Why do people confuse couriers with parcel carriers?

[Rico Plymouth]

Evening all,
I have been quite surprised at the amount of people that refer to overnight parcel carriers as 'couriers' on this site.
In my opinion, and being in the trade a courier is NOT an overnight parcel carrier, there is a big difference.

An overnight parcel carrier (Tnt,Dhl,Yodel,Citylink etc) collect and deliver a very large number of consignments on EACH van, at whatever point in the day fits their round. These are then taken to a local depot and put on a truck, then taken to a central hub and sorted, before the role reverses and they end up back on a van for delivery, with anything upto 100 other consignments. This is how you get the service for the very minimal cost.

However as a COURIER, we collect the goods from you at the time you request, and drive it DIRECT to the delivery point, for delivery at a time agreed with all parties. Usually charged per loaded mile.

Some companies will offer a variety of combination, whereby it could be collected at a set time, taken to a local depot, internally trunked to the nearest depot to delivery and again delivered at a fixed time by a courier transporting your goods only so you get the care, attention and security desired. This is cheaper than a direct drive, though still costs more than the overnight parcel companies, but you get the service you are requesting.

So please, just for my own sanity if nothing else, refer to each 'trade' by its respective name, and stop slating 'couriers' for a missing parcel, you not being in etc when it wasn't a courier you employed!

Rant over, I shall pop on my tin hat and await the responses.

 

[SamStones]

Ok, I'll bite...

Your argument seems to be based around the notion that a courier is a direct point to point carrier, yet half way through your rant you then contradict yourself by saying that they can use a depot and still be called a courier. We use several different couriers : City Link, DPD, Parcel Force. According to this;

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/courier

The term "courier" is any of these services. Do you not carry parcels? If so , then you are also a "parcel carrier" surely?

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I have been doing this since I was a little kid and my main observation on this subject is the people in the industry are very concerned about definition's and making sure services and its suppliers are labelled right .
I am very much like Mike and share the same views but I have learnt that the customers don't care what its called all they want is the service that they have paid for . 75% of customers don't actually know or care what a service is called

 

[a1anm]

I have been doing this since I was a little kid and my main observation on this subject is the people in the industry are very concerned about definition's and making sure services and its suppliers are labelled right .
I am very much like Mike and share the same views but I have learnt that the customers don't care what its called all they want is the service that they have paid for . 75% of customers don't actually know or care what a service is called

As a customer I couldn't agree more. I couldn't care less what it is called. As long as I get the service I expect then it really makes no difference.

 

[Rico Plymouth]

Ok, I'll bite...

Your argument seems to be based around the notion that a courier is a direct point to point carrier, yet half way through your rant you then contradict yourself by saying that they can use a depot and still be called a courier.

Maybe I could of defined this clearer, we tailour our packages to suit the customer needs, which often is driven by cost. The collection from the customer, and the delivery to the recipient is done on a dedicated vehicle, whereby you can select the time that suits you, not the one dictated. Also by being a dedicated vehicle more emphasis can be on the security and safety, as its not got lots of other items in the van to potential cause damage, confusion, missing items etc.

 

[Rico Plymouth]

As a customer I couldn't agree more. I couldn't care less what it is called. As long as I get the service I expect then it really makes no difference.

I can fully understand that, you simply want the goods collected and delivered safely in a timely manner, with minimal hassle.

My issue is when things do go wrong, people are quick to say how bad the 'courier' was. He isn't a courier, he is a multi drop driver.

I don't blame my electrician when the bath seal leaks..........

 

[arcon5]

When people blame 'couriers' though they are not speaking about an individual companies and when they are is specific to the carrier they used - if you blame your electrician for your leaking bath you are blaming an individual not party to anything and in an unrelated industry.

Personally speaking, courier or parcel carrier - who cares, they do the same job effectively, just by different methods

 

[Ryan_M]

I'd say maybe real couriers would be best to find a new name for their job as everybody calls parcel carriers (I'd never call a company I use for deliveries a parcel carrier) couriers.

I suppose there's a courier/carrier argument but my experience is 90% of people call UPS/FedEx/TNT/APC etc their courier.

 

[gingerdad]

who gives a stuff - as DHL, TNT, UKmail, & Shittylink all do samedays which they refer to as samedays does it really matter. i'll continue to use couriers for documents and carriers for parcels, and as long as who ever i use do the job right, i couldn't give a stuff what the technical term is.

 

[roydmoorian]

As long as I get the service I expect

And therein lies the rub - do you expect a bespoke service or a cheap & cheerful 90% delivery reflected in it's price, and more to the point do you know the difference ?

 

[roydmoorian]

who gives a stuff - as DHL, TNT, UKmail, & Shittylink all do samedays which they refer to as samedays does it really matter. i'll continue to use couriers for documents and carriers for parcels, and as long as who ever i use do the job right, i couldn't give a stuff what the technical term is.

Absolutely no reason not to use a parcel carrier for documents if you understand what you are booking.

And do you know the difference between a CitySprint sameday delivery and a dedicated sameday delivery ?

 

[gingerdad]

nope and I couldn't careless, the only same day stuff i've done is when i was working for DHL, got to go to Spain and the Netherlands. jet engine to heathrow that sort of stuff, chartered the odd flight for AOG stuff in the past as well.

i'm happy sending lots of boxes by who ever does it cheapest (and yes 99.9% is good enough for me) can live with the odd loss, late deliver as not really time dependent, which is why the bloke from interlink got nowhere trying to tell my deliveries would be enhanced by a text with a time slot.

 

[roydmoorian]

It's a bit like the word gay, the term was originally used to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"

It's primary meaning is now quite different, but with elements of the original.

 

[a1anm]

And therein lies the rub - do you expect a bespoke service or a cheap & cheerful 90% delivery reflected in it's price, and more to the point do you know the difference ?

I expect to get the service advertised. For example if FedEx (who I call a courier...shock horror!) say they will deliver my parcel to the US in 3 days I expect it to arrive in 3 days.

I don't want to or need to know any more.

If I want some type of bespoke service I will find someone that offers that and book it. Again, I don't care what it is called (I will still call it a courier).

I have better things to do than worry if I should be referring to something as a courier or carrier. I don't care, no one I work with cares, no one I am sending parcels to cares and I'm sure FedEx don't care.

 

[Ryan_M]

I think a1anm's feelings pretty much sum up what I'm saying. If you're carrying out a really specialised service and want to differentiate yourself from the carriers then it's probably better to re-brand as something else rather than try to change what people call a carrier/courier.

No idea what though.

 

[gingerdad]

Absolutely no reason not to use a parcel carrier for documents if you understand what you are booking.

And do you know the difference between a CitySprint sameday delivery and a dedicated sameday delivery ?

also its not 2008

 

[Ryan_M]

It's basically a Coke (rather than saying cola) or Hoover (rather than saying vacuum) type argument. Courier is what people call a company that delivers parcels now and that's that.

 

[roydmoorian]

So who would you rather use to collect artificial hip joints from one hospital and deliver to another 110 miles away when the patient has already been prepped, or to follow you down the M1 to Heathrow with that forgotten passport, or deliver the samples of carbonated alco-pops to a supermarket head office in time for sampling at the board meeting at 09:30 the following day without rough handling making the contents explosive. ?

It won't be a parcel carrier

 

[Jeff FV]

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"
William Shakespeare (Juliet, in Romeo and Juliet)

 

[roydmoorian]

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"
William Shakespeare (Juliet, in Romeo and Juliet)

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds"
2500 years ago by the Greek historian, Herodotus.

Nothing about a Hub & Spoke system there.

 

[Ryan_M]

I think the point is that nobody thinks all couriers/carriers (there are differences between carriers let alone carriers and couriers) are equal they just use the same name because that's what they're happy doing. If what you are saying are real couriers (which are obviously more specialised, timely and I would imagine a lot more expensive) were called "special delivery couriers" or something there might be less confusion.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

I decided that the pillock I was dealing with yesterday was neither a courier nor a parcel carrier.
As there are ladies present I will not repeat what I eventualy decided to call him.

 

[Sparx]

I have never used the term 'parcel carrier' and never heard anyone else use it either! I work in a job were we speak with a Logistics team everyday and we never use this term.

We always use the term 'courier' and when we do a same day delivery, we just say 'same day delivery' or 'same day service'..

Just my £0.02.. Not that I really care tbh as long as the job is done!

 

[beasty]

What is the point of this thread?

Please can your post me or courier an answer to me asap



Seriously, WHO CARES what it is called, you could call yourself parcel mystery tours for all i care

 

[Deleted member 59730]

Rico - Sameday are not couriers. They are no different than DHL, UPS and others.

I have only ever had true courier service once. I was in Lagos and needed some film which I could be sure didn't get x-ray exposure. I spoke to the DHL manager in Lagos. Next day his wife arrived from England with my film.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

So who would you rather use to collect artificial hip joints from one hospital and deliver to another 110 miles away when the patient has already been prepped, or to follow you down the M1 to Heathrow with that forgotten passport, or deliver the samples of carbonated alco-pops to a supermarket head office in time for sampling at the board meeting at 09:30 the following day without rough handling making the contents explosive. ?

It won't be a parcel carrier

I see now when you get a customer questioning what went on you can winge and moan that he did not listen to your boring ramblings and preaching's !!!!!!!!!!!

26 years in this game and I still say I listen and learn from what the buyers on this forum say !! Not long ago sonny you were only milking cows and nothing more !! but you have taken it on yourself to dictate to these very people on here that buy our services telling them what is what and you have hardly served your apprenticeship in this game . Im promising you old boy it don't work like that
I know you take great pride in disrespecting me but please don't belittle the members of this site that spend all day buying courier/shipping/transport services .
I'm on your tail boy I did warn you last week !!

 

[Gecko001]

This is an interesting one. I have never really considered it before, but the use of the word courier for all private parcel delivery services probably was promoted by the original "proper couriers" branching out into general parcel deliveries involving depots and still calling themselves couriers.

OP ask yourself if you started to have depots would you insist on getting your firm's name removed from the "Courier" classification in the Yellow Pages. that is what you would have to do if you were to stick to the correct terminology. So you cannot really blame the fparcel firems can you.

 

[Rico Plymouth]

well I did not expect this post to cause such a fuss!
Was merely fed up watching people complain about couriers in what I feel was the wrong text. It was meant to be a sensible debate, but seems to have offended many people which was not the intent.

Gecko001 - We do have depots throughout the UK. But from these depots we operate a courier service to the region we are in. We do not cover multdrop. It is more to give us UK coverage and cover any job from / to anywhere promptly.

Atmosbob - you said "Rico - Sameday are not couriers. They are no different than DHL, UPS and others". I would disagree with this totally. Yes DHL do have a sameday division, but UPS do not.
We collect items(s) from point A at any specific time, then deliver to Point B at the set time or asap dependant on customer choice. Same van, same driver so I would class this definitely as a courier service.

 

[beasty]

For me a courier has to be on horseback

 

[Gecko001]

well I did not expect this post to cause such a fuss!
Was merely fed up watching people complain about couriers in what I feel was the wrong text. It was meant to be a sensible debate, but seems to have offended many people which was not the intent.
.

It is OK we all can have a rant now and then about things like this.

The one that I get annoyed about is when people use the word "gig" when they are not a performer. It is supposed to be short for and "engagement" and only used by people or bands when talking about their bookings. 25 years ago people would snicker at people who were not performers using the word to refer to a concert. It was usually used by those people who once said hello to a famous rockstar in the street and then thought they were in "the business". Now it seems to have replaced the word concert.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

For me a courier has to be on horseback

No problem sir when would you like this done !!