Christmas must be a busy time for a courier company – what are Absolutely’s key dates for getting parcels out ?
We run a variety of services. We have same day to anywhere in the country, we have UK overnight, we’ve got a temperature controlled chilled courier service, and we also run an international courier service. So the deadlines depend on the type of service the customer requires. We never close, so we’ll even be open on Christmas day – that means that for a same day delivery there isn’t really a key date; if a client needs something to be delivered on Christmas Day we will do it for them.
The courier London overnight service is slightly different because we’re part of APC, the largest overnight network in the UK. For this service, we tend to work on normal business working hours and days, so for parcels to arrive in time for Christmas 2017, it would need to be sen
t on Thursday 21st, to arrive on Friday 22nd. What we always recommend, though, is that customers leave as much time as possible to ensure their deliveries arrive on time.
For international deliveries more time is needed. Remember that Christmas in the Pacific starts 12 hours ahead of Christmas in the UK!
Do corporate companies send more at Christmas than any other time?
Christmas traditionally is by far the busiest time of the year for us as a courier in London. Most businesses shut down between Christmas and New Year, so if a business wants to get something delivered before the year end, they will generally have to send it out before Christmas. Absolutely is open between Christmas and New Year, but a lot of companies to whom we need to deliver aren’t, of course!
Plus, there is a lot more being sent at Christmas anyway. Companies are sending out a lot of corporate Christmas gifts, individuals are sending personal gifts, often to other countries, so it’s all much, much busier than it usually is.
How long does it take to get back to normal?
The week after New Year is often our quietest period. We can really take a step back and breathe a bit, take stock of what’s just happened, and prepare for things to start up again. Because we never close, it means we don’t really have to get going again; there is always something happening. By the time we’re well into January, everything is back to normal.
Absolutely is a flexible and reliable courier company; how do you maintain great customer service over the Christmas period?
The key thing is preparation and planning. For example, we make sure there are as many staff working in the three or four weeks before Christmas as possible. We also try to gear the fleet up before the busy period starts, making sure we’ve got enough vans and vehicles’, making sure everything is running the way it should.
Mainly, though, it’s down to the skill of our courier London control room team. We have what we believe is the most skilful same-day control room team in London, and they know exactly how to keep the show on the road! They will know which types of packages are urgent, which ones are less so – they get a feel for it. They’re just experienced in making it work.
Our customer services team is also highly experienced at liaising with clients, encouraging them to send their items in as early as possible, checking to see what really needs to be delivered by Christmas and what is better off waiting until the new year, which all helps with our logistics, and keeping everyone happy. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes.
What are your plans for Absolutely going into 2018?
We’re expecting another busy year -we’re always on the acquisition trail, so we hope to be able to announce something exciting in the New Year! We’ve also got a superb sales and marketing team here, so we’re hoping for a lot of organic growth in 2018 as well.
This has been the first full year of our new branding, as we’re delighted with it. It’s been a great success; it’s a really strong brand for a courier in London, so we know we’ll go from strength to strength.
Book With Us
To book a delivery with the longest established courier, London based company that never sleeps, contact Absolutely on 0207 685 1400, or through our website contact page: https://www.absolutelycourier.com/contact-us/. Our team of experts will be happy to talk you through our range of services, and help you to set up an account for easy, efficient package collection and delivery. Alternatively, you can set up an account online – it’s fast and secure: https://www.absolutelycourier.com/contact-us/open-an-account.
Get in touch today to arrange your Christmas deliveries and enjoy the festive period knowing that your parcel is in safe hands.
Happy Christmas from Absolutely!
