Alternative Shipping methods to Post Office

[RAG Auctioneers 10]

Here's 2 perfect examples of the service that Fastway offers in my area:

 

1. My parcel landed in JHB from DBN on Monday last week, (was supposed to be collected on the previous Friday, but the driver never rocked up). Friday 24th i still had not received it. I tracked it and all 4 days had the same message "on delivery truck". After i called them up the driver delivered the parcel... The wrong parcel and had to come back. For 4 days he had my parcel in his truck.

 

2. I booked a parcel today before 12pm... The driver collected just before 4pm. The driver in my area is extremely slow and not very helpful.

 

The Courier Guy has collected 4 times from me today. ALL within an hour of booking the parcel.

 

Sounds familiar.

Wait until you have to try get hold of them.

Then send in a complaint.....you will never get a reply never-mind an apology.

[moodTime 10]

Sounds familiar.

Wait until you have to try get hold of them.

Then send in a complaint.....you will never get a reply never-mind an apology.

 

I use Aramex or Courier Guy both are excellent.

[NooNooBug 10]

Sounds familiar.

Wait until you have to try get hold of them.

Then send in a complaint.....you will never get a reply never-mind an apology.

 

Is this maybe only now when they have increased volumes due to SAPO strike or is this always? I have noticed that the couriers are generally slow to answer queries at the moment, probably overwhelmed and not used to having the volume? Oh well time will tell...cetainly beats SAPo right now !

[Free Soul Styles 10]

Did you lay a complaint?

 

I not only complained, i threw a down right fit! I did call them up as well and spent almost an hour in total on hold.

[Free Soul Styles 10]

Sounds familiar.

Wait until you have to try get hold of them.

Then send in a complaint.....you will never get a reply never-mind an apology.

 

I got an email this morning asking if i had gotten my parcel yet. I then replied and asked why it had been floating on his truck for so long... No reply. I give up with them. I'll stick to The Courier Guy!

[EcigSmokeOnline 10]

I got an email this morning asking if i had gotten my parcel yet. I then replied and asked why it had been floating on his truck for so long... No reply. I give up with them. I'll stick to The Courier Guy!

 

I will be moving next year and it look like I will be using The Courier Guy from there on. Just a few questions.

 

1. Do they provide sleeves or satchels for parcels or how do they go about ?

 

2. I have been looking at their rates list but it's a bit confusing, what do they charge for up to 1 kg and 2 kg to main cities and then rural areas. I am asking because most of my parcels are under 1 kg sometimes about 2 kg's.

 

3. Do they charge more when your a pre-paid customer than account customers?

 

4.How good are their communication i.e. their help desk, e-mail reply etc.

[EcigSmokeOnline 10]

Just for interest sake. Did you know that the driver of every "The Courier Guy' vehicle is in fact the actual Franchisee? Fastway's driver's are only the driver. That makes a big difference in service.

[Seeds for Africa 18]

My personal experience with Fastway is that they should be avoided at all costs. Having dealt with them for over two years we have had endless problems with both parcel collections, missing parcels and the time frames they are delivered in(outside of their promised terms). We have been dealing with Managing Director of the Cape Franchise - Vanessa Little who always promises that things will change yet never does. Theyre quick to remind you of their terms and conditions yet when it comes to delivery within their promised time frames it seems that they cant stick to that and what comeback do you have against them - nothing!

[RAG Auctioneers 10]

I will be moving next year and it look like I will be using The Courier Guy from there on. Just a few questions:

 

1. Do they provide sleeves or satchels for parcels or how do they go about ?

 

Yes, they provide you with satchels but they are optional.

You can send a box if you prefer.

 

2. I have been looking at their rates list but it's a bit confusing, what do they charge for up to 1 kg and 2 kg to main cities and then rural areas. I am asking because most of my parcels are under 1 kg sometimes about 2 kg's.

 

Up to 2 kg they will charge R55 to main cities and R115 to regional areas. (This excludes VAT)

 

3. Do they charge more when your a pre-paid customer than account customers?.

 

I think account customers pay more.

Go with the "Online prepaid" option. This is the cheapest.

 

4.How good are their communication i.e. their help desk, e-mail reply etc.

 

​Amazing!! I always get replies within the hour.

 

edit: adding quotes

Edited October 29, 2014 by RAG Auctioneers
quotes

[EcigSmokeOnline 10]

edit: adding quotes[/b]

 

Thanks for the info, really appreciate it. If you say optional for the satchels, will I have to pay for it then? If I have to use boxes it will mean extra costs for packing material cause I usually double wrap in bubble plastic when it's a courier order and put it in the satchels they provide. So yeah..I would rather prefer satchels.

[RAG Auctioneers 10]

No, they give them to you for free. :-)

[EcigSmokeOnline 10]

No, they give them to you for free. :-)

 

Thanks. I will be using them from next year. I did not have major problems with Fastway, however by researching a bit "The Courier Guy" seems to be a beter choice.

[biddibiddi 16]

Packing, Couriers, Tracking, sign-offs

 

I would like to know how the "high volume" BoB sellers handle the process of packing & delivery:

 

1) Get Order details out of BoB, in order to get a "packing list" & Delivery details

2) Prepare parcel contents

3) Attached preprinted Waybill or hand write Waybill from BoB screen?

4) Hand over to courier / post office - either get tracking info & receipt at that point, or use pre-allocated Waybills but somehow get the BoB delivey information onto that document (hand write)? Even with pre-allocated & pre-printed Waybills, would still need 1) to get a form of Receipt (ususally a signed copy of Waybill), 2) link it up to BoB Order

 

How do you keep track of it all, for in case there are queries? Would need to match Tracking number to Order number at the very least. Lots of stapled Paperwork to keep, or on a System somewhere?

 

In an ideal world I imagine it like this:

 

1) For each Order, BoB can extract information that you can print on A4 per Order (or smaller, if you have a guillotine). On this printout must be:

a) Packing list + any options & commments from the buyer - everyhing that is relevant to prepare the package

b) must form a Waybill containing the Address Details as well as WB number (for this you would need an agreement with a courier that can pre-allocate numbers to BoB, or allocate them as BoB asks for them, one by one)

c) The WB number must automatically be stored back onto the BoB Order details, and communicated to the Courier's System as well.

2) Notify the Courier to come pick up.

3) Sign-in / Receipt of hand over still a manual process (can't think how to get around that)

4) Courier already has WayBill details on his System as well (put there by BoB), can just scan and do what they normally do with parcels in flow.

 

I did not even mention notifying the Buyer of the Waybill, and the fact that the parcel was sent.

I would really like to understand how you "automate" this complex process when you have many sales...

 

Regards

[bitesize 12]

Different courier options depend on size and area. For example, a customer wanted a large parcel sent via courier to an outlaying area. I tried MDS, got a quote and delivery time but when I went online to put in the quote on my account (signed up via BoB) the fee was double what I was quoted (for the same details) and delivery time had changed to only being delivered on certain days.

 

Talk about frustration because I had already quoted that amount to the customer (after checking and rechecking and getting quotes from other couriers). I contacted Courier It and all was sorted. I have used the Aramax Bags at PnP but they only allow up to 500g, you can use Postnet to Postnet for R99 up to 15kg (as long as it fits into the bag) but only if there is a Postnet in the area it's being sent to. I've also used Courier Guy's Cash option which has worked well for me and they have always been on time, but in this case they don't deliver to the customer's area.

 

@Biddibiddi, I sell on a small scale, so keeping track is easy and customers are notified of the tracking numbers and how to go about tracking. But I would also like to be able to use a system that allows me to upload info directly to the customer's order regarding tracking (like online retail does). But I think I'm a bit obsessive about making certain my customers get their information so I wouldn't easily allow a third party full control as so much can get messed up in between (as a buyer from online stores I've had that problem quite a bit).

[bellemodel 10]

reasonable courier?

 

Fastway is not much more expensive than SAPO and their service is better. Also you don't have to travel to the PO and stand in long queues.

[mrmouse 12]

Fatway is one of the best, my dealers use them daily and never have issues, courier guy is also good.