subject: Getting A Proof Of Delivery From Your Courier [print this page] Anyone that has been in business a long time knows that maintaining a proper paper trail is always an important part of protecting yourself in any industry. In the courier industry, or in any business which utilizes the courier industry, one of the most important parts of that trail is always something called the POD, or proof of delivery. This is something that you need to make sure that you get from your Sacramento courier service on every single delivery, as doing so will make sure that you're protected against false claims at a later date regarding your shipment.
A proof of delivery is your vital documentation which proves that the delivery was completed to the specified shipping address, and that it was accepted by someone at that location. There are times when customers may claim that deliveries were not completed as promised, or that packages never arrived, or were damaged when they did. Your proof of delivery shows that the package did arrive, and that it was in good enough condition when it did that someone signed for it and accepted it. The POD is very important to resolving disputes of this manner.
There are different kinds of POD that you can get from your courier company. Usually, they will send you the physical POD at some point during your billing cycle, but there are faster ways to get them as well. You can have them fax you a copy if you need a copy of the paper POD faster, but the fastest way to get a proof of delivery is through the new instant proof of delivery systems that many couriers have put in place.
They accomplish this using the new handheld units that many courier drivers carry, which have the ability to electronically capture a signature. They have the customer sign with a stylus on their handheld device to verify acceptance of the package, and can then instantly email you the proof of delivery. This is by far the fastest way to show you that your package has safely arrived and been accepted by your customer or client.
Always ensure that you get a proof of delivery on every shipment that you send. To do otherwise is to invite trouble. By now, you should also be looking for courier companies that offer real time instant PODs, as this is quickly becoming the industry accepted standard that you should demand.
