When you sell products online or offer a delivery service for customers, the company you choose to partner with plays a big part in your customer service. Choose the wrong delivery service or the wrong company and customers will blame you when items don’t turn up. Getting the right service starts with understanding the options to help you see which business needs a two man delivery service and which can make do with a one man delivery.
What is two man delivery?
2 man delivery is about more than just having an extra pair of hands to deliver an item – although this is a big benefit to the service. The idea is to have a better quality service that doesn’t simply leave the item at the customer’s doorstep but can take it into the home and to whichever room the customer wants it.
Two man delivery is a relatively recent addition to the delivery options and has come about as more people buy larger items to have delivered to their homes. Gone are the days where customers would drive home with their new washing machine sticking out of the boot of the car! Instead, having top quality delivery is a big part of any business that sells large, bulky or awkward shaped items.
What is white glove delivery?
The popularity of 2 man delivery has also led to an expanded service which goes further than normal delivery and is known as white glove delivery. This service also usually involves two people but offers additional benefits to the customer.
With white glove delivery, it is common to take the item to the room required and unpackage it. There may be an option to have it assembled, put into place or a basic set up service such as for a TV. Then all of the packaging associated with the item is removed from the property with the delivery team.
Why 2 man delivery has been a game changer
As more people than ever use e-commerce options to make big purchases, the need for 2 man delivery has continued to increase. Most companies don’t have their own delivery teams – even the big retail stores will often outsource delivery to specialist companies rather than have their own service.
Demand for 2 man delivery is growing at a rate almost three times the average growth across the retail sector and this means that the quality of the service also continues to rise. As more companies require the service, the standards involved are also evolving.
What are the benefits of 2 man delivery?
When assessing if your business needs 2 man delivery, it is worth looking at the benefits it provides and seeing if these are relevant for your company.
For starters, 2 man delivery offers a higher level of communication with customers than is standard for other types of delivery. Each company will have their own system, but a basic communication arrangement would look something like this:
- The item is collected from your business and a bar code is provided
- Emails are sent along with text messages giving the customer a 3 hour time slot
- A personalised reminder is sent to the customer to allow them to track it
- The business receives confirmation that the order has been dispatched
- The customer receives a phone call in the 30 minutes before delivery to confirm
- The item is taken to a room of the customer’s choice
- A time stamped signature is received from the customer
What this means is that at any point in the delivery, the business or the customer can easily see where the item is and what the expected delivery time is. It also means it is easy for the customer to reschedule their delivery if required. This cuts down the rate of missed deliveries or returns due to being unable to deliver the item.
Other benefits to the service
A good delivery service will offer lower than average damage rates due to the use of trained and qualified staff. This reduces costs associated with damaged items but also unhappy customers who receive an item that isn’t in pristine condition.
Customers are more likely to judge a service on the delivery as any other part of their interaction with the company. Therefore, a top quality delivery service can be a key part in getting customers to return to the business, to leave good reviews and recommend it to other people.
If your business opts to offer white glove delivery, this takes even more of the stress from the process. Benefits such as light assembly or a basic walkthrough of the product can be hugely helpful for customers and further increases the chances, they will be a happy customer.
Which businesses need 2 man delivery?
Any business that sends items larger than a single person could carry needs 2 man delivery service. But it is worth considering the service even if a single person could manage the item for the benefits that it provides customers.
For example, if you sell furniture, kitchen appliances, garden furniture, sports or children’s play equipment or commercial equipment of a whole range of variations, 2 man delivery will be important. By offering the higher quality service and a lower rate of damage, the cost to the business can be offset by the positive reviews and return customer rates that the business can see.
For any business selling larger, heavy or unusual shaped items, the use of 2 man delivery makes sense. If the company has been using single person delivery and seen a high rate of items damaged in transit, then it is also worth considering making the change as this often indicates a single person is struggling with the item.
Top quality service
When you work with the right provider, 2 man delivery and white glove delivery offer a top quality service. Customers are kept informed at every step of the way, rearranging a delivery is simple and they have greater control over where to receive their item. This has benefits for the customer but also for the business.