You are here: Home / Archives for Moving awkward /fragile goods

Moving freight into the UK?

October 21, 2009 By

If you have to relocate to the UK you will need to get all your items moved in one easy trip. The best way to do this safely and quickly is to use a UK based freight delivery or courier company. A good company will advise you on how to pack for shipping or even arrange for someone to do it for you.

Mini Freight Pallet for same day couriers
Image by ECOSOSLOG via Flickr

This is a very simple process when you choose a professional courier service that has excellent connections within freight movement industry. You can get your entire household packed up and loaded onto a ship and this will travel across the world to a port in the UK. Once here you can get it unloaded and taken to your new home or storage facility.

Usually delivery experts will have offices in various countries around the world, or they will work in conjunction with another company who does, so that when there are clients moving overseas there is a professional to meet the cargo or freight on the other side.

If you choose a UK freight delivery company you will get all your large items and small items delivered just as you left them. An alternative but more expensive option is to buy brand new items when you get to the UK which is very expensive in comparison to the cost of taking your goods with you.

It is not a huge hassle because you will have experts doing it all for you. All you have to worry about is getting all the items wrapped and packed. You should sort through your items and get rid of those things that you really don’t need, those non essentials just to make the packing process a bit easier.

When you have to move overseas there will be a lot of stress as you move your entire life / family to a new location. The last thing you want to do is have to worry about getting your things there.

Sarah Arrow

Please call if we can be of any assistance – 0844 884 3331

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Email
Filed Under: Courier Business, Moving awkward /fragile goods, Packing for transportation Tagged With: , , , , ,

A bad courier experience, how to recover it

October 20, 2009 By

Often a business will only find out how good their same day courier service is, when something goes wrong.

This blog is seven tips on how to survive a bad same day courier experience.

Courier customer service
Image by krystianmajewski via Flickr

1. Accept that its happened. From a late delivery or non collection, denial resolves nothing.

2. Gather as much information about the problem as you can as soon as you can.

3. Clarify whether the courier made the delivery or whether you need to get someone else in to complete it.

4. Ascertain the status of your goods, ask the driver to take photos on their mobile phone and send them across to you.

5. Remember – another courier may be reluctant to assist if the cargo is damaged in transit and may need reassuring that the business has no intention of claiming from the new courier companies insurance.

6. Inadequate packaging is not the couriers fault and if they thought it was inadequate they should have verbalised this to you at time of booking (many good couriers carry blankets and wrapping, just in case).

7. Remember traffic can cause infinite problems, and no traffic jam lasts forever (although when approaching a deadline it may seem like it!). Communication with your courier and your customer can make a huge difference to the successful outcome of the delivery.

Communication is the key.

Keeping your customer informed is essential to prevent the bad courier experience costing you the customers business. Remember that the negatives can be turned around to show your capability in dealing with tough and awkward situations, that your communication and customer service are second to none.  If you do this, the chances are your customer will not even notice the potential delivery disaster.

If you find you are constantly on the phone to your courier, if the smallest of jobs are not completed to your satisfaction then it’s time to look at new same day courier services. When comparing costs, always remember to factor in what the cost of the hassle caused by the bad courier service.

Remember – A small saving on price is not worth the inconvenience to your customers.

Good luck with surviving your bad courier service because if you don’t do something about it, your customers will – they will move to a new supplier.

Sarah Arrow

Call us for a no obligation quote on 0844 884 3331

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Email
Filed Under: Courier Business, Moving awkward /fragile goods, Packing for transportation Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

B2B: Why use a same day courier?

October 19, 2009 By

A courier service delivers all types of packages, all types of freight, all kinds of precious cargo, no matter the size or weight, directly to your customer.

There are also convenient ways to pay for the service through an account for regular customers, on collection, on delivery or by credit card. Courier services will often offer delivery guarantees, insurance on shipments, and many other advantages. Ask them for more details when you obtain a quote.

A courier service will provide you with door to door shipping and delivery of all your packages, important letters, financial contracts, blueprints, passports and other important shipments that your company needs to send or receive.

Customer service is number one as this is their business. Your products and inventory is safe and well handled. Your product is never lost in transit and is delivered with kid gloves, on time every time. The courier that collects, is the same one that delivers reducing the risk of breakages, loss or damage.

Your business booms because of your great service, that couriers can and will provide for your business. A courier service such as a same day courier is a great way to stay fast and reliable to your business associates and to your customers.

This way, you will stand out from your competition as a very successful and credible business. A courier service is a great way to stay fast and reliable to your business associates and to your customers. This way, you will stand out from your competition as a successful business. Of course it is imperative that you use a highly trained courier and know that your courier company of choice, as you want your precious cargo to arrive safely.

Regardless of whether you are shipping crockery or cupcakes, you want to make sure they arrive as crockery and cupcakes and not shards or crumbs.

In today’s busy online marketplace, good quality reliable shipping is critical both for retail transactions and business relationships. While you may find different courier services useful in some situations, many companies find it is most beneficial when selecting a courier service to choose one and work with it consistently. You will find that the best courier companies are fully insured and then some. They also have the right of entry into restricted airspace, ADR trained drivers, and drivers that speak several languages along with two man teams. This ensures that no matter what you need delivering, it gets there and it fulfils any legal requirements. That your delivery takes place professionally, is essential.
Does your same day courier have the following?

  • Good Customer Service
  • Friendly Staff
  • Fast and reliable delivery
  • Super Prices
  • Great testimonials

Remember - this is your business and your name on the line and your courier company should know that. If you tell a customer of yours package A will be there on time….and package A is late or never shows up, you just lost a customer. Don’t let that happen to you, choose the best same day courier company that you can afford. Remember they are there to help you and your business in any and every way.

Give us a call and we’ll see what we can do to keep your customers and suppliers happy.

Sarah Arrow

Same day couriers in Essex, Kent and London

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Email
Filed Under: Courier Business, Moving awkward /fragile goods Tagged With: , , ,

The postal strike – how to use your courier

October 12, 2009 By

With the Royal Mail set to strike, small businesses across the country will be affected. Here at Arrow Light Haulage we have been thinking up some solutions as to how to continue business as best as possible and where a courier is essential.

Firstly and perhaps most importantly, Parcel Force is not going to strike. That means the cheapest option for sending out parcels and packages under 5kgs is still available.

Parcel delivery Essex

So if you are a business that sends out one or two parcels a day, and send your invoices by email and pay your customers by Bacs, you will be in a strong position to carry on business as usual.

Until the 14th of October, if you click the link above to book your parcel delivery through Parcel Force and type ‘new’ at the checkout, you will receive a 15% discount.

Secondly, as mentioned above. Use bacs to pay suppliers instead of posting cheques, it’s greener and far more efficient. If you are sending invoices, send them by email too. If like us you have to send additional documentation, scan and email that too. Again it’s greener, faster and far more efficient than the Royal Mail.

For companies that use direct mail for their marketing campaigns, have a look at other methods such as an email mailshots – think of the benefits to your carbon footprint as well as the traffic to your website and the ways to reach customers that may not respond to direct mail. If you need support for this we recommend business consultant Jeff Nutbeem, he can be found via his website – Small Business Consultant

You could be really old fashioned and pick up the phone and call the customers direct and send them a tailored email afterwards. More time consuming perhaps, but may have better results. If the Phone isn’t your thing then talk to an expert, we recommend Shaun Gisbourne at Phone for Business

More importantly, when to use your courier.

Use them when you usually do -  for same day deliveries, for urgent items, for fragile items. You may think you need to use one for your every day mail service but the truth is, you can do a lot of it now via email, fax and instant messenger. These are often secure and safe, and if it really is that confidential you will already be using a courier to deliver it.

Sarah

Same day couriers in Essex

PS if you need to send birthday cards either send them with a present, arrange friend to do it if they live nearby, send a video via email – think a bit creatively! The chances are this won’t be the last strike and we can find ways not to let it affect our businesses or personal lives.

Please note, we have used an affiliate service to obtain the codes and links for the Parcel Force discount.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Email
Filed Under: Courier Business, Moving awkward /fragile goods Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Cupcake Delivery: Delivering cupcakes safely

October 9, 2009 By

Over the last few weeks we have been in talks with various companies that produce cupcakes, and how to deliver

courier delivery for cupcakes
Image via Wikipedia

them. Up until recently, the safest and most secure way of delivery has been via same day courier, as it’s the only way to guarantee the cupcakes won’t be turned upside down during their journey to the customer. Sometimes the baker plain mistrusts the courier to complete safe delivery, and wastes valuable baking time delivering!

Unfortunately all that makes delivery very expensive for the people who hand bake and ice the cup cakes. For example, we would charge £15 per delivery / drops of cupcakes, minimum of 5 orders. This can make it too expensive for customers to buy.

Obviously there are still the marketing companies and companies who understand the powerful message that delivery by express courier send, but they have yet to embrace sending out baskets of designer cupcakes to their clients and potential clients….

The problem is, by sending the cupcakes the cheapest method possible means sending them by Royal Mail, and that means they may get bashed, and rotated a number of times before they arrive on the customers doorstep.

The solution is to prevent that, and the way to do that is through the creative use of packaging.

Cupcakes by Courier

Cupcakes by Courier

The original ‘cup a cake’ container was devised in the US for holding the cupcakes, their icing and keeping them fresh. Last week, I spoke to Kim at the Cup a Cake company and she said the containers can be shipped to the UK for around $100 to $150

So if you are looking to ship cupcakes around the UK, here is the solution for your airtight cup a cake containers. The cupcake company may have to take a deposit from the customer, and the customer promise to wash and return the empty containers so they can be re-used.

A small investment in the right packaging, and you can deliver cheaply and safely to your long distance customers.

Kim Fuga from Cup A Cake can be contacted via kfadmin@cupacake.com

Delivered safe, even upside down via the cupcake courier Essex

Delivered safe, even upside down

and as you can see from the image, they stay in place upside down.

Kim’s website is here http://www.cupacake.com/default.asp

We hope that helps with the safe despatch of your cupcakes, we suggest you try it out with one or two local postings to be sure the method works to your satisfaction.

Here at Arrow Light Haulage, we have enjoyed getting creative and thinking outside the box (and right back in it) to solve your courier delivery problems with cupcakes.

Alternatively, you know where we are if you would like an express delivery quote.

Sarah

safer cupcake deliveries

PS, if you found this blog useful, please leave a comment – it helps us to know what are the right things our readers would like to see from us.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Email
Filed Under: Courier Business, Moving awkward /fragile goods, Packing for transportation, Sameday Courier Tagged With: , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »