Well, our customers tell us that this is rather a sensitive issue and generally only gets asked when a review is being done on a company’s mail and courier costs and it is realised that costs are spiralling out of control.
To help those in this situation we thought that we would put together this free resource with some of the critical questions we have learnt that our customers ask themselves in order to keep costs in check.
Is the item being sent to a PO Box?
This is generally the first question that you need to ask yourself because if it is being sent to a PO Box unfortunately you don’t have much choice. No other organisation other than the Post Office can deliver to a PO Box so you are stuck with them on this one. If you are curious about why this is then we have an explanation which you can access by clicking here.
How Urgent Is My Item To Get There?
Staff education is paramount when it comes to reducing your mail and courier costs. Most companies we speak to when we really examine the issue, the first thing that we are discover is that employees are taking the path of least resistance and most convenience for them rather than considering the cost to the company. If you want to know more about this we have written about it here.
The second thing that we usually discover is that staff are grossly exaggerating the urgency of their item getting to the desired recipient. When 1-2 days delivery will suffice and the Post Office can get it there cheaper they are opting for expensive same day courier services.
The key here is to stop and think, is the world going to end if my item gets there one day later than what I expect – you will find out that in most cases the answer is no and a simple change in perception can have a dramatic effect on the amount of money being spent on your mail.
Is the item going to a regional or metro area?
Speaking in general terms, most private courier companies do not have the networks to deliver items to regional areas in a cost effective manner and you may find that they are outsourcing the delivery of your item to the Post Office in any case. So the question to ask yourself here is why are you paying for a third party? It is likely that you will be better off sending the item directly through the Post Office.
The question here is what comes under the banner of a “regional area” and unfortunately there is no simple answer to this question as it will vary from carrier to carrier.
Which Courier Company Is Cheaper For This Specific Item?
Each courier company including the Post Office has a specific market that they serve and are most competitive in that area. The issue for businesses is that varies from courier company to courier company, some are better at small items, some at urgent same day items some at regional and some at metro.
With all these variables how can I possibly make an informed decision as to whether to use a courier or the Post Office?
To be honest to solve this problem most of our customers have told us they have taken one of two paths:
- Pick one courier company and stick with them for all your consignments. Depending on your volume you may be able to negotiate a special price, however the downside is that you need to be able to live with the fact that you may be winning on some items and loosing on others. If the one you opt with is not the Post Office then you will still need to maintain an account with them if you ever want to send items to PO Boxes
- In this wonderful world of technology that we live in there are some fantastic services out there that will calculate the cheapest way to send your item based on your unique requirements. The one that we particularly like is Temando as they maintain bulk accounts will all of the major providers and therefore it is possible to send something cheaper by using this service than if you approached a specific company yourself for a one off item. Plus it is really simple to use
So there you have it, everything that you need to know in order to make an informed decision as to whether to use a courier service or the Post Office.
Please let us know if there is anything that we can do to help you to improve your mail processes or if you are interested in saving money by having your PO Box mail delivered to your office each day then click here to contact us or call on 1300 624 562.
