Whether you want to start a full-fledged business or make money in the part-time, online selling is a great option. The world of eCommerce offers plenty of opportunities for new sellers to enter the market. If you’re one of those, you will have to gear up on a few things first. As enticing as it sounds, eCommerce involves setting up your website, adding products, reaching out to the customers as well as finding a courier partner. While there are different types of courier services available, you need to pick the one that suits your business.
However, if you can’t decide on one particular courier service, you can opt for a 3PL service provider. But, we’ll get there later. First, you need to understand what different courier companies are and how they can impact your business. This will assist you in your decision making.
Choosing a courier partner especially when different types of courier services are available in the market can be difficult. While some provide excellent service, others have lower prices. It all depends on what your priorities are for the moment.
But, don’t worry if you feel a little lost at this time. We’ll take you through the different types of courier services in this article. Read on to find out more!
How Different Types of Courier Services Can Make or Break Your Business?
Courier services can have a great impact on your business. When they deliver your product to the customer’s doorstep, they are the ones representing your brand. So, if anything goes wrong with the parcel, you will be accountable in the customer’s eyes. This is because they chose to shop from you. Take a look below to know how a courier company can impact your business-
Customer Experience
Customer experience is one of the most important factors for an online business. It is fundamental to your existence. And this is because if customers are not happy with the delivered parcel, they will not purchase further from you. Soon this will be marketed through the same customer’s word of mouth channel. Even though you picked, packed and dispatched the parcel in an excellent condition, you will have to suffer the consequences of your courier partner. For this reason, you must opt for a trusted partner. Prioritize your customer experience no matter what, otherwise you won’t be left with customers to provide an experience.
Parcel Safety
Another important factor for choosing among different types of courier services is parcel safety. Your dispatched parcel is no less than a masterpiece. After all you’re not just out of your product but also your heart into the parcel for your customer. Imagine what happens when the courier partner damages the parcel during transit. You might be shipping some fragile items that will get completely shattered in this manner and you will be left with nothing to do. Either the parcel will be sent back to you or delivered to the customer in the same condition. In any of these ways, the customer experience will be destroyed.
Quick Services
When you ship your order with a courier company you expect them to deliver at the earliest. It is the same scenario when the customer places an order. They want to get their product at the earliest. No one wants to receive a product a month after they ordered. Moreover, with the fast delivery services of Amazon and other front running companies, customers have become accustomed to fast delivery. If your courier partner charges low rates but delivers your parcels weeks after the date of delivery, then there’s no use shipping with them. Instead you should opt for a faster delivering courier service.
Reliable Support
When you’re shipping orders in bulk, there are chances that your parcels will get stuck. Or some of your parcels might be delayed for delivery. In such situations, you will need to contact the support of your courier company. Now, if they don’t provide good support services, your entire business flow will get disrupted. You will lose your money and this will impact your overall business. Always remember that no courier partner is perfect.
Now and then issues regarding your parcels will crop up. But a good courier will go ahead and resolve these at the earliest. In this regard, a 3PL like Dash101 is a great choice. They help you ship with 7+ courier partners. Moreover, they assign a key account manager that addresses your shipping queries with ease.
Genuine Services
When you’re shipping with a courier company, you are not only placing your parcel in their hands, but also the entire trust. This means that the courier partner is responsible for the parcel till the time it reaches the customer’s doorstep. For this reason, you must ship with a reliable and trustworthy courier partner. Many times courier companies claim that they attempted delivery multiple times at the customer’s doorstep. But, the customer claims otherwise. By partnering with a trusted courier you make sure that such issues don’t crop up.
Different Types of Courier Services
Courier companies offer a wide variety of services. It is their services that distinguish them from the rest. Therefore, depending upon your budget and the priorities of delivery, you can choose a courier partner. Some of the different types of courier services are-
Standard Courier Services
Standard courier services or warehousing services provide companies a good, greater and total control over the business.
This type of service includes managed storage solutions and collection of the parcels. Apart from this, it also offers sorting the package and transferring the package to the nearest port. From there it is shipped for the delivery location. After this, the package is loaded into the transport and delivered to the desired location. This service is the cheapest of all courier services and generally takes a few days. It also contains reporting of storage, which helps you to keep track of your business and its stocks.
Overnight Service
Overnight service is a type of service similar to the standard service. But, it is more expensive than the standard courier services. It guarantees that the parcel will be delivered by the next day. This overnight courier service is excellent if you need your package to be delivered the following day or before a specific time in a day. The overnight courier service usually transports the goods early hours in the morning or during the night.
Same Day Express Courier Service.
Same day express courier service, which is the most expensive of all courier services. This service basically for those who need their parcel or goods to be delivered urgently or on the same day. This service is a particular service which is very popular in big cities as it is very much needed for the delivery of essential documents at a fast pace.
International Courier Service
International courier service is a type of service which is used for the transfer of goods overseas. In this type of service, the price depends on the package’s size and the speed required for delivering the package. This courier service includes transportation of goods or documents from one country to another. For the most efficient delivery, the courier service provider has to ensure the correct means of transport such as air, sea, and land to provide the documents or the goods in sufficient time and making the service more feasible.
Pallet Courier
Pallet courier services are the type of service in which the goods are delivered on pallets. This is the service that offers strict delivery schedules at affordable rates. The pallet courier service promptly and safely delivers the goods on a pallet.
Onboard Courier
Onboard courier is the extra service not offered by smaller Postal services or the large worldwide couriers. The onboard courier service is the right decision for your goods’ ultimate care and attention for essential packages or the confidential documents. To ensure the smooth delivery with the fast pace and security paramount provides you with extra peace of mind, which an experienced courier service provider takes care of.
The onboard courier service transports your goods safely, delivers them on time with extra care, and keeps sight on the courier. The onboard courier service provider knows all the requirements. This includes providing goods internationally and learning how to clear your goods through customs. Moreover, they know the requirements well and posses an expert level of knowledge.
Hyperlocal Courier Services
Another type of courier service is the hyperlocal delivery service. In this type of delivery services, the courier delivers the parcel within a limited geographical area. In other words, grocery items, food items, essentials etc are picked from local shops and restaurants. These are then taken for delivery to the customer’s doorstep. Some of the hyperlocal courier services are WeFast, Dunzo etc. These courier services have shipping weight restrictions.
Ship Seamlessly with Different Types of Courier Services
Courier services can have an immense impact on your business. For this reason, you should start by analyzing your needs and then choosing the right partner. Whether you’re just stepping into eCommerce or have been selling for a while, try 3PL. 3PL services are always a good idea for businesses who want to provide an experience with their shipping. One of the best courier partners that can take your eCommerce experience to the next level is Dash101. It’s free to sign up and start shipping on the platform. Moreover, you also get the opportunity to maximize your reach across 26000 pin codes with shipping rates starting at Rs 23/500 gms.
