Couriers - what the fancier wants and/or expects

[JM Couriers]

As a newbie Courier on here, i've been reading the posts on couriers, good and bad.

I've already explained (when i introduced myself) that we got into the pigeon side by accident due to the next door neighbour having racing pigeons himself.

 

We started off as an Aquatics related Courier service but only this week have carried fish, reptiles, snakes, pigeons, mackaws, as well as the usual glass tanks and equipment.

 

Someone mentioned how random was that lol and i did suggest we change our name to Noahs Ark On Wheels after our local vet asked us if we would consider helping her out with a few things!

 

We are animal lovers anyway and make sure any live goods are comfortable, warm, watered, on dry bedding and delivered as soon as is humanly possible (M25 rush hour springs to mind again  :-/)

 

So, a question for all you lovely people. What do YOU want, would like, or expect, from a courier service?

 

Julia

[sammy]

next day delivery

[JM Couriers]

As a newbie Courier on here, i've been reading the posts on couriers, good and bad.

I've already explained (when i introduced myself) that we got into the pigeon side by accident due to the next door neighbour having racing pigeons himself.

 

We started off as an Aquatics related Courier service but only this week have carried fish, reptiles, snakes, pigeons, mackaws, as well as the usual glass tanks and equipment.

 

Someone mentioned how random was that lol and i did suggest we change our name to Noahs Ark On Wheels after our local vet asked us if we would consider helping her out with a few things!

 

We are animal lovers anyway and make sure any live goods are comfortable, warm, watered, on dry bedding and delivered as soon as is humanly possible (M25 rush hour springs to mind again  :-/)

 

So, a question for all you lovely people. What do YOU want, would like, or expect, from a courier service?

 

Julia

[bewted]

safe and intact !!!

[Guest 67ghirl]

I think most fanciers would want the following -

 

An approximate time for pick up/delivery

The Birds to be 'carried' safely

A reasonable price.

 

Unfortunately though I think you may find that some want the impossible!

[Guest Freebird]

I think most fanciers would want the following -

 

An approximate time for pick up/delivery

The Birds to be 'carried' safely

A reasonable price.

 

Unfortunately though I think you may find that some want the impossible!

Spot on!

 

 

[DOVEScot]

Nothing personal, I think this of every courier

A good honest service and informed of any delays incurred. respect that you only survive due to the customers being happy, don't get all your friends and relations to join the sites and post how brilliant you are, we will soon find that out for our selves.

If you are going survive learn from your mistakes don't post about others mistakes we do a good job of that ourselves

All the best

DOVEScot

[Chairman]

I think the way forward would be a unison of all the couriers, that would work together and provide transport network nationwide.

Where a company collects and delivers to a geograhic area, then uses a shuttle network to get the cargo to its destination in the quickest

and safest period of time.The business volume will dramatically increase upon the offset of the breeding / racing season in 2009 and I think it would be near on insanity for a company to try to offer nationwide coverage and I also include (Scotland, Ireland & Wales as well

as mainland UK).I see a way forward for the affiliation of proving a nationwide service and for all couriers to receive an equal share of the projected volume of business, maybe registering as a united company? there are a lot of people trying to give their utmost of providing a satisfactory service to the fancy, the man hours alone on the road with cargo spread across the country and vans running half empty will not only take its toll on finances but on their vehicles too. I think the way forward is a united one, this is only my opinion and maybe it could be the way forward.This pigeon courier business, is at the moment at rest, just wait till the season commences, would the businesses be able to cope with increase in the market? Food for thought, I would like to thank you all for providing us with so far a very good service but with anticipation can you cope with the stringent demands, I would not want to see any courier firms business fail due to the demands of the market.

[ChrisMaidment08]

yea i got to wait till jan for mine

[Roland]

A little sensible competition has to be good. Raises standards and keeps costs sensible.

Once a Cartel starts, then we will have the 'Ole Potatoe' of them being a law unto them selves and able to charge what they like. Golly just look at the stick Amtrack took every day, never mind every week in regards of Prices.

No, don't need no codswallop spouted about 'Amtrack' did this or that, or didn't do .... etc. etc. Old hat That!

But now we have 'New Hats' and competition etc. and posts about 'Joiniung Up'! :-/ :-/ :(

Yes sure, have them help each other when applicable, as I advocated! But as for being 'One'! No way, One price - too dear, One Way - Ours so take or leave it - On standard! One you have to put up with!

So sad that posters even thing such things, let alone post them! Contriving and spouting that Couriers should revert back to what Amtrack offered and gave us eh!Struth, and I was a defender of Amtrack... But now things are vastly better, and yet codswallop starts to choke the poor fish! Struth!!! Where are we here, get real!

[Roland]

Chairman I believe just the opposite in regards being able. Yes 'Little children help mother' is a fine scenario... but we need several independant couriers to cope. Even Amtrack as a National firm - saving costs went bust. But that was in no way detrimental to our fancy. Other overheads and Managerment caused that.

Let's have 10 different couriers touting for our buisness, and they all setting up new vans etc. Far better surely than the cake being poorly divided and them packing it up.

[JM Couriers]

I think the way forward would be a unison of all the couriers, that would work together and provide transport network nationwide.

Where a company collects and delivers to a geograhic area, then uses a shuttle network to get the cargo to its destination in the quickest

and safest period of time.The business volume will dramatically increase upon the offset of the breeding / racing season in 2009 and I think it would be near on insanity for a company to try to offer nationwide coverage and I also include (Scotland, Ireland & Wales as well

as mainland UK).I see a way forward for the affiliation of proving a nationwide service and for all couriers to receive an equal share of the projected volume of business, maybe registering as a united company? there are a lot of people trying to give their utmost of providing a satisfactory service to the fancy, the man hours alone on the road with cargo spread across the country and vans running half empty will not only take its toll on finances but on their vehicles too. I think the way forward is a united one, this is only my opinion and maybe it could be the way forward.This pigeon courier business, is at the moment at rest, just wait till the season commences, would the businesses be able to cope with increase in the market? Food for thought, I would like to thank you all for providing us with so far a very good service but with anticipation can you cope with the stringent demands, I would not want to see any courier firms business fail due to the demands of the market.

 

A lot of valid points there, which is why i broached the subject to get just this kind of input.

 

Ideally, i'd love to say yes to every job but in reality thats not possible for any number of reasons. Traffic, weather, breakdowns etc.

We cant cover North, South, East and West all in one day. We are expanding but at the moment we are operating on a schedule of areas and days of the week we cover them. This seems to be working as the customers we have had so far dont seem to mind waiting a day or two and it allows for other collections/deliveries to take place in the same vicinity as well as the customer being able to plan ahead, knowing on which day, where we are going to be. Its a same day or early next day with us, or not at all. The welfare of the live goods we carry is always the most important thing to consider for every job.

 

I suppose with us not just being pigeon carriers as such, we have no problems with half loads and returning empty but if i couldnt do a job to the utmost of my ability, i would definately be honest and say so. We deliver more or less 24/7. If the customer wants a 2am delivery, thats what he will get.

 

The only problem i see with a shuttle network is that at the moment we pick up live goods and they stay with us until delivery. We treat them like we would one of our own. The idea being , that we take on your role of driving to collect the birds (as you would) looking after them in transit (as you would) and arriving safe, well and not stresed at the home address (as you intended)

It would take a lot of trust on the couriers behalf to hand over live goods to another courier and expect as good a service as we aim to provide. If at the end drop off point the fancier wasnt happy with the birds, who gets the blame? The first, second or even third courier that the birds have been passed through?

 

I've heard there is a fair amount of pigeon couriering to do during the coming season. I hope to be a part of it, of course but i dont, and wouldnt, begrudge another courier taking on work we couldnt do and hope that they would feel the same about us.

 

Julia

 

 

[DOVEScot]

 

A lot of valid points there, which is why i broached the subject to get just this kind of input.

 

Ideally, i'd love to say yes to every job but in reality thats not possible for any number of reasons. Traffic, weather, breakdowns etc.

We cant cover North, South, East and West all in one day. We are expanding but at the moment we are operating on a schedule of areas and days of the week we cover them. This seems to be working as the customers we have had so far dont seem to mind waiting a day or two and it allows for other collections/deliveries to take place in the same vicinity as well as the customer being able to plan ahead, knowing on which day, where we are going to be. Its a same day or early next day with us, or not at all. The welfare of the live goods we carry is always the most important thing to consider for every job.

 

I suppose with us not just being pigeon carriers as such, we have no problems with half loads and returning empty but if i couldnt do a job to the utmost of my ability, i would definately be honest and say so. We deliver more or less 24/7. If the customer wants a 2am delivery, thats what he will get.

 

The only problem i see with a shuttle network is that at the moment we pick up live goods and they stay with us until delivery. We treat them like we would one of our own. The idea being , that we take on your role of driving to collect the birds (as you would) looking after them in transit (as you would) and arriving safe, well and not stresed at the home address (as you intended)

It would take a lot of trust on the couriers behalf to hand over live goods to another courier and expect as good a service as we aim to provide. If at the end drop off point the fancier wasnt happy with the birds, who gets the blame? The first, second or even third courier that the birds have been passed through?

 

I've heard there is a fair amount of pigeon couriering to do during the coming season. I hope to be a part of it, of course but i dont, and wouldnt, begrudge another courier taking on work we couldnt do and hope that they would feel the same about us.

 

Julia

 

 

Looks like you are going to survive long term with that attitude, only one piece you missed.... there is no way you will survive with one hub in the south/east/west/north of the uk unless you only intend only supplying just that area, you will need hubs in the areas to network together, that is where the real fun begins

All the best

[Roland]

Good post Julia.

And one that to maintain them views you will / would have to be totallt independant.

Good luck, I like d your reply, it's staunch of realism.

[PigeonTracker]

Hi Julia, have sent you a p.m regarding the dedicated forum being set up for the couriers to discuss the networks that have already been developed and what other steps we need to take to make it even more efficient.   All couriers except those that carry dirty goods with pigeons will be invited to join.

 

In response to your first post you'll find that some expect the impossible, many expect the improbable but the true fancier with common sense will understand that Amtrak aren't here any more (thank god) and will work with you to get their birds from A to B.  Most of your customers won't come from forums, truth is most don't know what a forum is and therefore you won't get the whole picture of their needs until you start working with them.    That's no dismissing the good members on here in any way, most are very good people who can and do help a lot.

[Chairman]

Many thanks for a concise and factual answer, yes I do like your comittment to your cargo and yes I suppose you have a good point to

raise the awareness that your cargo is livestock and not parcels (of which some firms have linked up to form a shuttle service). I do think that there shall be a good business volume for all the couriers and your probably right to assume that they would, like to see their own

collections delivered by themselves if not for peace of mind, but for job satisfaction.

I took onboard points raised and I thank you Julia for dealing with the issue with honesty.

[DOVEScot]

Hi Julia, have sent you a p.m regarding the dedicated forum being set up for the couriers to discuss the networks that have already been developed and what other steps we need to take to make it even more efficient.   All couriers except those that carry dirty goods with pigeons will be invited to join.

 

In response to your first post you'll find that some expect the impossible, many expect the improbable but the true fancier with common sense will understand that Amtrak aren't here any more (thank god) and will work with you to get their birds from A to B.  Most of your customers won't come from forums, truth is most don't know what a forum is and therefore you won't get the whole picture of their needs until you start working with them.    That's no dismissing the good members on here in any way, most are very good people who can and do help a lot.

 

Can I ask you a simple question Jamie/Kevin???

If most of your customers are not from the forums or even know that they exist, why do you you spend most of your day on this one when it is so irrelevant to your business :-/

[Guest]

great to see something good to rise from the ashes of amtrak but i have to say i never in all the years i used them had even 1 bad experience now i am not daft enough to think that all got the same as me some did have a bad experience but for the new couriers that have arrived if you dont allready  know when you deal with joe public in a regular basis then something will go wrong ITS HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT that will say weither you will survive or not all the best to all who are willing to try i hope most if not all survive

[PigeonTracker]

 

Can I ask you a simple question Jamie

If most of your customers are not from the forums or even know that they exist, why do you you spend most of your day on this one when it is so irrelevant to your business :-/

 

Its Jamie, Duncan, and unlike you I don't spend most of my day on here posting.   With the permission of Richard I have staff watching the site for us and answering p.m's.     And nobody said the forum was irrelevant to my business except you, read my words, I posted this....

 

"Most of your customers won't come from forums, truth is most don't know what a forum is and therefore you won't get the whole picture of their needs until you start working with them."

 

This forum is a valuable asset but as I said it is genuinly not used by a massive majority of fanciers thus the whole picture of the fanciers needs won't be painted.

 

Hope that's a little clearer.

 

To FrankDooman,   I couldn't agree more.

 

[DOVEScot]

 

Its Jamie, Duncan, and unlike you I don't spend most of my day on here posting.   With the permission of Richard I have staff watching the site for us and answering p.m's.     And nobody said the forum was irrelevant to my business except you, read my words, I posted this....

 

"Most of your customers won't come from forums, truth is most don't know what a forum is and therefore you won't get the whole picture of their needs until you start working with them."

 

This forum is a valuable asset but as I said it is genuinly not used by a massive majority of fanciers thus the whole picture of the fanciers needs won't be painted.

 

Hope that's a little clearer.

 

To FrankDooman,   I couldn't agree more.

 

Ok Jamie, I am sure you told me in a PM that your name was really Kevin but that is irrelevant and appologise if I am mistaken

Regards me having time to sit here and post all day is because I have earned my money and the right to do so as I please.

So if you are having yourself or one of your staff keeping an eye on the site all day that must be costing you a fair bit of wages

Ok then change my words to minority of business comes from forums why spend so much time watching them :-/

 

[PigeonTracker]

Ok then change my words to minority of business comes from forums why spend so much time watching them :-/

 

Two answers to your questions Duncan, one to make sure that those minority such as JakJak, Navigator and other important customers who do use the forum can keep in touch with me.   Second answer, why do we watch the forum?  For the same reason you do, because we can and because we choose to, sure you haven't a problem with that?

 

Nos da ich i.

 

And a merry xmas btw.

 

 

 

 

[DOVEScot]

 

Two answers to your questions Duncan, one to make sure that those minority such as JakJak, Navigator and other important customers who do use the forum can keep in touch with me.   Second answer, why do we watch the forum?  For the same reason you do, because we can and because we choose to, sure you haven't a problem with that?

 

Nos da ich i.

 

And a merry xmas btw.

 

 

 

 

None at all, just asked  

[Guest cloudview]

personally , i have a high regard for the couriers trying their best to sort everybody out

, oh this does,nt include coopers

after all there trying to make a living like anyone else in very difficult  market  ie joe public

i myself last week did my mate a favour , who,s just starting out in courier work i did around trip off 185 mile s was out of house 5 and half hours , it worked out that by the time i had

taken fuel  out  i had worked for 2 pounds an hour , wear and tear on car etc

it certainly made me aware of what they are up against

[Guest]

personally , i have a high regard for the couriers trying their best to sort everybody out

, oh this does,nt include coopers

after all there trying to make a living like anyone else in very difficult  market  ie joe public

i myself last week did my mate a favour , who,s just starting out in courier work i did around trip off 185 mile s was out of house 5 and half hours , it worked out that by the time i had

taken fuel  out  i had worked for 2 pounds an hour , wear and tear on car etc

it certainly made me aware of what they are up against

 

spot on and by the way i aggree with the coopers bit as well

[JM Couriers]

personally , i have a high regard for the couriers trying their best to sort everybody out

, oh this does,nt include coopers

after all there trying to make a living like anyone else in very difficult  market  ie joe public

i myself last week did my mate a favour , who,s just starting out in courier work i did around trip off 185 mile s was out of house 5 and half hours , it worked out that by the time i had

taken fuel  out  i had worked for 2 pounds an hour , wear and tear on car etc

it certainly made me aware of what they are up against

 

Thank you for that Cloudview.  Its really nice of you to say how you view our side. I joined this site, as if we were to be couriering pigeons, I wanted to learn a bit more about them, their needs and the needs of the owners.

 

If you had 5 or 10 other deliveries en route, then it wouldnt have been £2 an hour. This is why we try and coordinate days and delivery areas. It would be impossible to get birds from Bristol and take it to Glasgow, on the £25 we charge for carrying 5 birds. However, if we can do other collections and deliveries (either sameday or next day, Livestock first, standing items second) then we can make it work.

 

Julia