Finding the best delivery company fit for your business may take a little trial and error. Investing some time into seeing what works and what doesn't when it comes to getting your orders on the doorsteps of you customers is a worthy investment.
If you have fallen into the trap of settling on a delivery company based only on price, you may be missing out on a better service elsewhere. Negotiating with delivery companies from time to time can you provide you with more options than you may have thought.
Let's look at three things to consider when choosing which company you should use to represent your brand out on the road.
1. The Cost
How much you pay for your deliveries can make or break your business if you run on smaller margins. Make sure you pick a carrier that fits your budget, shipping costs soon mount up.
Using more than one delivery company can save you money. Some carriers are better at pricing domestic than international for example. It's not uncommon to use different carriers for bigger items, or international items than your smaller or domestic shipments.
And don't forget to negotiate your rates before signing your contract.
2. Customer Satisfaction
It's important to think about your choice of delivery company from an external perspective as well. Put yourself in your customers shoes and ask; Was my delivery good?
As we touched on above, the company that deliver your orders are representing your brand on the customers doorstep. It's easy to think badly of an entire brand because the delivery was a disaster.
In a recent poll by MoneySavingExpert.com, DPD came out on top when customers were asked about their delivery experiences in 2015.
3. Business Fit
Every delivery company works a little differently. Some are more flexible than others. It's important that the company or companies you chose to use fit perfectly into your workflow.
If Carrier A is fractionally cheaper than Carrier B, but Carrier B make it easier for you to pack and ship your orders, perhaps the difference you save in time is worth the additional cost per label.
Don't be afraid to reach out to the various carriers and run trials with them. You may need to tweak your warehouse processes when you adopt another carrier, embrace it.
What is your experience?
Please use the comments below to tell us your experiences or make recommendations. Hearing from the community helps us plan new shipping integrations and features.
