Tag: Courier/Express/Parcels

DHL Express Russia customer service recognized with industry award

Posted by | Mar 20, 2008 | |

DHL Express Russia was given the highest possible recognition by industry peers.
Customer service quality at DHL Express Russia was given the highest possible recognition by industry peers at the “Russian and CIS Call Centre Awards”, held during the “Call Centre World. Russia/CIS – 2008” International Forum at the end of March.
The forum, which entered its seventh year in 2008, is the major large-scale industry gathering for Call Centres in Russia and the CIS. It brings together specialists and business leaders from Russia, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and other countries in the region, as well as guests from Europe, the Middle East and the US.
The “Russian and CIS Call Centre Awards” serve as an industry benchmark, rewarding best in class standards and quality in call centre activity. Candidates for each award are expected to demonstrate effective customer service, which contributes to customer loyalty and retention, and good working conditions for call centre staff – the foundations of any successful call centre.

All candidates are actively tested on a “mystery caller” basis by a jury of recognized industry consultants, managers, business trainers and journalists. DHL Express participated in the awards for the first time in 2008, entering the three categories of “Best Corporate Culture”, “Best Training for Call Centre Staff” and “Team of the Year”. Despite stiff competition from other leading brands in the Russia & CIS market, DHL Express ‘swept the board’, taking home the top prize in each category.

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Correos presents its first ecological vehicles (SPA)

Posted by | Mar 20, 2008 | |

Correos has presented its first electric vans and bicycles for mail and parcel deliveries, particularly in protected historic quarters and pedestrianised town centres. This initiative joins other initiatives promoted by the public postal company, aimed at reducing environmental impacts as far as possible.

To set up of the pilot projects Correos has purchased five commercial vehicles and nine bicycles adapted for carrying small loads. These vehicles will make the postmen and women’s job easier in pedestrianised areas, as up to now they have had to deliver large volumes of mail on foot and by hand in these areas. The initial investment made by the postal company stands at euro 139,000.

The vans will be used for mail deliveries in Barcelona and Seville and the bicycles in Granada and various towns in the provinces of Ciudad Real and Toledo. In Madrid and Zaragoza both types of vehicles will be tested. With this experience, Correos hopes to check the adaptability of these means of transport in different urban settings.

Lower usage and maintenance costs

The model of van chosen has a useful load capacity of over 400 kg and its side doors and rear door are very easy to handle, even for the bulkiest parcels. Right now, these types of vehicles are more expensive than conventional vehicles, although their useful life is longer and they are less expensive to use and maintain. This advantage is added to the environmental benefits, since, because they do not use oil-based fuel, the contaminating effects are drastically reduced. Furthermore, they do not generate any noise.

With this measure, Correos, with an average investment of 14 million euros in its fleet –made up of more than 13,000 vehicles, including lorries, vans and motorbikes- in the last three years, will step up its contribution to protecting the environment. The postal company already bought 28 Euro-4 type lorries in 2006, ahead of the anti-pollution guidelines and regulations adopted by the European Union, and is now starting to include ecological vans and bicycles in its fleet.

Once these vehicles and bicycles have been tested and adapted for mail deliveries in the respective pilot projects, Correos will gradually add new ecological units.

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Should TNT stay in Germany or should it go?

Posted by | Mar 20, 2008 | |

Dutch mail and logistics company TNT NV has more to gain by staying in Germany despite competitive snags as buoyant growth prospects will make up for a shrinking business at home in the Netherlands.

Europe’s second-biggest mail and logistics company by market value, TNT is expected to lose its remaining monopoly in its lucrative domestic market this year, with competitors already eating into its market share and profitability.

It is seeking to reinforce its German operations but has threatened to pull out of the country due to what it sees as preferential treatment for Deutsche Post.

Earlier this month, a German court ruled in TNT’s favour in a case it brought against a minimum wage for postal workers, allowing it to continue paying its lower wage.

Europe’s largest economy introduced a minimum wage of up to 9.80 euros (USD 15.15) per hour for its roughly 220,000 postal workers in January.

The German government said it would appeal against the court ruling, and a verdict could take months, however.

That appeal is hanging over the company and the German postal sector like a sword of Damocles, Dutch daily De Telegraaf quoted Mario Frusch, the chief executive of TNT Post Germany, as saying on Thursday.

He said the company has put its investments in Germany on hold for the time being. TNT Chief Executive Peter Bakker told Reuters in December the company had frozen its investments due to the minimum wage issue.

But TNT needs to take a long-term view of the German mail market, one of the big three in Europe, as it has the potential to drive future growth and offset Dutch losses.

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New parcel services meet booming online demand in New Zealand

Posted by | Mar 20, 2008 | |

Significant growth in parcels due to online trading has sparked new parcel services says New Zealand Post.

Parcels marketing manager Mike Stewart said New Zealand Post’s research found that online traders had particular needs from a parcel service.

These requirements have been incorporated into the new ParcelPostTM range, which starts on 28 March, he said.

“We found there was a real gap in the market for an economic alternative to couriers,” said Mr Stewart.

“E-traders want to know their parcels have been delivered, but they don’t necessarily want to pay a fortune for overnight delivery.

“We’re introducing a tracked parcel service that gives e-traders proof of delivery – but at a cheaper price than courier alternatives.”

A tracked parcel has a barcode on it that’s scanned at various points along its journey. Progress is updated online so that senders will know the time and date when their parcel has been delivered to the door.

The new ParcelPostTM Tracked service takes between 1 and 3 days for delivery with prices starting from $4.00.

Mr Stewart says that easy pricing is another high priority for online traders.
“The ParcelPostTM range has a simple nationwide pricing structure and the pre-paid bags have the pricing printed on them. You know exactly what you’ll pay – and there are no extra charges.”

Mr Stewart said online buyers would also benefit from Post’s new PO Box Priority parcel service, which is delivered overnight for a Standard Post price.

“We’re seen growth in the under 3kg parcels in particular – mainly using FastPost because customers are looking for next-day delivery,” he said.

“The PO Box Priority service also allows you to receive items without revealing your home address, which can be a concern when you’re buying from strangers online.”

Trade Me’s head of commercial Mike O’Donnell said that they were pleased to see the development of new postage solutions for online traders.

“Sending an item to a buyer is often the most time consuming part of an online trade. If the new ParcelPostTM range helps make this easier and more cost efficient for our members, then it has to be a good thing.”

New Zealand’s largest online bookstore, Fishpond, says the new ParcelPostTM Tracked product is exciting for their business.

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Kühne & Nagel reported interested in Sernam

Posted by | Mar 20, 2008 | |

Kühne & Nagel is interested in acquiring loss-making French parcels and cargo company Sernam, according to a recent report in Les Echos newspaper.

The Swiss-based group wants to build up a land transport network in France and has held talks to take over the former SNCF parcels subsidiary, which was sold to private investor Butler Capital Partners at the start of 2007. Sernam has a network of 50 depots across France.

According to Les Echos, KN would take over the 48.2% stake held by managing director Philippe Chevalier, while Butler Capital Partners would retain its 51.8% majority holding.

Sernam succeeded in reducing its losses last year to EUR 13 million from EUR 23 million in 2006 on revenues of EUR 368 million. The newspaper cited a source as saying the company is now virtually debt-free, and was expected to break even this year and move into profit in 2009.

Kühne & Nagel declined to comment on the report, which it described as a “rumour”. But Les Echos pointed out that the Swiss group was known to want to extend its European land transport network.

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