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At one time, demands for same day deliveries within general delivery work were considered to be eccentric to the point of being ridiculous. True, some motorcycle couriers and van deliveries could cope in situations where the collection and delivery was in a relatively small geographical area, but today customers are asking for same day deliveries over ever larger distances. What does that mean for you? Same Day Deliveries – A Changing Culture Nobody really disputes that some customer demands in this area are simply impossible to meet. You can’t change the law of physics for distance and time relationships or the legal speeds and driver hours. So, occasionally, it may be legitimate to inform the customer that a same day delivery just isn’t possible under any circumstances. However, the fact is that most customers are perfectly capable of doing simple mathematics, so if they can see that it should be possible for your delivery work service to make a same day delivery, then you had better respond with something either positive or a soundly thought-through reason for not doing so! Is Same Day Delivery Really a Big Issue? Whatever some delivery workers might think about such client demands, the fact is that same day deliveries are becoming ever more frequent and there are sound business reasons for that. For a start, ‘just-in-time’ inventory management is now increasingly influential and important to businesses trying to keep their costs down. So, if the manufacturer can produce the goods at very short notice then your client might struggle to understand why you can’t deliver the goods at short notice too. Then there are factors such as unanticipated demand for their product. No company likes to tell customers that they have ‘run out’ - so if they have to make more in a hurry, they’ll do. Whatever the reason for their demand, be careful not to assume that it’s down to poor planning or arrogance on their part. Don’t forget also that they’re under no obligation to sympathise with your problems trying to meet their needs. If you can’t do it or make it difficult for them, they’ll just go to someone who doesn’t have your challenges in achieving same day deliveries. What Do You Need? It’s a fairly safe assumption that the demand for same day deliveries isn’t going away - to the contrary, it’s likely to significantly increase over time. What this means is that the methodology behind courier work planning must change. The idea that all your work can be tidily documented and signed-off several days in advance no longer holds true. Your operations will need to be more flexible and dynamic in coping with that. It also might again emphasise the importance of having a good network of business relationships with other courier drivers. These drivers may be able to help you in situations where you have an urgent requirement for a same day delivery that is posing overwhelming logistical problems. Aspects of this change are likely to be interesting and positive, though elements are equally likely to generate more than an occasional headache for those in delivery work. Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day delivery work in the express freight exchange industry. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.
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