Couriers v Parcel services

[KidsBeeHappy]

I am in the middle of a bit of tweaking on the boxby site.

Our core key problem is that people who want to send a parcel search for a "courier". Whereas a courier service is infact a bespoke delivery service rather than the mass volume parcel carriers.

This is important because a Pay as you go parcel price is around £12-£15 for next day delivery (not account prices before you all start screaming at me that you pay less!), where as a courier service is likely to be a minimum of £50. And people searching on the wrong thing, then get upset when they get quoted £50 to send a brown parcel.

The other complaint about boxby is that you have to be registered to get quotes. Again this is compounded by the parcel/courier confusion becuase yes, the courier does need all the address details etc in order to quote, because it's a bespoke service, with a individually specific price.

So, I am today tweaking text, to try and seperate the parcels and the couriers, so show that you don't need to register to book a parcel delivery, but that you do for courier quotes. and to try and direct people away from the courier section when they only want to send a parcel.

So my questions - do you think that it's obvious enough, without being repetitive or patronising?

All comments appreciated. Many thanks.

 

[borischarlton]

Boxby,

I think you need to make it as clear as possible, unmistakable, easy to use for someone from Mars!!!
How about having a picture of a box with "this is a parcel, no need to register" and a picture of a pallet " this is a courier job, you need quotes we need info"

Rob

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

Thanks.

I'm putting "you don't need to register if you only want to send a parcel" ontop of all of the registration pages too.

 

[SFD]

Even though you have said one is bespoke delivery and one is a parcel carrier I still don't understand the difference.

I think you really need to spell it out to people, including me:redface:

What is the benefit of bespoke over mass volume?

Boris says that courier is for pallet, is that correct?

 

[Mattonella Tile Studio]

Boxby

I think it would be handy (for me especially) if you stated what you can send on each service in terms of size, weight, fragility etc.

For example, if I wanted to send one small box of tiles which would I use, or maybe 5 boxes - does that count as 5 parcels etc.

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

Firstly, Parcel services are what everyone normally thinks of. DHL, Citylink, Fedex, Interlink etc etc etc. Things in boxes, within a maximum dimension (usually 120cm x 60cm x 60cm) and within a maximum weight (30kg). On a overnight or 2 day service. Average price £7 for 2 day and £12-£20 for next day delivery. (on Pay as you go, account customers average of £5-£10)

The most important thing about parcel services is that they go through a sorting hub a-kin to heathrow baggage handling, and must be properly boxed and wrapped.

Parcels work on the basis of cheap prices because they process very very large volumes of parcels in very large sorting hubs, with large fleets of vans working out of depots nationwide. They price on the basis usually of a fixed low price per parcel.


Secondly. Couriers are independent courier companies, generally small businesses with fleets of 1 - 50 vans, who do deliveries themselves. ie they pick up your item and then drive it to the destination, no hubs, no sorting, normally not even a change in van or driver.

Many couriers do local/regional work, and to make the national work pay they will frequently have regular routes scheduled to ensure that they can cover most parts of the UK on a weekly/fortnightly basis.

They price based on time and mileage. Normal courier rates start at around £1 a mile (which is very reasonable when you work out that an average estate car costs around 70p a mile to run).

Couriers are good for things that are fragile, or which are larger or heavier than the parcel carriers dimensions or weights. Things like furniture, (not flatpack), Antiques, car engines, jet skis, Doors, Wrought Iron Gates, Quad bikes, cement mixers, sports/gym equipment, windows, etc.

Basically, things that you can't bung in a box and send through a sorting hub.

I hope that clarifies a bit.

Now the challenge - how to get that all into a couple of sentences that I can put on the top of my home page, to get visitors to the right pages & services for them


p.s. Pallets are altogether different as these tend to need a taillift and the weight aspect means that they frequently end up on minimum 7.5 tonne lorries, (mostly larger) and this is a seperate category altogether called "freight". We will be dealing with pallets by simply refering people through to a third party.

There is also a freight parcel category (just to really confuse things) which takes really large boxed items and puts them through a conveyor hub process. This is companies like Nightfreight and the Home Delivery Network. Think of furniture/white good deliveries from Argos and the likes. But we're ignorning this one for now

 

[SFD]

How about something like:

Standard Delivery
120cmx60cmx60cm <30Kg

Dedicated Delivery
Fragile - Bulky - Heavy

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

OK

so, does this do it?
www.boxby.co.uk

 

[MH1]

Need A Courier? For items too large, heavy, or fragile for a parcel service, you need a courier.

You have forgotten the main reason most people want a courier service, sameday dedicated door to door service. Where speed is more important than the cost.

The parcel explanation is fine, you will always have people who get confused.

 

[TotallySport]

To me a courier is person or company that moves items from one place to another, which is why I would search for a courier, and to me a mailing service is a service which a courier provides.

Hope that helps, sorry if it doesn't

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

You have forgotten the main reason most people want a courier service, sameday dedicated door to door service. Where speed is more important than the cost.

The parcel explanation is fine, you will always have people who get confused.

I've changed to include Urgent also.

The thing is with the profile of our typical customer is that cost will outweigh speed. Customers are 95% happier to wait an extra day or two for delivery if it saves them money. They just seem to want it collected promptly so that they know that its on its way.

 

[faststaff]

I've been trying to come up with exactly the same thing for our new website, which STILL isn't working!

We're maybe almost an opposite from you in that Same Day / Express Courier deliveries are our bread and butter and we offer overnights as an additional service and/or to get a bigger bite of the cherry.

I must have at least 15 conversations per week where I try to explain the difference between (as I have always termed things) 'Common Carriers' and 'Couriers'.

Our regular customers know that if something needs shifting they can ring us and we'll find the best way of doing it - that includes Same Day dedicated deliveries, overnight / next day parcels, pallet network - both Economy and Next day etc etc etc. Make no wonder the customer gets confused with so many (widely varying in cost) services on offer from so many companies!

I've tried the route of, "Is it under 70kgs, boxed, non-fragile etc?" or "is it a> time sensitive b> valuable c> too large d>too heavy etc" but even that doesn't seem to work!!

And best of all, I still get so many people thinking we're trying to rip them off when we quote on sameday services. Even when you gently point out the time taken on the round trip, cost of fuel, insurance and other variables, and the fact that the driver has to either earn at least NMW, or if self employed a worthwhile return on his time, people still think it was going to be £50 for a Leeds to London!

With the slower, economy items eg a fridge Plymouth to Aberdeen in the next week, I just refer people to your website.

Good luck with the definitions though - it's certainly not straightforward!

Richard

 

[MH1]

I used to run a sameday courier service and removals business until I had to quit due to ill health, and despite peoples pre-conceptions I made a nice living just from ebayers looking for large items to be moved, such as wardrobes, motorbikes etc, and normally charged £50/hr.

Of course that was 2-4 years ago, things have got tougher now, less business, more competition and higher overheads, and probably lower rates.

End of the day, a lot of clients appreciate a quality service and are willing to pay for it. Best of luck with the definitions.