subject: Obtaining A Proof Of Delivery [print this page] Every time you ship something with a courier you should obtain a proof of delivery. This is something that you should insist on from your Pittsburgh courier service. However, it's also important to realize that this isn't something that you should have to insist on. A good courier should not only always provide you with a proof of delivery, but should actually have several different options for you to obtain such.
Proof of delivery is documentation that shows that your delivery was completed successfully and that your client or customer has accepted delivery of the shipment. It is very important that you have this in case there is ever a problem that is raised by that person regarding the delivery in the future. If, for example, they decide to claim that they never received their package, or that it was damaged when they received it, you need to have some kind of documentation which shows that this is not the case, and that they signed for the package, acknowledging that they did in fact receive it.
There are a lot of different ways that the best courier companies can provide you with a proof of delivery notification. Typically speaking, there is usually a hard copy that the package recipient will sign, saying that they received the package. This will usually be mailed to you, often with your account statement at your normal billing period. However, you can also have them faxed to you if you require them sooner.
There is a much faster way to make sure that you receive all of your proof of delivery notifications however. This is something called instant proof of delivery notifications. This is done using the handheld units which most couriers now carry with them. Using a combination of their bar code scanning and electronic signature capabilities, the drivers use these units to email you a real time POD as soon as the delivery is completed, and it is one that will include the signature of your client which has been electronically gathered.
If you're making a lot of deliveries that are worth a lot of money, it can be worth it to make sure that you have a courier who can provide you with a real time POD option. It is just extra documentation to prove your position that all deliveries are being made in a responsible manner and have been accepted by the correct parties, something which just helps to protect your own organization.
