Internet and Home deliveries

Salu · 15-02-2006, 16:22

Even though more and more people are shopping online now, the delivery companies are still operating a home delievery service with a buisiness plan from yesterday.

Why can't they especially with SAT-NAV provide 2 hour slots for an ETA of delivery? Why is it still "morning or afternoon luv?"

The major supermarkets can do it so why am I expected to wait in all day sometimes (or my wife actually...).

I bet 90% of you could relate a story about how you waited in all day and the guy came at 16:59 or you just missed him when you went on the school run for 15 mins after waiting since 8:30?

Grrrrr

**Rob** · 15-02-2006, 16:33

Unlike the Supermarkets who have control their own delivery services, the internet mail order companies use various couriers and have no control over these companies.

Unless they are a massive supplier it just wouldn't be economic for internet companies to have their own distribution network so they are stuck with the courier's business model.

Those couriers with their electronic tracking are getting better but unless you want to pay a shedload they deliver when the driver is passing, and that is probably not able to be worked out until the driver knows all the drops for the day.

As I raised in another recent thread the biggest difficulty is where you have to go to pick the item up if you can't be in for the delivery. Often that is miles away and negates the savings you made buying it online in the first place.

**Chris** · 15-02-2006, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob C

As I raised in another recent thread the biggest difficulty is where you have to go to pick the item up if you can't be in for the delivery. Often that is miles away and negates the savings you made buying it online in the first place.

Parcelforce is a right pain for this. When stuff is unable to be delivered, they leave us a card asking us to say what day they can come back, or else say we would like it left at the local post office where we can pick it up - for a 50p surcharge! What kind of cock-eyed, A.O.T. business plan is that? Hmmm, force them to bring it to my door for free, or make me go to the post office and pay for the privilege of saving them another trip? I wonder which one I'll choose .... especially as the post office is seven miles away ....

ian@huth · 16-02-2006, 13:41

A lot of courier companies probably do more business calls than private homes and can be held up in queues of delivery/collection vehicles at some companies. Companies often call the courier company to book a collection before the package has been fully finished and its paperwork done meaning the courier has to wait for completion. The courier can be held up when delivering to a small business if the staff are otherwise engaged with customers and they have to wait their turn. With town centre deliveries they may have to park up a fair way from the delivery point due to parking restrictions adding significantly to the time required to complete the delivery. With Tesco and other supermarkets they are doing virtually 100% deliveries with the householder being readily available to take in the delivery during the pre-booked slot. Couriers are in the main doing a combination of deliveries and collections with new collections being added to their list throughout the day.

SMHarman · 16-02-2006, 14:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salu

Even though more and more people are shopping online now, the delivery companies are still operating a home delievery service with a buisiness plan from yesterday.

Why can't they especially with SAT-NAV provide 2 hour slots for an ETA of delivery? Why is it still "morning or afternoon luv?"

Wait until they start the residential address delivery surcharge that they are doing in the US, mainly because they have to deliver twice (card, then deliver).

Salu · 16-02-2006, 15:05

I can see all those points but this just highlights to me that the system is still designed around a business plan that was originally done to service businesses. Initially there was a surge of internet orders that meant the couriers had to adapt to home consumers ie "we have called" cards. But now things have changed.
Now that internet shopping has exploded the service needs to be revamped around the convenience of the consumer and not the courier I think.

Bifta · 16-02-2006, 15:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salu

Even though more and more people are shopping online now, the delivery companies are still operating a home delievery service with a buisiness plan from yesterday.

Why can't they especially with SAT-NAV provide 2 hour slots for an ETA of delivery? Why is it still "morning or afternoon luv?"

The major supermarkets can do it so why am I expected to wait in all day sometimes (or my wife actually...).

I bet 90% of you could relate a story about how you waited in all day and the guy came at 16:59 or you just missed him when you went on the school run for 15 mins after waiting since 8:30?

Grrrrr

Morning or afternoon? You're lucky, where I am I can only get next day delivery on items sent Parcelforce 24 (which no-one seems to offer) or RM Special Delivery (can't even get that while the lazy b*stardhead posties in Belfast are on strike and even then it's weight limited), so generally you're stuck with Citylink of Businesspost who'll drive the parcels up to Derry then offload them onto a third party courier who might (or might not) deliver them locally the following day.

grandmaster · 16-02-2006, 15:18

A bloke at my works bought an item from pixmainia.
They used parcel force to deliver the goods.

He ordered it in November 05 and still has not recieved it!!

They (PF) claimed they could not find the address of our works even though I have had a few parcel force deliverys here with the exact same details....

USELESS

Salu · 17-02-2006, 11:05

We don't complain enough as a nation either. Of course business plans need to be designed to attract money but they should never take the focus off the customer as they have the future of the business in their hands.
If the customer doesn't return the business will have no future.

It's high time that delivery companies recognised that home users are not just a minor income stream but a whole new market that WILL expand and expand....

They are going to have to start delivering after 6pm and at weekends more....

Chrysalis · 17-02-2006, 15:50

I agree I think the worst I ahve dealt with are citylink who are used by ebuyer.

It is very frustrating that they dont have no tracker and claim their drivers dont carry phones. they also refuse to leave with neighbour's.

Some good courier companies give the drivers phones so if you miss delivery they can be asked to come back.

I have had citylink claim they have been and reason no card is they ran out.

**Rob** · 17-02-2006, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMHarman

Wait until they start the residential address delivery surcharge that they are doing in the US, mainly because they have to deliver twice (card, then deliver).

I'm quite happy for my personnaly ordered goods to be delivered to my office address. No carding or other hassle for the courier - there's always someone available during the work week.

Only trouble is the internet companies won't do it due to fraud protection.

Oh well back to the high street.

17-02-2006, 16:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob C

I'm quite happy for my personnaly ordered goods to be delivered to my office address. No carding or other hassle for the courier - there's always someone available during the work week.

Only trouble is the internet companies won't do it due to fraud protection.

Oh well back to the high street.

some on-line firms will do this, but usually only after they have made at least one delivery to your home address to confim your bona fides.

patrickp · 17-02-2006, 19:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by homealone

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob C

I'm quite happy for my personnaly ordered goods to be delivered to my office address. No carding or other hassle for the courier - there's always someone available during the work week.

Only trouble is the internet companies won't do it due to fraud protection.

Oh well back to the high street.

some on-line firms will do this, but usually only after they have made at least one delivery to your home address to confim your bona fides.

I usually do this, and in my experience, most internet companies will rather than won't. So, obviously, I don't use the "won't" ones unless I have to.

The reason I get deliveries at work, apart from the fact that I'm there all day, is that postal and courier deliveries in this area (SE London) are really appalling - too much use of unreliable casual workers, I think - but since I work in a large Council building with a permanently manned (personned?) postroom, they can't find excuses for missing deliveries!

punky · 17-02-2006, 19:20

I had a home delivery today from Argos. At 7:30am. Honest to God. 7 bloody 30. If the drivers are mug enough to be up that early, that's their business. I don't know why I should be. So no, I wasn't impressed, but happy its there anyway.

iain_herts · 17-02-2006, 19:26

Chrysalis i know citylink in my area all there drivers have phones in there vans as we have a driver who comes on a daily basis and i asked him once. also they do have online tracking as i am tracking a parcel at the mo(but not the most infortive of online tracking tho).

16:39 Friday, February 17, 2006 On route to delivery branch