Most items delivered first time round in Berlin

The notification rate in Berlin is good. But that has not always been the case. “In 1997 we had the worst rate of anywhere in Germany,” says Sven Goerke, in charge of delivery at the EXPRESS Germany Production branch in RUdersdorf, looking back. Together with the delivery personnel a lot of hard work was done to change the rate. And since that time the level has remained good.
Because of transportation back to the outlet and the accounting involved, more costs are incurred with notification. To reduce these costs, the Rüdersdorf team relies on the substitute recipient. Both the delivery personnel and the head of the manager of the delivery base wrote to substitute recipients and small gifts, such as stamps were given. At the same time they said thank you for the
cooperation thus far. New substitute recipients were found. “From janitors to small lotto stores to retirees, there is a whole range of substitute recipients,” is how Sven Goerke describes the situation.
Delivery personnel who know their recipients well can often assess whether a second delivery attempt is better than a notification. When they go past the delivery address again they just try once more. That
often avoids the need for notification. Sven Goerke again: “Because we have to offer good quality to the recipient customer, too.” And that was the point. The customers were so satisfied that there were even positive reports in the Berlin media.
The crucial point is for delivery personnel to understand why a good notification rate makes sense. “Some delivery personnel even try to keep the figure down to zero, and they manage it,” reports Sven Goerke. When new colleagues are taken on, this philosophy is instilled in them right from the initial learning stage. And when the rate starts to go up then there are conversations to try and clarify the problem straight away. Sven Goerke: “We have already got the thing moving, we just have to turn a wheel every now and
again.”