s no real opportunity for them to get a complete understanding of what you do. Without understanding your business and its needs, postal services may not be able to offer tailored solutions in the same way that courier services can.
Standard Delivery or Courier?
Even though you can typically send your products through either service, there may be benefits to choosing one over the other based on your needs.
You may find the Post Office more convenient for small and inexpensive packages and if you don’t mind flexible delivery times and dates. In contrast, a courier is the best option if you are sending sensitive documents or valuable items or if your package needs to reach the recipient by a specific time.
Many courier delivery services are available, so choosing one can be challenging. Take into account your primary considerations, such as cost, location, international reach, same-day, urgent and two-man home delivery options and more.
Choose couriers with a devoted customer service team that manages deliveries proactively, so your delivery worries are reduced and you can concentrate on your business’s core tasks.
Need a Reliable Courier Service?
When you need to send essential packages via courier, ensure you select a company you can rely on. If you’re looking for business relocation or two-man delivery service in the UK, choose KT ALB Transport.
At KT ALB Transport, we provide courier services customised to meet your specific requirements. With our professional and highly trained team, you can always count on reliable service. Get in touch with us now.