What Do You Do When Your Courier Lets You Down?

We all know that feeling.

You've arranged a delivery. You've told your customer when it will arrive. Perhaps somebody is waiting for it, a job depends on it, or a deadline has been agreed.

Then something goes wrong.

• The courier doesn't turn up.
• The collection is delayed.
• The delivery is going to miss its time slot.
• Or worse, you're struggling to get hold of somebody who can actually tell you what's happening.

So what do you do?

First, don't panic. Get the facts.

When a delivery goes wrong, the first thing you need is clear information.

• Where is the delivery now?
• Why has it been delayed?
• Is the original vehicle still available?
• When can it realistically arrive?
• And, most importantly, what are the options?

A good courier should be helping you answer those questions rather than simply telling you there's a problem.

Sometimes you need another solution

There are situations where the original delivery arrangement simply isn't going to work.

• Perhaps the vehicle has broken down.
• Perhaps the collection was missed.
• Perhaps the goods are larger or heavier than originally advised.
• Perhaps your customer has suddenly changed the required delivery time.

At that point, you need someone who can look at the situation and say:

"Right. Let's see what we can do."

That's where experience can make a real difference.

At Apollo, we've been dealing with time-critical and sometimes complicated deliveries for more than 32 years. We've learned that the answer isn't always obvious, and that sometimes you have to think differently to find a solution.

Communication matters

One of the biggest frustrations when a delivery goes wrong isn't necessarily the delay itself.

It's not knowing what's happening. If there's a problem, we'd rather communicate with our customer, explain the situation and work out the next step together.

• Sometimes the solution is straightforward.
• Sometimes it involves changing the vehicle.
• Sometimes it means arranging another vehicle.
• Sometimes it means being honest about what is and isn't possible.

But the customer should never be left wondering what's happening. This is why knowing your courier matters!

For an occasional delivery, it can be tempting to choose whoever offers the lowest price.

But when something important goes wrong, the value of a courier relationship becomes much clearer.

If you regularly use the same courier company, they can start to understand:

• Your business
• Your usual delivery requirements
• What you consider urgent
• The types of goods you move
• The people they need to speak to
• What matters most to you
  That knowledge can save valuable time when something unexpected happens.

A real example from Apollo:- 

Recently, a customer asked us to collect three pallets from Cardiff and deliver them to Derby.

The information we were given suggested a total weight of around 750kg, so an LWB Transit was arranged. When our driver arrived, however, the actual weights were very different and each pallet weighed approximately 550kg. The original vehicle couldn't safely carry all three, we therefore suggested an alternative solution with the original vehicle taking two pallets which would be loaded immediately and sent on their way. an additional vehicle was arranged to collect as soon as possible to collect the remaining pallet. Therefore, there would only be a delay to the recipient of up to an hour.

We also explained to the customer that if the correct weights had been provided initially, we could have arranged a 7.5-tonne vehicle to take all three pallets together — which would have been a more efficient and potentially less expensive solution.

The important thing wasn't simply getting three pallets from A to B.

It was communicating, adapting and finding a solution.

So, what should you do when your courier lets you down?

Ask yourself:

• Can I get hold of someone who can actually help?
• Do they understand how important this delivery is?
• Are they giving me solutions rather than excuses?
• Do they know my business and my requirements?
• Can they arrange an alternative if the original plan fails?

If the answer to those questions is no, it may be time to look at your courier relationship.

Because when everything goes perfectly, most couriers can look good. It's what happens when things don't go to plan that tells you what sort of courier you're really dealing with.

At Apollo, we've spent more than 32 years learning how to deal with the unexpected.

If you've got a delivery problem, give us a call.

We'll listen, we'll look at the options and we'll help you work out the best way forward at the most effective cost.

That's what we believe good courier service should be.