As commerce become increasingly internet-focused, distance sales are growing ever more popular. Almost every modern business will find that they need to rely on parcel delivery to meet their customer’s evolving appetite for online buying and telephone sales. It is no longer enough to offer your products in-store; instead, you need to be able to send them straight to your customers’ doors.

The parcel delivery service you offer will play an integral part in building your reputation. Speedy, reliable and efficient online purchasing experiences will keep customers coming back for more; on the opposite end of the spectrum, a slow or shoddy service will send your buyers running for the hills and perpetuate a lot of negative reviews online.

So how do you make sure that you deliver the former rather than the latter service? Read on to find out more…

Take Care With Your Packaging

Making sure that the goods you send out are correctly packaged is vital if you want them to reach your customers in the same condition that they left your premises.

Ensure that all of your items are packaged in sturdy outer containers that are equipped to hold their weight. It’s important to prevent your items from moving during transit, so delicate items such as glassware and ceramics should be surrounded by bubble wrap or polystyrene chips to keep them in place and prevent any damage.

Once you’re certain that your items are safe inside the box, you need to make sure that they won’t end up spilling out of it, so seal the parcel securely, applying tape across all of the edges and openings.

Once this is done, take care to label your package correctly. It’s also a good idea to include a return address just in case your items get lost in transit.

Choose a Reliable Courier

There are multiple professional courier services available for businesses to choose from, so there’s no real excuse for making a bad choice. It’s important to do your research before you make a final decision, so be prepared to spend some time comparing price quotes and services. It’s never wise to make a decision based solely on cost, so take into consideration how quickly your parcels will be delivered, where the courier service delivers to, and what procedures they have in place to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Use this information to draw up a shortlist of around three companies, and then conduct some internet research to help you gain an idea of their reputation. The company you choose ought to come highly-recommended, like TNT, and should be able to provide testimonials or references from satisfied customers at your request.

Take Out Insurance

Most courier services should be covered by their own insurance policy if your goods are lost or damaged, and this will usually cover items up to the value of around £50. However, this is not always the case, so you should never forget to read and examine the terms and conditions before assuming that this is so.

For more expensive items, it is always worth taking out your own insurance policy. If you’ve chosen your courier wisely, the chances of anything going wrong are minimal, but this doesn’t mean that it will never happen. Thus, it’s always worth making sure that you’re covered if something happens so that you don’t find yourself left out of pocket.

Follow our three top tips to provide the perfect delivery service for your customers.