When you’re looking for a courier, the process can seem never ending. You have to find a company that fits all of your needs, from budget to the ability to ship certain items. When you find a company that fits the bill, it can be tempting to just go for it. However, you’re better off spending a little bit of extra time getting to know the company. Here are some areas to consider when you’re vetting a potential courier to make sure it’s the best choice:
Testimonials
You can start out by looking into what other people have to say. Go to the company website and see if they have a section for testimonials. You probably aren’t going to find any negative information here, but it’s a good place to start. You’ll be able to get an idea of how the company operates and whether they’ll be a good fit. Once you’ve looked over this information it’s time to get in touch with a previous customer or two yourself. You can ask the company for contact information, or do some detective work if you’re worried about another overly positive review. If the company refuses to help you then it’s a big red flag and you should consider moving on to your next option.
Certifications and insurance
If you’re still considering the company after the testimonials the next area to look into is certifications and insurance. Some shipping situations will require certain certifications from the state or other governmental organizations, so now is the time to find out if they’re qualified. It isn’t good enough to check to make sure they have it, you also need to make sure it’s in good standing. Similarly, you’ll want to find out about the insurance the company has in place to cover any accidents or other unforeseen circumstances.
The test run
By now you should have all the information you need to decide yes or no, so it’s time for a test run. Pick out an item you need to ship and go for it. You could choose a low-priority item to make sure that if there are issues it won’t affect you in a major way, but you don’t have to. If they get the job done right then you can start working with them regularly, but if not it’s time to move on. It’s beneficial for both sides to start small like this. The courier company gets to show you its reliability (hopefully) and you get one last chance to make sure everything is a good fit before you start using the service more and more.
Vetting a courier doesn’t have to be a pain. Follow the advice above to make sure you get the best courier for your needs.