Want to save costs? Exploit your courier!

Through all weathers

This year's holiday rush promises to break new records in parcel delivery. The larger delivery companies are now going out of their way to find extra couriers. They're looking for those who will brave all weathers, heading out during the dark, bleak December month. Unfortunately, couriers are scarce. Everyone is vying for them, doing everything to recruit them.

Protest

Just a little further away, couriers from Ahold, PostNL, and Deliveroo are protesting. These companies devise self-employed contractor models, among other things, to deliver as cheaply as possible. The courier is brought in and then squeezed dry. What a strange contradiction. How on earth does exploiting couriers align with a scarcity of couriers and doorstep service?

Efficient collaboration

In an era where the consumer is central and everything revolves around the customer experience right to the door, this development makes me raise my eyebrows. You don't save money by exploiting your courier. You save money by collaborating efficiently. An example? We often pay couriers based on the number of packages they deliver. This is utter nonsense, as a courier has no control over whether their customer is home. Let's do things differently. Don't pressure your courier; instead, opt for an efficient route and communication with the customer.

The solution

Sometimes new isn't always better; the system of self-employed couriers working exclusively for your organization could very well be a step backward. Flexible, yes, but cheap? And socially desirable? We have our doubts about it. We find the return overall rather limited. Just re-employ those top performers. Pay them a fair wage and ensure they can do their work more effectively. That's where the real gain lies; collaboration is the answer. We said it before: it takes 3 to tango.