Let it Snow - American Expediting

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL:

Staying connected and informed in the courier business is essential for Marketing Managers and can this be accomplished in a number of ways: reading magazines and blogs, joining relevant online networks or becoming active in various organizations. Through these channels, a manager can gain or refresh his or her knowledge, learn from others and become familiar with trends.

Recently I received several emails from various couriers who were replying to the following question posed by an interested individual: how should a courier handle bad weather deliveries for credit card customers? Before I share with you some of the answers, let me reiterate the American Expediting policy:


AT AMERICAN EXPEDITING, THERE ARE NO EXTRA CHARGES TO CUSTOMERS FOR DELIVERING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER!

Here are a few of the responses I read from competing companies…

1. “When a winter storm is a level 2 or higher, all deliveries will be charged at an Emergency

rate.”

2. “We at (name deleted) logistics charge for inclement weather a flat rate of additional $25.”

3. “Here at (name deleted) we state that we deliver in small passenger cars- therefore on

snow days we do not go to many areas. The clients are all offered to meet us or use

common drop locations for our services. We also do turn down business thru the day-

depending how busy or slow we are.”

American Expediting views bad weather as an opportunity to shine. It is never the customer’s fault when the weather turns bad, so why should they be penalized? If the delivery can get there without questioning the safety of our driver, we bill at the same rate as we do on a sunny and mild day. Our team members should know that not every competitor feels the same way and we should capitalize on the advantage our policy offers. Furthermore, our customers should be assured that we have their best interest in mind as well as our drivers’ welfare.
The weather outside may be a fright but for a company committed to customer service, it brings bragging rights.