subject: Obtaining A Proof Of Delivery [print this page] Because it is now so easy for a courier company to provide you with a proof of delivery, it is becoming something that you should insist on from any San Antonio courier service that you choose to do business with. Technology is what has made this such a straight forward, and even automated process, and any courier that isn't providing these types of services to their clients, at the very least as an option, is clearly behind the times in terms of the technology in use in the courier industry. In the past, providing a proof of delivery could be a real hassle if the courier company had to phone every client to let them know that their package had been successfully delivered. That sort of system is a thing of the past now though, and technology has provided new and simple ways to ensure not only that you get a proof of delivery, but that you get it faster, that it is more accurate, and that you can have it delivered to you in a variety of different media.
The handheld units that most courier drivers now carry with them is part of what makes these real time proof of delivery notifications so easy to distribute to clients. Many courier companies now ship using a bar code identification system. This means that they, or you, will have to label every package with a bar code that identifies it as a unique shipment in the system, and quite often the bar code will just be part of the shipping label. Then, when scanning the item at delivery it automatically logs the item as delivered. Many units also include a signature verification option so that they can electronically capture a signature to be included in the proof of delivery file. Then, as simply as a button pressed, the notification can be emailed to the client so that they know the right person has taken the delivery of the package, with the signature to prove it. There are also some couriers who can send a text message verification notice just to let you know that the proof of delivery has been sent.
It has gotten to the point now where you should require proof of delivery options from any courier that you decide to hire for your company. If they haven't yet implemented this kind of a system it simply indicates that they are falling too far behind in the courier industry.
