7 things SMEs should consider when choosing a courier company

For any-sized business, making sure that your deliveries are on-time and delivered intact is essential for ensuring you don’t lose your reputation or customers. Although some businesses prefer to handle their own delivery services in-house, many are opting to outsource their delivery with separate courier companies. From saving time and fuel costs, to peace of mind when it comes to the insurance of parcels, there are many benefits of choosing a courier service for your business.

However, if you’re a SME, it can understandably be difficult knowing where to start when it comes to choosing the right courier company for your business. After all, you are trusting this company to deliver your consignments safely and efficiently, so picking the right courier shouldn’t be a decision that’s taken lightly.

Here are 7 main points to consider when choosing a courier company:

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1: Reliability

This should be the first thing that you consider when choosing a courier service. Of course, shipping costs need to be considered but if your delivery partner lets you down, all the hard work leading up to the despatch of your shipment can be wasted.

Here at Priority Express, we have a proven track record in speed & reliability since we were established in 1989. We can provide prospective customers with case studies – or even put you in touch with local companies already using our services – helping to provide an insight into our service standards and how well we work with companies across all types of businesses.

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2: Range of Services

It’s worth considering the range of services available at the outset because, even if your needs are limited right now, you’re probably aiming to succeed and grow. Having a courier partner that can provide a full range of same day, overnight and international courier services (and scale up quickly to meet demand) makes sense. Here are just a few of the many services we currently provide:

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·      Same-day UK & European Deliveries

·       UK Overnight Documents, Parcels & Freight

·       Remote Collections & Returns Services

·       International Courier & Freight Services

·       Order Fulfilment & Storage Facilities

·       PEX Zero Emission eCargo Bike Services

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If you would like to find out more about the courier services we can offer, then visit our services page.

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3: Experience

As a well-established regional business that’s been serving for over 30 years, Priority Express understands the challenges facing local SMEs. We started small and have continued to grow due to our easy-to-use services, reliability and close connections with businesses throughout the region.

Your Account Manager and our local customer services teams work with businesses across all sectors of commerce, industry and the media. We’ll take the time to understand your needs and tailor our services to meet your specific requirements. We know that your business is very personal and important to you, and we recognise the need to work with you in a way that meets the needs of your business.

4: Technology

You need your courier partner to provide great IT solutions.

We have worked with many businesses from start-ups and sole traders to larger businesses operating across multiple sites. We specialise in working with customers to understand their needs and share our expertise in the express delivery sector.

Reliable and easy-to-use online booking and tracking solutions are of course available, along with an impressive range of on-site and hosted IT solutions – all designed to help improve processes and reduce shipping costs.

5: Sustainability

We all have a responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint.

Priority Express recognise that more businesses are considering their environmental impact and taking measures to reduce their carbon footprint. You’ll be pleased to know that our Priority Zero project has been underway since 2013 and now includes the following service features designed to reduce emissions and ensure that our services are sustainable in the longer term:

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·      Cycle Couriers – for local delivery of documents and small packages

·      Cargo Bikes – bicycles that can carry up to 80kg and reduce delivery time by up to 50%

·      100% Electric vans – for local & regional deliveries up to 700 Kgs

·      eCargo Trikes – electric-assist Trikes (from Sep 2021) for local deliveries up to 250 Kgs

·      Low-carbon urban delivery hubs in Bristol & Cardiff

6. Customer Service

Of course, if there are any urgent issues or queries regarding one of your parcels, then knowing that your courier is easy to contact will give you that peace of mind. Ideally, having a courier that offers 24-7 customer service is what you should be looking for as a business.

At Priority Express, our local customer services team are on hand 24-7 to advise you of the most suitable service to suit your deadlines and budget – as well as any questions or concerns you have about a delivery. We pride ourselves on delivering high levels of service, striving to exceed expectations every day.

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7. Flexibility

Having a courier who is flexible to your specific delivery requirements is very important, which is why Priority Express offers a Special Delivery service. We understand that each business has different requirements that need to be met.

Our special service delivery service covers a whole multitude of requirements, from pallets and mass mailing to order fulfilment. It’s everything else that falls outside of what we would consider our standard services.

To find out more about our special service delivery, contact us now.

We hope this article helps in your decision making. For further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to telephone your local branch or email.