West Thurrock & Dartford Courier and parcel services: 20/07/2008

Saturday 26 July 2008

The lazy man's guide to driving...

Image via Wikipedia.. yes, really

Be a More Efficient Driver

Brakes are your enemy. When you step on them, you have spent gas to go nowhere. Think ahead to limit the amount of brakes that you need to use. Trust me, it becomes a habit very quickly and you no longer have to think.
Coast to red lights. Why use gas when you are going to have to stop?
Coast down hills. I see a lot of people gunning it just to have to brake when they reach person in front of them.
Coast to green lights far ahead of you. If it has been green for a LONG time, you might not make that light by the time you get there. That will force you to brake (see #1).
Don’t tailgate… …In fact do the opposite. Leave plenty of room between you and the person behind you. If the person needs to slow down a little, you can coast to catch up a little instead of using your breaks.
Take three rights instead of a left. UPS drivers do this in metro areas like NYC and found that they save fuel that would have been spent idling. Only look to do this at those really difficult left turns.

More can be read here - http://www.lazymanandmoney.com/how-to-save-on-gas-35-tips/

Practical, common sense tips for driving more fuel efficiently!

Regards

Kevin

Essex, Kent and East London parcel deliveries
Blow your redundancy money on becoming a courier

Road tax - have your say

Image via Wikipedia Yes, it’s true the Govenment wants to know what we think on road taxes etc.

Select Committee wants your views on road taxes and charges

The House of Commons Transport Committee is to look at road taxes and charges. It has several questions it wants answered, including what taxes and charges are paid to the government by road users, how much cash do they raise and how does this compare with national and local government spending on roads?
The committee also wants to know the effect of on individuals, businesses and the economy. It also wants to know about other ways of charging for road use; e.g. truck tolls and if foreign vehicles should pay to use UK roads.
If you have any points you’d like to make, get writing and tell them by Monday 29 September 2008.

More from Laura Kibby on +44(0)2 072 190 718 or kibbyl@parliament.uk

Can anyone think of any reason why foreign trucks should be exempt from our future road charges and tolls?

If so, please email Ms Kibby and let her know.

Regards

Kevin

East London, Essex and Kent courier and parcel delivery

Do you need to use a courier?

Image by finishing-school via FlickrIf it was just about jumping in a van and driving from 'a' to 'b' anyone could do it, but the sad fact is, it's not that easy. Do you need a courier? Here are 10 reasons why we think you do, so if you have parcels and packages that need delivering give us a call on 0844 884 3331 or 07816 528421 and we will help you choose the right service for your delivery.

1. Dedicated Driver and Vehicle - Rapid response collection of 30 minutes and direct delivery to destination -or part loads if you need to save money and it's not so urgent.

2. Safety - Your goods are looked after and not placed with lots of other items - Risk of damage greatly reduced, there are certainly no footprints on anything we deliver! Fragile is no problem for us.

3. Time critical - When it can't wait until tomorrow, because your client needs it now

4. Valuable up to 25k in one consignment (Items that cannot be transported via Royal Mail due to their Value)

5. Professional - our courier is an extension of YOUR company, peace of mind that your hard earned reputation is still intact.

6. No Resources , You don't have the vehicle or staff to carry out the delivery

7. 24/7 Service We work no matter what time you need us

8. Helpful Staff - Our team can assist you throughout the whole process

9. Free Account Facilities - We offer free accounts to companies - Subject to acceptance

10. Cost Effective - We can greatly reduce your transport costs, call us to find out how.

Call Kevin on 07816 528421 or 0844 884 3331 (local rate)

East London Light removals, Express, parcel collection and delivery
Calling all couriers, win keep and grow customers

East London Parcel courier

Image via WikipediaArrow Light Haulage is a professional Tilbury port courier and delivery company. We collect and deliver time critical goods and deliver them anywhere in the UK. We are part the UKs biggest transport network, we have the resources to collect from anywhere within 60 minutes or 30 minutes (premium service). Our drivers are polite and well trained, they know your reputation is in their hands.

We do the job right the first time, so the need for re-deliveries or port fines at your expense comes with using a cowboy not a professional courier.

You get what you pay for - next time you get a cheap quote for a courier you need to ask why its so cheap...
Do they pay their drivers at the least minimum wage?
Are they insured?
Do they have the correct equipment to complete your delivery?
Are their drivers helpful, clean and polite?

Quite often you won't find out until something has gone wrong and then its too late.

Email for a Essex and Kent courier quote by clicking here

Regards
Kevin
East London, Kent and Essex parcel collection and delivery
Sales tips and tricks for couriers

Calling all couriers - Do you plan to be a victim of the credit crunch or a survivor?

Do you have enough business for all of your drivers?

Do you have drivers sitting about waiting for work?
Have you sent drivers home early this month to try and cut the wage bill?
Are you looking at or planning redundancies for drivers?

If you have answered yes to any of the above, you will be pleased to know there is a solution. If you don’t want to get into the above situations in your business then the solution could well fit you too.

Recently leading UK sales trainer Linda Mattacks from Cozo, has been looking at soft selling skills for courier businesses.

The result is the fantastic Calling all Couriers - Win, Keep and Grow Customers, a reasonably priced ebook on…. Winning, Keeping and Growing your customers.

Linda is passionate about making businesses grow and her enthusiasm for the hard hit (at the moment) courier industry cannot be faulted. As usual, she hasn’t rested on her laurels, but come up with pro-active ways to get more business for your business.

Just think: - as a result of reading the ebook:

* If you only save one customer who was about to be poached by the competition…
* If you handle one customer’s complaint so well he ends up singing your praises…
* If your customers pay you on time and in full…
* If you get one recommendation you’d never have got before…
* If you get one referral you’d never have got before…
* If you win one new, good customer from your gentle prospecting…
* If your sales letters, flyers and emails start producing better results…

Would you have drivers sitting around waiting for work? No, you may be well in the position of needing more drivers!

So, don’t stare into the abyss, look at the way to move forward.

Don’t become a victim of the credit crunch become a survivor.

Want to know more? Call Linda now on 020 7209 1284

Regards

Sarah
Essex Couriers, the cleaner greener way
Thinking of starting up as a courier?

Making more of the green stuff!

Its becoming easier and easier to go greener in the office these days, so I have put together 10 top tips for this blog.

Print double sided in the office where possible.

Use light bulbs that are energy saving they can make quite a difference.

Switch off lights when they are not needed.

Computers and monitors are turned off when not in use & use the energy saving mode feature that many monitors have

Our ink cartridges are recycled and can be sent off for more recycling when they are empty.

Car Pool in the office for business journeys and start car share schemes for staff to make journeys to and from work.

Office waste paper is segregated and collected for recycling along with our vehicles waste paper.

Online selling & email campaigning is better than reliance on a sales force and it reduces energy usuage by huge amounts.

Support Fair Trade products. Great Tea, Coffee and Hot Chocolate is available in supermarkets, in particular the Co-op.

We use email whenever possible to communicate rather than fax or letter. We even send our invoices by Email.

Write an Environmental Policy, ours can be viewed on our website www.arrowlighthaulage.co.uk

Sounds good but don't want to do it yourself? Appoint an Environmental or 'Green Champion' to look after the green stuff, you will find its saves you lots of the Green Stuff in the long run!

Regards

Kevin - part time eco warrior, full time courier

East London Collection, national delivery?

Couriers - freelancing or self employed? you need to read this!

Thinking about becoming a self employed or freelance courier?

Earlier this week we had success! Our book for people who want to be freelance or self employed couriers is now available. The book wrote from Kevin's experiences in the transport industry is aimed at helping start up courier businesses get the most of what is available and help avoid the pitfalls of starting up as a freelance or self employed courier.

We have been able to upload the sample Complete Courier Guide ebook instead of just the contents pages!

Hope this makes it easier for our potential customers to make a decision, and if it doesn’t and you want to speak to me, then please feel free to call my on 0844 884 3331.

Regards

Kevin
PS, I almost forgot - For more information, and a downloadable sample of Linda’s superb book ‘Calling all Couriers- Win Keep and Grow Customers, please visit Sales Success at the Courier Shop.co.uk

East London parcel and same day couriers
Sales success for couriers

Friday 25 July 2008

Getting the best from your parcel delivery service

I wrote this blog earlier today:

When time is money, the parcel networks work swiftly and work on volume.

You may only send one package a year, but if it doesn’t get delivered, it can be a total nightmare!
It may also cost you twice, and you need to check you are insured for the right amount, as if you are under-insured, you may not be able to make a successful claim.The Essex courier and parcel delivery company, Jul 2008
The entire article is about what you can do to stop losing parcels in the parcel networks.

Very few parcel networks are achieving our current 100% success rate, it takes a lot of hard work and effort, we not only don't charge fuel surcharges, we take the time to advise our customers how to package an item.

Next time you think cheaper is better, take into account what it will cost you to resend if it doesn't get there, or what a refund will cost.

Warm regards

Sarah

West Thurrock Courier, distribution and storage

Starting as a freelance or self employed courier?

How to deliver Giraffes.... and other gifts.

Image via Wikipedia
Yes, seriously... how do you deliver giraffes?

The challenge was laid down by Olivia, the owner of one of Norfolk's best gift shops.

Olivia sells the most gorgeous giraffes and these can be bought online, and they are then packed and sent to the customer.

The advice that I gave to Olivia is to package well, and explain to the customer than they made need to be in to collect their giraffe, as they tend to be too big (even in figurine form) to push through the letterbox!

When packaging gifts it's important to do it correctly so the item does not get damaged. It shocks me when I buy an item from an online store and it is sent to me wrapped in a bin liner. I am all for recycling packaging, but if you don't package correctly (thankfully Olivia does, and your giraffes will arrive in perfect condition) you item will arrive damaged.

As an online retailer this means you may have to send an item at your expense if you didn't pack it right the first time round!

As a customer that will leave you disappointed with your shopping experience, and frantically looking for a last minute gift.

So the next time you send a gift, make sure you take the time to pack it correctly, the smile in the recipients face will be priceless. You only have one chance to make the right impression, so do it right the first time.

Sarah

Essex, Kent and East London Couriers

Thinking of becoming a freelance courier?

Kerbside to Kerbside delivery - what exactly does it mean?

I found this fascinating quote today:

As a customer it means your goods are not delivered to your doorstep, but onto the kerbside. The driver is under no obligation to help you move it through the garden gates or even through your doorway. This can leave you feeling pretty miffed off at the delivery company and the company where you bought your sofa, Aga or fridge freezer.The Essex courier and parcel delivery company, Jul 2008You can read the whole article at the Arrow Light Haulage blog.

This got me thinking, how do people on their own manage? How do the elderly manage?

With our courier services we offer two man team and help move the item you have bought into your home or desired location.

Once our drivers cross the threshhold of your house, they are no longer insured, and once the goods are unloaded from the vehicle they are no longer insured ( this works for all couriers). So, if everyone in the chain is prepared to be flexible, we can happily deliver your items.

We also deliver at a time that is convenient to you.

Regards

Sarah

Moving and delivering pianos

Moving a piano is something for a specialist piano removal company.

If they are to expensive for you, and you feel that you can work around getting it re-tuned etc, then our courier services may be a possible solution.

What type of piano are you trying to move? Moving upright piano's is more common than being asked to move a grand piano.

One person on their own should not try this, and it's not uncommon to use 4 or 5 people to lift and maneuver it.

Starting with four 'helpers' place two at each end of the piano. You do not need any other assistance - don't let anyone other than your movers touch the piano (ie mums, dads, children or granny).

Cover the piano with a protective plastic sheet and make sure the lid is down and locked.

Most of the weight of an upright piano is located toward its back. It does tip over very easily. When moving it away from a wall, be absolutely certain no one is standing behind it.

Lift the piano on a heavy-duty dolly. Carefully. This will preserve tuning. It will also help keep movers from damaging the piano or your home. Remember to lift and roll the piano endways NOT sideways. Be careful of not exerting to much pressure on the front legs.

Keep hold of the handle behind the piano all the time it is moving. Watch out when rolling the dolly over thresholds/doorways and steps.

Move slowly so the piano won't tip over by being pushed too fast. It's easier to move over obstacles if moved slowly.

Piano moving by courier?

It helps if the vehicle you are loading it onto has a tail-lift, and then see that the piano is blanket wrapped and strapped to the van.

When moving a grand you must make sure to lift slightly to take some vertical pressure off the legs. If you don't the legs could get damaged or even break under the extreme pressure through lifting onto a dolly.

Most grand piano's have casters, but very few would roll on carpet, this makes it important to lift some of the weight off the legs when moving. Upright piano's also have castor's and again, it's very difficult to move them across carpet.

Email for a parcel / moving something awkward quote by clicking here

Regards

Kevin
Essex courier and parcel distribution
Courier business start up

Getting quotes from Couriers

I have borrowed this quote today:

With the weight and dimensions, we can work out the volumetric weight, and ensure your get the right size vehicle for your cargo.The Essex courier and parcel delivery company, Jul 2008It comes from the Arrow Light Haulage blog.

This got me thinking "What else do couriers ask, when they get a call for a quote?"

We ask for Post Codes, so we can give accurate pricing, we ask if a two man team is required if the item is over 25kgs. We also ask about how the item is packaged? so we can determine whether it's safe to transport.

What questions does your courier company ask? or are you only interested in a getting a price?

Sarah

Essex, Kent and East London Couriers
Thinking of starting up as a courier?

What not to do when packing items for parcel delivery…

When packing items to send by courier or parcel network there are certain things you should NOT do… Some people forget, or perhaps didn’t know of the first place.

Handle with care sign

* Remember that all shipments can be opened by customs authorities for inspection - Do not over seal your package. Package securely and safely. If it really is that precious you need to consider sending it by dedicated courier vehicle.

* Do not use cellophane tape or rope to seal your shipment. Parcel tape always works best. Cellophane tape easily rips under pressure. Do I need to explain rope?

* Do not consider “Fragile” and “Handle with care” labels a substitute for packaging, you should still pack carefully and then label your items. Fragile and Handle with Care labels are for guidance only.

If you are not sure, please don’t hesitate to call us on 07816 528421 or send us an email, we are happy to help.

Kevin & Sarah, Arrow Light Haulage- The Essex, Kent and East London Courier and Delivery company

Packing hints, tips and tricks

Image via Wikipedia

Items to send by parcel carrier or post?

* Choose the size of the packaging according to its content. Overloaded boxes may burst; under-filled boxes are likely to collapse

* Whenever possible use high quality materials for your shipments. Things to consider with your wrapping supplies are strength, cushioning, and of course durability

* If you can choose boxes made with corrugated cardboard, and good quality outer lining. Use heavy-duty double-layered board for your most valuable items.

* Make good use of cushioning materials, these can stop your items from moving.

* Put fragile goods in the centre of a package; ensuring they don’t touch the sides. If your item is well cushioned on all sides it has more chance of arriving in one piece.

* Liquids must be stored in leak-free containers, packed with a lightweight, strong, internal material- Styrofoam is a good choice, and sealed with a plastic bag. Remember that bad packaging may cause damage to surrounding items.

If an item is both fragile and valuable, then consider using a dedicated courier.

We are happy to advise where possible, just give us a call on 07816 528421 or Email for a parcel quote by clicking here

Regards

Kevin

Dartford, West Thurrock and Purfleet couriers

Lost in the post?

Image via WikipediaParcels and packages go missing every day, your delivery can get lots of many reasons, the most common being insecure packaging (your items have become unwrapped in the sorting process) or the address label has come off. In some cases your item may be one of the items the Royal Mail isn't allowed to carry.

Royal mail doesn't have a tracking system for ordinary mail, first class, second class and recorded, if it's valuable you should really send Special Delivery or via a dedicated vehicle.

A claim form can be downloaded here

You will have to wait 15 days after you sent the parcel and 10 days after for Special Delivery before you submit your claim.

When you have printed your claim form, you should complete it very carefully, and error could invalidate your claim. You will need to provide the proof of posting for the letter / parcel that has gone astray.

If it is an ebay item, you will have to provide additional proof such as a printout of the Sale page and proof of payment for the item, such as paypal statement or credit card / bank statement.

If your item is delayed for more than 5 days, you can generally claim compensation for the delay, this normally in the form of stamps.

Details of the retail compensations scheme can be found here.

Good luck with your claim, next time perhaps consider using our parcels services.

Kevin Arrow
Kent Courier, Parcel delivery company 100% successful deliveries so far.....

What couriers are NOT allowed to deliver for you.

Image via WikipediaWhat are couriers not allowed to deliver? Quite a few things, somethings are regulations and somethings are insurance restrictions.

1. They are not allowed to move livestock, there needs to be certain regulations and the welfare of the animals to be taken into account. So if you are looking to move livestock, you need a specialist livestock / farm transportation.

2.Explosives, a courier needs to be specially licensed to move these items, and the insurance rates are astronomical!

3.Radioactive items or radioactive waste, again to move these involves a special license and facilities.

If you have goods to move and would like to discuss your needs then please give us a call on 07816 528421 and we can advise.

Kevin Arrow

Are you a Kent based company looking to outsource your transport?

Kent companies looking to outsource your couriers and deliveries?

Looking to save money? Looking to outsource your transport to make great time and money savings?

Then look no further than your local Kent, Essex and Herts Courier company, Arrow Light Haulage. Did you know the average Delivery driver earns between 15-18k per year? Plus holidays and pensions. Add in the cost of your van, whether you buy or lease, you are looking in the regions of another 5k a year when you add in servicing, insurances etc.

Do you really think you need all the drivers you have? As a company you can make significant savings but cutting back on your own transport and outsourcing the remainder.

Example, you have two delivery drivers that cost your company £40k a year. By having one and outsourcing the other you could save 7k by using Arrow Light Haulage to deliver on your behalf.

Find you are using a lot of agency staff? Quite often its cheaper to use a courier as you don’t have to train the driver, induct them, or show them how to use your paperwork/trucks/equipment. An Agency driver can cost you as much as £220 (inc VAT) a day, then they don’t get as much done as a regular courier would.

Just because you have a vehicle sitting their doing nothing, it doesn’t mean you are saving money by getting in a temp.

If you are a business based in Essex, Kent, Herts or London who wants to make significant savings on their costs, then give us a call now on 07816 528421.

regards

Kevin

Kent couriers delivering that bit greener!

Couriers? need to win more customers?

Thursday 24 July 2008

So you want to be a freelance or self employed Courier?

Calling all drivers!

Do you want to start your own courier business?

Become a freelance courier? Be a self employed courier? where YOU are the boss?

Want to steer clear of the perils and pitfalls of being self employed and get your business up and running as soon as you can?

You have come to the right place then!

The Courier Shop is home to the Complete Courier Guide, written by Kevin Arrow, owner of Arrow Light Haulage. Kevin has been successfully trading since 2002 and has wrote this guide with the start-up courier in mind.

In this book you will learn
What vehicle is the right one for you
Why you should do your market research
How to source business
How to get to provide an excellent service as a subcontractor
Why you shouldn't actually call yourself a freelance courier...

What you will not get...
Pages and pages of out of date information.
A book crammed packed with names and number copied from the telephone book
Advice from some who has never run a courier business...

The Complete Courier Guide has answered all the questions that need answering in order for you to set up a successful courier business, just short of coming round and doing it for you.

If you want to be successful, put into action the advice in this book, work hard and you will soon be earning a decent living, only this time YOU are the boss.

Success as a freelance or self employed courier starts here! For just £29.99

So, the book is done, and hopefully I will help people not to blow their redundancies packages on unnecessary things, but help them maximise their income.

Let me know what you think.

Regards

Kevin

PS the sister book, Calling all couriers - how to grow, win and keep customers will be launched tomorrow. So, subscribe if you want to grow your own courier business.

Essex courier and parcel delivery
The complete guide to being a courier

What's hampering your delivery?

Who delivers you hampers?

It's fast approaching the time of year where companies think about gifts to send their customers and suppliers.

Hamper delivery and distribution

At Arrow Light Haulage, we are happy to undertake the delivery of such hampers. Our smart, uniformed drivers take care to ensure they arrive safely and unbroken. There is nothing more likely to give the wrong impression than a bottle of wine or Port, smashed and soaking into all the other goodies. It really puts a dampener on a nice gesture.

If hampers are out of your companies range this year, we are happy to deliver fine wines through our parcel network.

Again these are delivered by smart, uniformed drivers and a signature obtained on delivery, so you can be sure the right person has got their gift.

This service is also ideal for Essex Ebayers and Essex shoppers who have to send Christmas presents throughout the UK, and it's only £9.99 plus VAT for up to 20kgs (volumetric weight).

So, if it's important enough to send, it's important enough to do it right the first time, so use Arrow Light Haulage for all your delivery and distribution needs.

Email for a parcel / distribution quote by clicking here

Regards

Kevin
Essex courier and parcel distribution
Courier business start up

How to move a motorbike by courier

Well, we don't do it like this! we deliver safely, securely and professionally!
transport a motorbike with an essex courier

2 people are required to load a motorbike safely, but one person can unload it.

Firstly the bike is lifted on to our vehicle via a tail lift. The bike is moved so the front wheel faces the rear shutter of the van. Close the shutter (with yourself still inside), apply the front brake, push down hard on the suspension. Your assistant will will strap the bike to the floor hook, wrapping it around the handlebars and then securing it to the other floor hook, making sure its extremely tight.

Release the brake and with another strap, secure the passengers hand grip. This will stabilise the bike ready for transportation. It doesn't need to be covered as its securely strapped.

To do it any other way risks damage to the indicators and the engine. You will need a transit sized van or above.

If it seems to much hassle, give us a call, we happily transport / deliver Motorbikes, Quadbikes and similar items through out the country.

Regards

Kevin
(07816 528421)

Bought a car engine on Ebay?

How to move a car / van / lorry engine.

When buying something on ebay, I must be one of the few people who don't worry about collection and delivery, because I have the vans at my disposal. That got me thinking about the most common things we deliver from our ebay customers....

Engines!

Whilst there are no specific requirements when moving an engine, it helps to prepare the engine first. In theory you could remove it from a vehicle and ‘throw’ it in the back of a van and it would get to it’s destination in one piece.

How to move a car engine

Here’s how to do it properly…

It’s advisable to remove all liquids, prior to engine removal.
That includes all coolants and oils.
When it’s removed, using soft rags plug the holes left by the hoses and pipes - this prevents residues leaking in the van and staining / damaging the van floor.

Where possible place the engine onto a plastic pallet, this is so that it if there is any spillage it can be easily removed and the pallet used again. A wooden pallet in this instance isn’t re-usuable.

How to move a car engine

It may be worth wrapping the engine in recycled plastic sheeting for it’s journey.

Secure the engine to the pallet using metal or plastic straps.

Be very careful if you are looking to co-load an engine with food, cardboard, any porous materials as it can contaminate and damage other items in transit.

Sarah
The greener Essex Courier company

Kent and Essex parcel & Package services

Our parcel and delivery services for packages up to 15kgs is £10.00 plus Vat thats 5kg more than Interlink or DHL give you! No fuel surcharges, no overweight charges, what you pay for on the day, is the only price you will pay!

Ideal for businesses based in or around West Thurrock, Dartford, Purfleet or South Ockenden. We throughout the UK, certain parts of Scotland are exempted but can be covered by our Express Delivery Services, and you don’t even need to have to have an account - you can pay as you go….

Did we say no fuel surcharges? parcels getting delivered right the first time? no overweight fees? .... give us a call on 07816 528421

If its just Kent to Essex, we can do your parcels overnight for £9.00 plus Vat for up to 15kgs, again more than the other local parcel companies offer. Same day Kent to Essex from £20 including Vat if delivered to us or ready for collection by 10am!

Email for a parcel quote by clicking here

Our other services include Express, Europe and Pallets:
Need to deliver fragile items?
Want to move your precious items and get them to there destination in one piece?
Sick of your items being delivered with boot prints on the packaging?

Transporting high value goods is not a hit and miss business when you use Arrow Light Haulage.

We move pallets throughout Essex, Kent and Herts at extremely low prices, and elsewhere in the UK our rates are extremely competitive.

Whatever your Kent courier and delivery requirements are give us a call 0844 884 3331 (Local, no matter where you are)

Sarah
Kent and Essex delivery services
Want to be a freelance courier?

Fuel saving hints and tips! from your Kent courier

Like many gasoline stands in Japan, this Hiros...

Image via WikipediaFill up on Monday to Friday - prices usually rise at the weekend. The cheapest times to buy Fuel are Tuesday lunchtime or Wednesday morning.

Filling up at night is better because pumps deliver more fuel when temperatures are lower.

Buy fuel from busy fuel stations. Supermarket fuel stations and the like that are constantly busy have their tanks refilled more which means the fuel is more likely to be fresh. Fresh fuel has more power than fuel that may become contaminated by sitting dormant in the tanks.

For safer driving and fuel tips please visit our website www.arrowlighthaulage.co.uk and sign up to our blog subscription services, so you don't miss a thing!

To book our greener courier services please call 0844 884 331

regards

Kevin
Thinking of becoming a freelance courier?
Kent, Thurrock, Dartford Courier needed?

Kent / Essex Medical Courier or bloody couriers?

Bio-Medical couriers?

When you need a courier, do you ask or test the capability of the courier? or just say yes to the cheapest one?

How do you feel when they ask questions back?

Well an NHS lab in Oxford found out the hard way when they booked a local courier to take some blood samples just 120 miles up the road. They didn't tell the courier it was blood, and the courier company didn't ask what the items were either.

So, the driver picked up the cardboard box and the documents, put the box in the footwell, directly under the heater and drove off. It was a cold day, and the heater was on full blast, and for nearly 3 hours the blood sat and cooked and congealed nicely... and was no use what so ever when it reached it's destination.

Communication at both ends would have prevented this from happening, but if the communication isn't coming from the company taking the job, in order to do it right, it needs to come from you.

When you need to move lab samples, blood samples, medicines or medical items do you ask the right questions? or do you find yourself paying for re-deliveries?

The courier company that did this job is no longer trading, it was to much like hard work to establish the customers needs and tailor their service.

Need advice? Call us on 07816 528421

Kevin
Essex & Kent greener, cleaner deliveries

IT equipment movements, a modern day fairy tale? or is it!

Moving IT Equipment, servers and the like....

servers

Once upon a time, Byte and Bit Server manufacturers needed to have one of their servers delivered to a customer. They had decided wisely that a courier should deliver the server units, as with the credit crunch and economic downturn, they would save money by no longer having their own delivery vans and drivers. They were saving a small fortune until they employed Breakit & Bashit couriers, the cheapest company in town.

They rubbed their hands with glee, they were certainly going to save money here! They called B&B in, and they had the wrong size vehicle booked, the booking clerk didn’t take the correct details, not to worry, they will send a new correctly sized vehicle. They did 4 hours later, but that was ok, they would still just get it to their important new customer on time.

The server had to be laid down, and the van didn’t have carpet on the floor, so it had to be pushed onto the van carefully or the outer casing of the unit would get damaged through the packaging. B&B also had some furniture on the van and shoddily wrapped pallet of ball bearings.
The driver didn’t seem to bothered about this, so Byte and Bit and didn’t worry after all, they were in the hands of the professionals.

Ball bearings

The driver took the paperwork and set off on his journey. On the M25 he did a lot of violent braking and fast accelerating, and the pallet of ball bearings burst through the poor packaging and spilled all over the interior of the van.

After the customer had waited 2 hours past their business closing time, the delivery was finally made, and the server delivered just to the kerbside. The client of Byte and Bit wasn’t very happy, and didn’t have a good impression of Byte and Bit.

They installed their server, but it didn’t work, several ball bearings had got into the casing. Engineers had to be sent at Byte and Bits expense, and then a replacement unit was delivered.

This is a fairy tale right? Sadly no, only the names have been changed to protect the not so innocent!

By using Arrow Light Haulage to deliver their server units Byte and But wouldn’t have been late, they wouldn’t have created the wrong impression and they wouldn’t have had to redeliver a perfect item to their customer to replace the damaged server.

You get what you pay for when it comes to delivering your goods, and if you want to create the right impression then you need to use the right courier from the start.

Just give a call to discuss your delivery needs on 07816 528421, we will even wrap and pack for you as part of our premium services.

Make sure your deliveries end with ‘happily ever after’ by using the Essex based courier company that delivers safely, nationwide

Kevin Arrow

Kent Couriers collecting locally, delivering nationally

Saturday 26 July 2008

Be a More Efficient Driver

Friday 25 July 2008

Thursday 24 July 2008

Bio-Medical couriers?

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