Parceline launches home delivery service
Parceline has pitched itself firmly into the business-to-consumer fulfilment market with the announcement of a solution for online B2C retailers.
Previously neither Parceline nor its sister-company Interlink, both of which were acquired by France’s La Poste from Mayne Nickless at the end of last year, had pushed itself as a major player in the B2C marketplace. Clearly this has now changed. The new service, parcelinedirect.com, offers consumers a choice of delivery options, and provides integration with Parceline’s Internet-based track-and-trace system.
“We have thoroughly researched consumer preferences and customers’ needs in developing this service,” chief executive Kay Phillips told e.logistics Magazine. “Consumers will drive demand and growth in the market. We believe that a reliable and convenient premium home delivery solution can help attract repeat business for e-tailers.”
Parceline is offering three weekday delivery slots ( 8am to 12pm, 12pm to 6pm and 6pm to 9pm), plus Saturday morning delivery. Kay Phillips says starting evening deliveries earlier than 6pm is inconvenient for many customers, who may not even arrive home until then.
Integration with the e-tailer’s Web site is seamless. Consumers follow a three-step path to select the delivery option, and the information is incorporated in the barcode that is applied to each consignment. Delivery charges can be kept separate or included in the product price. E-tailers can link directly to Parceline’s Internet-based track-and-trace system, or incorporate it as part of their own order tracking systems.
Other facilities on offer include inventory management, cross-docking, Customs handling and product re-working. There is a customer service help line, open until 9.30 pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturday. “Some customers want the reassurance of a human voice at the end of the line,” Kay Phillips says.
