Sophie Clarke
Work out what your shop is actually sending
Before you ring a courier firm, spend a week writing down what actually leaves your counter. Record the size, weight and destination of every order, along with how quickly the customer expects it to arrive. A florist sending bouquets three miles away has very different needs from a hardware shop shipping awkward, heavy items to the other end of the country. That list will tell you whether you need same-day local work, a next-day national service, or a blend of both.
- Local same-day: short hops across town, often within a few hours. Usually best handled by a taxi or a small car-based courier.
- Next-day national: parcels under 20kg moving through a network. Rates are lower, but you lose control over the exact delivery time.
- Specialist consignments: anything perishable, fragile, oversized or high value. These need a named driver and explicit instructions, not a generic parcel label.
Be honest about your peaks. If 40 per cent of your orders land on a Friday, that is the day your collection arrangements must be bulletproof.
Match the vehicle to the job
Taxi and van transport are not interchangeable, and choosing badly costs you money and goodwill. A licensed taxi is ideal for small, urgent, single-drop jobs — a forgotten birthday gift, a prescription, a set of keys. Drivers know the one-way systems and back routes, and they can usually collect within the hour.
Vans make sense once you have multiple boxes, bulky items, or several drops on one run. A good van driver will plan the route so your heaviest deliveries come off first. Ask whether the quoted price includes congestion charges, clean air zone fees and any parking fines incurred at the delivery address. In city centres, confirm that the driver has a plan for loading bays and double yellow lines, because a ticket will find its way onto your invoice otherwise.
For anything above roughly 25kg, or any item longer than a metre, book a van and say so clearly at the point of booking. Turning up with a hatchback for a flat-pack wardrobe wastes everyone's afternoon.
Agree collection times you can actually keep
Vague arrangements — "sometime after lunch" — are the single biggest cause of courier disputes. Instead, agree a fixed daily slot and stick to it. If your busiest period is between noon and 2pm, book collection for 2.30pm and use the morning to pack.
- Set a cut-off time for same-day dispatch, and publish it to your staff. Anything ordered after 1pm goes tomorrow.
- Work in a 30-minute window rather than an exact minute. Drivers hit traffic; a window keeps expectations realistic.
- Get the driver's mobile number and pass it to whoever is on the counter, not just to you.
- Have parcels labelled and ready before the van arrives. Drivers are paid per drop, and waiting time is often chargeable.
During November and December, or around bank holidays, confirm your slots a week ahead. Courier capacity tightens sharply, and loyal customers are the ones who get looked after.
Tracking that genuinely reassures shoppers
Customers do not want to chase you. They want to know where their order is without having to ask. Ask your courier what notifications they send automatically and make sure those go to the shopper's mobile, not just to your shop email.
Most services will send a text or email with a tracking reference and a predicted arrival window. Check that the tracking actually updates at each stage — collection, depot, out for delivery, delivered — rather than sitting blank until the knock at the door.
- Proof of delivery: a photo at the door, plus the name of whoever accepted it.
- Failed deliveries: agree exactly what happens. A card through the letterbox, a safe place with your written consent, a neighbour, or a return to your shop.
- Exceptions: if a parcel is delayed, you want an alert the same day so you can email the customer before they email you.
Spell out the expected delivery window on your own order confirmation as well. It sounds obvious, but it prevents most of the "where is my order?" calls that eat into your afternoon.
Paperwork, insurance and pricing to pin down
Get your rates in writing before the first collection. A clear rate card should cover the price per parcel, a per-mile rate for longer runs, additional drop charges, waiting time, redelivery fees and any fuel surcharge.
Ask for a copy of the courier's goods-in-transit insurance certificate and check the limit per consignment. Standard cover is often modest, so if you regularly send items worth several hundred pounds, you may need to arrange your own top-up cover. Keep a simple manifest for each collection: date, time, tracking reference, recipient address and driver name. If a parcel goes missing, that single sheet of paper resolves the argument in minutes.
Confirm who is liable if an item arrives damaged, and whether you must report it within 24 or 48 hours. Diarise that deadline.
Build a relationship that lasts
Couriers look after the shops that look after them. Pay invoices on time, keep parcels light enough to lift comfortably, and offer the driver a hot drink in January. Nominate one person in your shop as the single point of contact so instructions do not get muddled between staff.
Finally, never rely on a single provider. Have a second courier or a trusted local taxi firm on standby for peak weeks, breakdowns and bank holidays. Review the arrangement every few months: look at failed deliveries, average delivery times and any repeat complaints, then adjust your slots and routes accordingly. A courier service that fits your shop quietly in the background is worth every penny — and it keeps your customers coming back.
