Citylink users

[jxm28788]

There was a thread a while back where we were all listing the rates we were paying for various couriers - but i can't seem to find it now. Just wondering if there are any other citylink customers out there that wouldn't mind sharing their return charges as well?

We get charged a £7.95 redirection fee PLUS our normal delivery charge to return it to us. So if a customer fails to allow it to be delivered we end up paying the initial delivery charge (£6) a redirection charge (£7.95) and a return delivery charge (£6).

So I've lost £20 in charges just because some numpty who knew they wouldn't be in has missed 2 deliveries and then couldn't be bothered to collect it from the depot or arrange a convenient time for a 3rd delivery.

This has happened several times recently and it's getting a bit annoying, but there's nothing we can do because of the ridiculous DSR.

But has anyone managed to negotiate these fees down with city link? I mean there's no way the return fee should be the same as the outgoing delivery charge (they are here every day anyway so they aren't making a special trip, and the outbound one has 2 redeliveries built in, where-as they know we'll always be in first time) - and what the heck is the redirection fee for (again the time for them to copy the details from the manifest onto their system for the outgoing delivery is built in to the initial delivery cost, so surely the time taken to type in a new address should be included in the return fee...)

[Mark H]

John, I don't know about Citylink, but if you're considering moving, Parcelforce (who have improved significantly over the last 12 months IMO) don't charge anything at all for returns.

[jxm28788]

Well I tried Interlink - who offerered good rates but couldn't offer collections after 14:30(!), and DHL who offered good rates and the extended home delivery (but in practice were utterly useless and ending up costing more), so not much luck finding anyone better than citylink so far.

What sort of rates can you get out of them? and how many times do they attempt delivery if it fails the first time?

[Mark H]

Broadly £6.50 for 48 hour and £7.00 for 24 hour (I'd rather not reveal our "turnover"), and £6.50 to collect, all for parcels up to 30Kg.

They usually try to redeliver twice, and I think they also have a service where it can be left at the local Post Office rather than a depot miles away, although we don't seem to need this very much.

PS no VAT

[Chunkford]

Have you tried interlink using their SMS and email notifications?
I know when my main client started to use it, they now have hardly any non deliveries, as the SMS and email gives the customer an option to have it re-delivered up to 5 days later if they are not in that day of delivery.
Also, if you keep on top of your exceptions you should get away with not having the parcel returned, as it asks you what you would like to do with it. They only return it when you ignore their requests.
Also, they are improving their system and soon (don't know when) when they send the SMS or/and email, it will give a time of delivery e.g. your parcel will be delivered between 10am and 11am today.... allowing your customers to better plan their day

[jxm28788]

Interlink are no good if the driver can only collect before 14:30... we're still taking next day orders upto 15:30 and then they have to be processed and packed...

[guccij]

Given the rates you are being charged, Parcelforce and someone's time to take the stuff to the nearest Parcelforce-accepting PO might work out cheaper...

[Stereo Steve]

You'll get these sort of charges whichever courier you use. If it's not returns it'll be something else. We've been through the lot over time and eventually settled on DHL who are as good as any and the cheapest we can find. the more volume you have, the better the price you can negotiate. You should be able to get DHL down to around £3 per box up to 30kg for next day / £4 for offshore UK.

[jxm28788]

You'll get these sort of charges whichever courier you use. If it's not returns it'll be something else. We've been through the lot over time and eventually settled on DHL who are as good as any and the cheapest we can find. the more volume you have, the better the price you can negotiate. You should be able to get DHL down to around £3 per box up to 30kg for next day / £4 for offshore UK.

They were the worst we've tried. They may be cheap initially but they charge for just about everything, and only try to delivery once. If they can't deliver then they'd send it back to us with a little sticker (incomplete address, nobody home etc etc) 2-3 weeks(!!!!) later and that would be the first we'd know about it.

At least citylink try again and they email us for each parcel that fails the first time, and the 2nd time, and 5 days later before they return it to us. And they email us if there's something wrong with the address, or they can't find it, or if the customer refuses it which then gives us a chance to provide further instructions or corrections. They don't just sit on it for weeks without telling us then send it back!

And as for collections - don't even get me started on that the bunch of useless *******s. I raised a collection with specific instructions from them to collect from address A (my customer) and return to address B (me). But the customer reused a box with someone elses address on it and DHL sent it to that address. When I complained they refused to do anything about it and said they just deliver it to the address on the box and the initial booking instructions "do not follow through the system" (ie. they ignore your instructions).

[parklifeclothes]

Why have you posted looking for advice and the just about blasted every suggestion offered

[jxm28788]

Because I've tried the other suggestions already and for the reasons stated they are no good to me (interlink can't collect at a reasonable time and DHL are just crap).

I'm happy with citylink except for their returns charges and just wondered if any other citylink customers had managed to negotiate the fees down or got rid of either of the returns charges.

I'm meeting them soon to discuss charges in general and I know they'll say these are 'fixed' but if anyone else has negotiated them down I'll have some leverage.

I appreciate the other suggestions, but really my question was specifically about citylink and not asking for alternatives. Sorry if my answers came across as being dismissive just really busy...

[Stereo Steve]

John, we actually find the add on charges with other couriers (and we have literally used them all) to end up higher than those with DHL per parcel. Still, if you can't use them, fair enough.

DHL are one of the best couriers we have used. We do have the full Easyship computer and access to the software thing (name escapes me) which allows you to contact depots directly. We send many hundreds of parcels a week with DHL and get far less customer complaints than we ever did with City link or Interlink. Yes you get returns and yes drivers mess up etc. but you have to give them 6 months before you make a judgement.

I suppose what my advice would be is that if you are looking for the perfect courier, give up right now. Save yourself the time, money, heartache and business interuption. find one that mostly fits your business and stick with them, work with the driver and local rep and try to make the best of it. For us, 20 or 30p per order cheaper buys a whole lot of problem solving so cheapest carries a lot of weight.