Tag: DHL

Suffering SMEs turn to alternate mail services

Posted by | Oct 16, 2007 | |

Small businesses have been hit hard by the postal strike and are now seeking out private alternatives to Royal Mail, a British Chambers of Commerce survey has revealed.

The snap poll, conducted over the weekend, found that 88pc reported the strikes had “a significant impact” on their business, with cash flow and loss of sales particular problems.

Of those affected, 55pc said they were now more likely to use private delivery companies.

The BCC said the figure reflected the anger felt by small businesses at the impact the postal strike.

The problem for small firms is that their options are limited by the fact that the Royal Mail’s biggest competitors, such as TNT, Business Post and DHL, are at the same time customers.

Only Royal Mail does the ‘final mile’ bit of deliveries meaning small firms, like the rest of the population, are in the words of one business owner, over a barrel.

Mr Frewin says the last 25 years has seen a consistent rise in the volume of mail. Over the last 18 months that figure has declined. “Is it a blip or a sign of long-term decline? Our concern is that what started with a one-day strike and now two-day strikes, will continue. The worry is that the postal industry will be brought to its knees.”

Talk is that TNT might be just the business to give Royal Mail a run for its money when it comes to ‘final mile’ delivery, but the discussion about another provider stepping in to compete isn’t new.

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Business deserts Post Office in the UK

Posted by | Oct 16, 2007 | |

Small businesses are ready to desert Royal Mail and switch to private sector delivery rivals after counting the cost of the damaging postal dispute, a survey shows.

More than half the small companies surveyed for the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), say they are more likely to use alternative services to reduce the risk of further disruption to their business.

Rival mail services, the internet or a personal limited service for key customers are among the options they are exploring.

Royal Mail is braced for a backlash from dissatisfied customers, but is banking on higher rates charged by rivals to prove a deterrent for business customers to switch. The weekend BCC poll, based on replies from 183 members, showed 62pc of them have already started using alternative services to send and settle invoices, while 88pc have seen their businesses suffer from cash-flow problems and lost orders and other costs involved in meeting the cost of the strike.

Natalie Evans, head of policy at BCC, said the survey results hammered home the damage to Royal Mail and the loss of confidence among customers. “It will not be easy for Royal Mail to regain their confidence,” she said.

Royal Mail has seen business shrink even before the strike with the loss of 40pc of its bulk-mail business. Rivals TNT, Business Post and Deutsche Post have been working flat out during the strike to ensure they keep the new business.

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DHL launches modern customer service centre in Poland

Posted by | Oct 15, 2007 | |

DHL EXPRESS (Poland) is building the country’s largest customer service center in Lódz, which will provide domestic parcel service. The value of the investment amounts to around EUR 5 million. The contact centre, with 150 employees, is an innovative solution providing complex customer services ranging from taking orders to allocating certain courier routes.

The DHL contact centre is a part of a new model of customer services recently acquired by the company, using innovative technological solutions. It is based on centralizing, integrating and automating the process of receiving orders, including within existing communication channels between the company and customers. Lódz contact centre will be the preferred and dominant contact channel, with more than 80 pct of the total orders submitted and realizing complex customer services in Poland.

‘The new contact centre lets us improve the process of servicing our customers, right up to efficiently centralizing and fully managing processes. Simplifying customer services at the Lódz customer service centre is unique amongst logistics companies in Poland,’ said Tomasz Buras, President of DHL Express (Poland)’s management board.

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DHL launches Student Express service

Posted by | Oct 15, 2007 | |

DHL has introduced DHL Student Express, an affordable international delivery service designed exclusively for students going abroad for education.

DHL Student Express assures students of speedy and reliable deliveries when sending documents and parcels such as time-sensitive school applications and personal belongings to their new schools and residences.

Additionally, they can benefit by savings of up to 70 pct on excess baggage for deliveries to popular education destinations like Australia and the UK.

DHL Student Express offers up to 15 pct off prevailing published rates when sending parcels via Jumbo or Jumbo Junior or Express Pallet, and up to 20% off on document shipment rates.

Other benefits include 24/7 customer service, free pick-up, free packaging materials, pro-active delivery notification, multiple shipment tracking options, and a destination network of more than 220 countries.

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DHL Express Selects DMTI Spatial to Streamline Delivery Routes with Location Intelligence

Posted by | Oct 15, 2007 | |

DMTI Spatial (DMTI) has been selected by DHL Express to provide comprehensive mapping data to optimize its facility and driver routing of its packages by moving from an address-based routing system to a 6 digit postal code boundary framework for its more than 100 locations across Canada. DHL Express Canada picks up and delivers over 300,000 packages on a daily basis. Using DMTI’s Platinum Postal Suite™, DHL can apply national postal code information with unmatched precision down to the neighborhood level ensuring accuracy and reliability in pick-up and delivery services for their customers.

Prior to purchasing the Platinum Postal Suite, DHL’s ability to accurately pinpoint addresses was limited. They had limited ability to analyze routes, make queries for more detailed information within different areas or accurately map routes by major intersection and cross streets. Using postal level demographic and geographic feature data from the Platinum Postal Suite, DHL can precisely define dispatch territories and market segment patterns providing opportunities to streamline their processes, save money and improve customer satisfaction.

“We needed a comprehensive solution that gave us the ability to analyze our routes, realize new efficiencies and provide accurate information for our operations,” explained Lenore Zara, Industrial Engineering Specialist for DHL Express. “DMTI Spatial has detailed and reliable national coverage of Canadian postal geography making them our mapping data vendor of choice.”

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