What is a courier service?

Need Something Delivered? Here Are 5 Considerations When Choosing A Courier Service

Courier services are provided by companies whose business is to deliver documents, packages, parcels, and so on between two parties. Courier companies are generally privately owned, which sets them apart from larger delivery firms and state-operated mail services

As such, courier companies can often offer you a more competitive rate than their larger competitors. For instance, many courier firms provide 24/7 or door-to-door and same-day deliveries. Most courier companies will provide you with worldwide service, with your delivery tracked all the way.

Courier services are ideal if you have an important delivery to make, such as a birthday present that needs to be sent for the next day. Choosing a courier will give you peace of mind that your item will arrive safely and on time. You can also track its progress and feel secure that your item is protected with insurance cover.

Choosing the Best Courier Service

There are various courier services available in the United States, but choosing the best one can be challenging. For instance, what would you consider the difference or best courier option from DHL, FedEx, UPS, or USPS? Obviously, the answer to this question will depend on your situation.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Courier

1. Speed of Delivery

If you are a retail business owner, the chances are that you'll have some level of online sales and need to get your products to your customers as soon as possible. However, it is not only e-commerce businesses that need things delivered quickly.

You might need to send important business or legal documents urgently, or a gift may need to arrive fast to be in the right hands at the right time. There are countless occasions when speed is of the essence, and you need a courier service that can deliver quickly. You should consider whether your courier provides a same-day or next-day domestic service. If you're sending something overseas, within what timescale does the courier guarantee delivery.

Also, you need to consider the pick-up time. You might think you're getting a next-day service, but what if the courier doesn't collect your package until the following day? How about weekend services; is this done as quickly as during weekdays?

2. Tracking, Guaranteed Delivery, and Insurance

You may want to send valuables, something of a sensitive nature, or an item that you wish to treat with additional security. In these cases, you should consider the courier's tracking service, delivery guarantee, and level of insurance provided. It might sound like you have a negative attitude, but you must consider what happens if your item goes missing. To mitigate this risk, you should choose a courier that offers tracking service and additional insurance.

Similarly, if you are sending fragile items, you want to ensure that the courier takes extra care of them. More crucial, though, is that you want the peace of mind of having them covered in the event of damage.

Tracking services use a barcode and corresponding tracking number for your package. As it moves through the various stages of delivery, your package's barcode is scanned. The scanner records information such as time and location, then feeds that to the courier. This procedure allows you to track your package's progress via your courier's website.

There are several comparison sites where you can track parcels across several courier services. This facility is beneficial if you've used different couriers to send different packages, as you can monitor all their progress from a single site. It also means that you can shop around for the best deals knowing you won't have the hassle of tracking via several sites.

3. Price

Price isn't so much a consideration if you are sending a small item just once. However, you are using a courier often for more oversized items or even moving your entire possessions; the cost is something to consider. 

In the case of moving home, especially to a different part of the country or overseas, it can be challenging to make a reasonable comparison between various couriers. Quotations will vary significantly depending on several factors, including the number of packages, size, weight, value, speed, distance to the new location, etc. 

There are sites such as ShippingToGo on which you can compare couriers using standardized metrics to ensure you are comparing like with like. These sites will help you get the best service for your domestic and international shipping requirements.

4. International Services

Thanks to cheaper air travel, e-commerce, and social media, most people nowadays have friends, family, or businesses in other countries. Sending packages is quite common for many people, and if you are one of them, you should consider your courier's international service record. Using a comparison site can make you considerable savings on international courier services.

5. Package Collection and Delivery Times 

Package collection and delivery times will add to or detract from the convenience of your delivery. When choosing your courier service, you should consider the convenience of getting your package picked up or dropping it off at the courier. Perhaps you'll need the facility at the weekend or at certain times during the day, so ensure that these times are suitable. 

Remember, if you have to drop off the packages yourself, there may be other customers, resulting in long waiting times. Therefore, you might want to consider a courier that offers a collection service.

Courier Comparison Sites

As we've already mentioned, you can benefit from using a courier comparison site to get the best delivery and shipping deals. These sites have been created to help remove the hassle and stress of finding the right courier service. The best thing about such sites is that they're entirely free to use, and they can give you considerable savings. 

Regardless of your location, getting the best deal on courier costs is satisfying in cost, time, and effort. All you need to do is put your details into the courier comparison calculator and get an instant quote.