Half the morning calls are the same question
The consignee ordered something from a business in another part of the country. The business used its local depot, the pallet went through the hub, and now it is on one of your vehicles. The consignee has a tracking number that says 'out for delivery' and nothing else.
So they ring. Is it this morning? Can you give me a time? I have to collect the kids at three. Your office looks at the run, rings the driver, and rings back. By ten o'clock the phones are full of consignees for other depots' customers, and your own customers cannot get through.
Consignees do not know who you are
In a pallet network the depot delivering the goods is often invisible to the person receiving them. Tracking shows statuses, not times, and the consignee's only contact is the phone number they find for your depot.
- The network's tracking does not show an estimated time.
- Consignee phone numbers and emails are on the booking but not used.
- Drivers are asked for ETAs by phone, which slows them down.
- Access notes (gate codes, where to leave it) come in by phone and do not reach the driver.
What the calls cost
Office time, first. Then drivers interrupted mid-run. Then failed deliveries when the consignee is out because nobody told them when to expect it, which turns into a returns problem the next day.
The consignee's experience also reflects on the network and on the sending depot, which is not a relationship you want to strain.
There is a hidden cost in the notes, too. When a consignee rings to say the gate code is 4417 or the unit is round the back, that detail is written on a pad in the office. Whether it reaches the driver depends on who took the call and whether they remembered to ring him. When it does not, the driver wastes time on site, or brings the pallet back.
How we tell consignees when you are coming
- Once runs are planned, each consignee with a mobile or email on the booking gets a message: your pallet is due today between these times, from this depot.
- The window comes from the run plan and narrows as the driver completes earlier drops.
- A link lets the consignee add access notes, confirm someone is in, or say today does not suit.
- Notes reach the driver's app against that drop. 'Not today' goes to the office to replan before the driver sets off.
- When the driver is one or two drops away, a short 'next few minutes' message goes out if you want it.
- Messages are sent by SMS through Twilio or a similar provider, worded in your depot's voice with the network name if the network allows.
| Message | Sent when | Consignee can |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery today | Runs planned | Add notes, say not today |
| Window update | Driver progress changes it | Nothing needed |
| Driver close | One or two drops away | Get ready |
| Delivered | POD captured | See the photo |
What you say in the messages, and whether they go out at all for certain services, is your choice and within your network's rules.
A quieter morning on the phones
Most consignees stop ringing because they already know. The ones who do ring get an answer from the same screen the messages come from. Drivers are called less, and more pallets are delivered first time because people are in.
Signs your depot needs this
- Morning calls are mostly 'when will it arrive'.
- Drivers are rung for ETAs during their runs.
- Access notes arrive by phone and get lost.
- Deliveries fail because the consignee was out.