subject: Courier Software And Address Validation/verification [print this page] Courier software often features a function which is called address validation or verification. This is a feature of courier dispatch software which can be useful both to the courier company and to the customers. It is a feature which essentially cross references any address entered into the system against legal US addresses. That way, it can flag an address if an order is requested to an address that doesn't actually exist.
This is useful for a number of different reasons. First of all, it is the easiest thing in the world to make a typo. All it takes is one wrong number in a street address to send a package going to the completely wrong location. Luckily, many times that a mistake like this is made, it will create a conflict between the zip code and the street, the street and the address, or some combination thereof. Therefore, the package will never leave, because you'll recognize that the address is incorrect.
Mistakes on shipping addresses cost customers money. Most courier companies that are out there charge a customer if a mistake is made on a shipping address. This is why customers love this feature in their courier software. It lets them know that their courier is not trying to charge them extra fees needlessly, and is in fact giving them the tools they require to avoid having to pay fees for avoidable mistakes.
It is also a useful feature to have right at the courier office itself however. Many orders don't come in over the internet or through email. If a customer calls an order in, a courier agent is going to have to enter it into the electronic system. They can then use the address validation to verify that it is in fact a real address, again preventing a costly mistake.
These errors can be caused in a number of ways besides typos. If an agent is taking down an address over the phone, it is very easy to mishear one number or letter for another. Handwriting is often hard for people to read. Faxes can become smudged or illegible. With all these different ways to make a mistake when it comes to the addressing of a package, it can be very helpful to use a software feature that can catch some of those mistakes before the packages are actually on the truck, because once that truck leaves, it becomes a mistake that costs money.
