How to Find a Delivery Service

Posted on February 26, 2008
Filed Under Delivery Options

Anibel asks:

“My big problem is finding a company who’ll deliver my gift baskets. I still work full time and need help. How do I find someone I can trust?”

Delivery options around the U.S., and certainly around the world, vary widely. Your perfect solution will be very different than what works for designers in other locations.

The answer changes because major cities have more delivery options than small towns and rural communities, and living in a major city doesn’t guarantee that you’ll find good choices.

Here’s what designers have told me works for them.

Mature college student with his own car. This student is the designer’s neighbor, so it’s easy for her to either leave the gift basket at his home or place it in a secure spot within her home for pickup.

Florist van. A designer began his business with consignments at a floral shop. He ended that trial but still maintains a good relationship with the shop’s owner who allows the designer to have his gift baskets delivered by the van driver.

Specialty courier. Sometimes you can get lucky by reading a delivery service’s ad on the side of the truck. That’s what one gift basket designer did while at a stop light. She scribbled on paper the Web site address written on the van, visited their site, and realized that their service solved her delivery problem.

Another option to find a specialty courier is to look in your local yellow pages under “courier service” or similar heading. I hope you still receive the yellow pages. I do and keep it for these types of references, since many of these firms don’t know much about Web site optimization.

Do your research before deciding on any option. For example, are you liable for a vehicular accident that occurs when the college student is in transit? Is the floral van cool enough in the summer to accommodate products within your baskets?

Try two solutions, if possible, to decide which delivery service is more advantageous.

Has anyone found a different solution? Let us know here.

Good luck, Anibel. Keep searching. You’ll find the right delivery service.

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