DPD expands Predict service to Czech Republic
Parcel carrier DPD has launched its premium Predict delivery service in the Czech Republic. The company said that as of the start of this month, its customers in the country of 10.5m people will be offered a one-hour window when their parcels will be delivered.
The move will boost the convenience for customers receiving e-commerce orders and other parcels, and cut down on transport miles — and associated environmental impacts — by avoiding the need for re-delivery.
DPD first introduced the Predict service in the UK in 2010, where the firm recently won a Queen’s Award for Innovation, and attributes the service to the securing of more than £178m worth of new business.
The parcel carrier, which is owned by French postal operator La Poste, already provides the service in a number of other countries including Belgium, Germany and Slovakia, and is currently aiming to expand the Predict service to a total of 20 European countries.
Previously, the DPD Private service had been offering a two-hour delivery window in the Czech Republic, based on a two-day transit time.
“Precise”
As well as offering a one-hour time slot for deliveries, Predict sends text or email notifications of imminent deliveries to recipients, and allows them to change the delivery time if the offered slot is inconvenient.
Daniel Mareš, managing director at DPD CZ, said: “The priority for most customers using shipping services is precise information about when an order will be delivered to them. DPD has satisfied this demand and shortened the delivery window from two hours to one.”
“The upgraded service not only shortens the delivery window, it is also a less wasteful approach to the environment. Couriers can plan their route effectively and, thanks to notification of the delivery time to customers, their first attempt at delivery is more successful, so the number of kilometres driven and carbon emissions produced are reduced.”
DPD CZ has 300 employees and 600 couriers in the Czech Republic, delivering around 12m parcels a year.
