Every day, courier dispatchers manage exceptions in the business. If a road is closed, if a delivery address is incomplete, if a gate is locked, if a vehicle is broken, or if any other unexpected problem arises, a capable communications system is crucial to managing exceptions. Courier businesses have started introducing push-to-talk digital communications platforms to lower communications friction, reduce support personnel, and improve customer service.
Couriers and messengers have grown considerably in recent years. In the US alone, couriers and messengers generated $139 billion in revenue in 2021. While demand is on the rise, the business is having a difficult time keeping couriers. Every day, couriers confront daily demands in addition to unpredictable situations, such as delivering to the incorrect address, being blocked from entering a building, or getting a flat tire. How well couriers and dispatchers can handle these issues can make or break a business. Reducing the friction that couriers encounter when communicating with dispatch reduces the likelihood that drivers will quit working. Despite any obstacles, deliveries will remain on time if dispatchers can communicate with couriers more efficiently.
How Digital Push-to-Talk Technology is Changing the Way Couriers Manage Exceptions
In response to the e-commerce boom, delivery services have become increasingly popular. In addition to the traditional courier service, which includes package delivery from sellers to customers, several other niche delivery services have sprung up. There are grocery delivery services that bring groceries directly to your door, food subscription services where they deliver pre-packaged meals right to your door, and even a meal kit delivery service where they drop off shelf-ready meal kits so you can cook at home instead of going out to eat. With all these new niche market opportunities emerging in the industry, small businesses need a solution that can streamline their processes while meeting their budget and operational needs. Read on to learn how digital push-to-talk technology is changing the way couriers manage exceptions.
How Push-to-Talk Works
When one person presses their button on the push to talk app or device, everyone else with whom they are connected hears a beep. The connected parties can then choose to push their button and talk, or they can choose to only listen what is being said, or snooze the message and hear the audio later. If a user chooses to talk, their audio is broadcast over the network and all connected parties can hear it. Users can also choose to send a text message or share a file.
Also read: What is push to talk?
A few Things PTT apps Can Do for Delivery Services
- Improved sound quality leads to less frustration – Drivers frequently drop inbound calls because of poor radio signals or being out of range when corporations use traditional walkie-talkie radios for dispatch-courier communications. Dispatchers frequently lose inbound calls because of poor radio signals or because drivers have gone entirely out of range. When a connection is made, there is often a lot of static, and dispatch may have trouble hearing or responding to a courier’s inquiry. Digital push-to-talk operates on Wi-Fi or cellular signals, allowing drivers and dispatchers to reliably connect from anywhere in the world with crystal clear sound every time. Spending time-solving exceptions instead of troubleshooting poor connections is possible thanks to excellent sound quality with digital push-to-talk.
- Quicker problem-solving needs faster connections: Push-to-talk technology is FMCSA compliant, eliminating the need for couriers to pull over to contact dispatch for help handling exceptions, such as unclear delivery addresses or confusing drop-off instructions. Drivers can instantly connect by pressing a button on their mobile device rather than pulling over to reach dispatch for help. Dispatchers can manage multiple drivers at once by switching between them. Several companies offer same-day deliveries in the Midwest US. To speed up communications between drivers and dispatchers, the corporation recently introduced digital push-to-talk technology. Dispatch calls have decreased by 25-30% since the new communication platform was rolled out, partly due to the improved connection. Dispatchers are more likely to solve driver issues on the first try due to clear and efficient communication.
An example of this is if an elderly driver chooses not to take on a job because of the heavy lifting involved. Instead of trying, again and again, to reconnect with dispatch, a courier can instantly connect to dispatch through their PTT app and receive a more suitable assignment. By being able to address exceptions more quickly, dispatchers at the company can now focus on taking customer calls.
Using state-of-the-art technology to increase retention:
Courier companies that retain talent are tough to run, as drivers are paid on the number of deliveries they complete. If companies are unable to guarantee a complete schedule for their independent contractors, they risk losing them to other courier firms. Employees within the industry have become familiar with job hopping for better benefits, higher pay, and fewer frustrations. Company leaders demonstrate their esteem for couriers by providing deskless employees with state-of-the-art technology, as a way of saying that they value them and want them to utilize cutting-edge communication technology on the job.
There is a courier company that offers same-day deliveries across North America and around the world. In the last 12 years, the company has delivered over 13 million deliveries, with over three million being urgent medical specimens.
According to Vice President Elijah Klein of that firm, she immediately noticed a reduction in dispatch response times when rolling out digital push-to-talk technology. In addition to improving how the company services its drivers and clients, Klein says that push-to-talk communications platforms have improved how they take care of their employees.
How Push-to-Talk Helps Couriers Deliver Great Results.
Every day, courier dispatchers manage exceptions in the business. If a road is closed, if a delivery address is incomplete, if a gate is locked, if a vehicle is broken, or if any other unexpected problem arises, a capable communications system is crucial to managing exceptions. Courier businesses have started introducing push-to-talk digital communications platforms to lower communications friction, reduce support personnel, and improve customer service. A voice-first communication platform that offers digital push-to-talk features is Talker. Couriers may take and send photos via Talker in addition to digital push-to-talk functions. This picture may be photographed by a courier and sent to dispatch in seconds, and a timestamped picture log will be created to assist dispatch keep a record of all deliveries. By using Talker, couriers can accomplish their jobs even better.
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