In business, a couple of days’ delay in shipping products to your customers could lead to either increased customer satisfaction and loyalty or a loss of customers altogether. This is why shipping plays such a crucial role in many businesses’ operations today. The clearer you are with your customers about the shipping times and costs that they can expect, the higher the chances you will reap the rewards through higher checkout conversion rates, increased trust and loyalty in your brand and overall – it will give you a competitive advantage. With this in mind, you need the right shipping partner for your business and its needs. But how to find a shipping company and what makes a good delivery company? Read on to find out more.
What is important when choosing a company to deliver goods?
In this article, we’ve prepared several important factors you need to consider when choosing a shipping partner. In most cases, these factors should be non-negotiable. And even more important, they should come together as an integrated whole as opposed to piecemeal offerings of one while excluding another factor. Here is our list of things to consider when you choose a shipping company.
1. Cost savings
Cost savings is a crucial part of any business streamlining their operations, making them leaner and more efficient and profitable. Yet in the shipping industry, you can find providers that charge very little for their service (although it may be a poor one) or those who charge exorbitant fees (for a service that may leave much to be desired). While we are not arguing that you should consider the middle road when choosing your service provider, we are saying that cost should be an important consideration that takes into account the remaining factors mentioned below.
2. The service offering
Shipping providers differ from each other and this differentiation comes to the fore in terms of their service offering. Let’s start with the packaging. Does your service provider offer you all the right packing materials to help secure fragile and non-fragile items for shipment? In addition to this, you should consider the length of time your products will be in transit while remaining in good condition when they reach their final destination. It’s worth checking this with your provider first. Next, for foods or items that are temperature-sensitive, you need to work with a partner who can cater to these specific needs. Finally, if you run an e-commerce business, check whether the courier or shipping company can integrate with your online store for seamless logistics and faster yet more efficient and cost-effective delivery.
3. Experience
The international courier companies which you may choose have all been in existence for varying lengths of time. However, partnering with a brand that has more experience in the industry should allay your fears and offer you greater peace of mind. This is because they know what to do in emergencies or when things go wrong. They are also highly knowledgeable about what paperwork and customs formalities need to be adhered to in order to ensure a smoother shipment.
4. Ability to help you scale
Shipping providers should also be able to help your business scale its operations. This doesn’t mean direct involvement as such. However, through indirectly impacting your business efficiency, they’ll be able to help your business grow to greater heights.
5. Support
The levels of support your shipping provider offers is another crucial consideration. Support should be offered 24/7/365 and it should be available online, telephonically and in-person. The provider you choose should have dedicated support staff to help you resolve any queries you may have.
6. Tracking
Tracking has become an essential feature of international and domestic shipping. If your service provider doesn’t offer tracking, you should be very wary. Although not all providers offer real-time updates, tracking at its most basic should be a feature of your contract with them.
7. The types of transport available
Not all service providers offer all types of transportation options. For example, some may work exclusively with air transport while others work with ships, road transportation or a combination of all three. Therefore, ask your carrier what types of transport options they have available as this will influence the speed and efficiency with which you send your shipment.
8. Safety
And lastly, we come to safety. Safety of your products while in transit is crucial. This not only implies adequate packing. It also implies insurance of your goods that can be counted on in the event of accidents.
In conclusion
DRG-Solutions is among the top and most experienced courier companies in Barcelona that can help you send international shipments from Spain. With extensive experience in sending goods both domestically and internationally, our reputation for international courier services in Barcelona is unmatched. Get in touch with us for any shipping and couriering needs you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you.