What Makes A Good Parcel Courier Service Part 1

The other day I was looking to get TMC listed in some internet directories under various categories such as “parcel transportation”, “delivery services” and “courier services”.

There are lots of review sites, some of which specialise in the transportation field. Thumbs up for that. Many of these review sites are crammed with comments. Thumbs up again.

Then it quickly dawned on me that virtually every review I came across, on every directory, was a complaint.  Literally thousands of them.  Not about us, you understand.

I thought to myself: “Is it really so hard to get it right?”

So, turning negatives into positives, here’s Part 1 of our definitive list of “What Makes a Good Parcel Courier Service”.

1. Basic ability

Seems simple doesn’t it. A ‘delivery company’ only has to do one thing. Deliver. Yet it sees that some companies have great difficulty getting the basics right.

Fundamental to same day or overnight delivery is, well, just that. Look for a courier company that shows it can get the basics right before you look for the supporting factors.

2. Real customer service

When you call your courier company, do you get to speak to a human? Do you get a reply when you send an email? Do they call back when they say they will or quote your price when they say they will?

Judge how they talk to you on the phone and respond to email enquiries and don’t settle for poor service. Attitude to service tells you a lot about their attitude to getting your parcel there on time.

3. Transparent pricing

Delivery and shipping costs are vitally important to everyone – and clearly have to be controlled.  But bear in mind ‘cheap’ isn’t always ‘best’. Nor is the price you see always the price you pay.

Of course, “cheapest” and “best” are two factors that everyone wants to go hand in hand. So watch out for hidden extras or contract riders that may excuse delivery delays.

4. Honesty

Sometimes, just sometimes, packages don’t arrive at their destination when they’re supposed to. So if things go wrong, your courier company should be able to tell you why.

We all know ‘things happen’. Accidents, bad weather and other factors beyond our control are just a fact of life. But it’s not unreasonable to expect a proper explanation for the delay.

5. Proof

Thinking back to all the terrible reviews of courier and delivery companies I mentioned earlier, it pays to look for positive reviews and testimonials.

They can, of course, be made up. But real testimonials from real companies can be worth all the glossy marketing in the world.

Look out for Part 2 of our guide to What Makes a Good Parcel Courier Service soon!

 To See More Clink Here TMC Transport

Celebrate Mother's Day at Ware Priory

Celebrate Mothers’ Day and make it an extra special day Sunday 18th March 2012 at Ware Priory

 Mother’s Day Luncheon Sunday 18th March 2012 

12.30pm - for 1.00pm 

£28.00 per person 

£14.00 per child 

Our superb three course Carvery features 

A delicious assortment of starters 

A selection of Roast Meats available from our Carvery 

with all the trimmings 

Our Chef’s sumptuous Dessert Table 

Tea, Coffee & Truffle 

Wedding's at Ware Priory.

For that extra special occasion Ware Priory is one of the leading wedding and banqueting 

venues in Hertfordshire. The historic building and beautiful riverside setting makes it a unique and special place to celebrate the most important days of your life. 

At Ware Priory, we understand that your wedding or celebration is special, and so 

to ensure a magical time, we offer: 

• A choice of historical or contemporary surroundings 

• A choice of licensed rooms for civil ceremonies 

• A range of wonderful rooms from 20 to 200 capacity 

• Riverside location and gardens 

• Realistic , competitive pricing 

• Beautiful and unique surroundings 

• Experienced, friendly staff on hand to help make your special day one to remember. 

more than a venue …. for more information please visit 

www.warepriory.co.uk or call 01920 460316 

Ware Priory, High Street, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9AL 

Sweety Glass Hire

I had a fantastic time at the wedding Fayre at Sopwell House.
The staff were very friendly and it’s such a beautiful venue for a wedding.

I was delighted to meet so many romantic husbands-to-be, but is there a worthy winner amongst these creative proposals?
I'll let you decide:

The 'Double-bluff' Proposal 
We had been to a friend's wedding. 
I was a bit upset because we'd been going out for ages and Matthew still hadn't proposed. 
I said that even if he asked I would say 'No' just out of spite! 
When we got home from the wedding, I was just walking out of the kitchen when my partner said 'Would you still say No if I had one of these?'

He was standing in the lounge with the ring in his hand and proposed straight away.
I stood still in shock and said 'Yes'. 
Little did I realise he had already bought the ring and had sought my parent's permission beforehand.
As for the double-bluff, did it work or didn't it ??

Speechless Proposal Acceptance
It was Christmas morning, I was just waking up and rolled over in bed.
My partner, Rob was sitting on the bed with the ring in a box.
As soon as he proposed I started to cry and nodded.
Sadly, my Dad is no longer with us, so Rob had asked my mum's permission beforehand - she said 'Yes!'

Sleepy 2011 Proposal 
My partner had planned a romantic proposal at midnight on New Year's Eve.
We'd had a wonderful 3 course meal at home and settled down to watch the fireworks at midnight.
By 11:30pm I was starting to nod off, so Olly decided to bring the proposal forward.
He got down on one knee with the ring in his hand and proposed.
I was so excited I said 'Yes' straight away.
He gave me the box and I had to ask him to put the ring on my finger.
He had asked permission from my father first, so my family all knew.

Packed Restaurant Proposal
We had gone out for a meal with my family in Blackpool.
In the middle of a packed restaurant, my partner Roy, went down on one knee with the ring in his hand and proposed.
I laughed nervously and said 'Yes'.
We had discssed ring styles, but I didn't realise he'd taken one of my rings to get the correct ring size.
My father was in in more of a state than me, he was in tears.

Misty Lake Proposal 
We were on holiday in Switzerland by Lake Geneva.
It was a beautiful setting, with mist on the lake.
My partner Paul got down on one knee with the ring in his hand and proposed.
My immediate reaction was: 'What are you doing?'
His reply was: 'I'm proposing, you silly woman!'
I then said 'Yes'.
Apparently the ring was hidden in his clothes, but the scanner didn't beep (for security reasons, I can't divulge which airport).

Before going away on holiday, Paul had taken my father down the pub and asked his permission.  

Cold Proposal 
My partner Sam had booked a surprise holiday. I was so excited at the prospect of going somewhere hot and exotic in September.

When we arrived at the airport, he announced the destination: New York. 'How cool', I thought.  
The next morning I realised just how cool it was, literally Freezing cold (so much for the heatwave, he'd promised me!)
We went for a Horse & Carriage ride around Central Park, Sam got down on one knee in the carriage and proposed.
I had waited ages for him to propose, so that when he actually did, I confess I swore and cried.
We then went on to Tiffany's where he had booked a table with Champagne waiting for us.
I have no idea where we are planning to go on honeymoon, but I fancy somewhere hot!

Oops, forgot the Champagne 
In June, my partner took me for a romantic picnic by a river.
We sat under a beautiful willow tree, it was so pictureque.
Whilst having our picnic, Tony knelt down and proposed.
I said 'Yes' straight away.
He had apparently spent ages researching the location.
Unfortunately he had forgotten to sneak in a bottle of Champagne, so we celebrated with 'Appletizer' instead.   

Please email Lindsay at lindsay@myeventsmadeeasy.co.uk with the proposal you think best

Cheshunt Marriott

SAVOUR SUNDAYS WITH SUNDAY LUNCH AT THE

CHESHUNT MARRIOTT HOTEL.

Make the most of Sundays, whether it is with family, friends or for

a special occasion take the hassle out of getting together with

Sunday lunch in our Grill Restaurant.

Every Sunday 12noon - 3pm.

2 course carvery £15.75 or 3 courses £17.95.

To book call the Grill Restaurant on 01992 451 245.

CHESHUNT MARRIOTT HOTEL

Halfhide Lane, Turnford,Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 6NG

01992 451 245 |CheshuntMarriott.co.uk

Terms and conditions apply. Corporate dining discount not applicable on Sunday lunch.

Hazara Jewellery

The concept of hiring costume jewellery originated from Nabila’s
personal experience; it is often discussed amongst friends and family
about the pressure females are put under to look their best on the big
day. Hazara Jewellery specialises in Asian bridal jewellery as in
Asian weddings a huge sum of money is spent in purchasing wedding
costume jewellery. Hiring costume jewellery is a ground breaking and
exciting new concept, and Hazara Jewellery is proud to be one of the
first to bring the ability to the Asian market.
It may be that customers would just like to try something completely
different to their normal style, Hazara Jewellery will allow customers
to experiment with a new look without feeling that they have made a
huge pay out especially as it may never get used again.


Hazara Jewellery has the following objectives:

1. To generate and preserve a reputation of being the one-stop-shop
for all females wishing to hire and buy Asian style jewellery for all
occasions from weddings to birthday parties.

2. Aim to evidence that hiring jewellery is the smart new way to adorn
yourself in stunning jewellery for a fraction of the cost of
ownership.

3. To offer high quality, stylish fashion jewellery – everything from
the current season’s leading trends, to traditional styles that are
always in fashion. Hazara Jewellery will aim to regularly update it’s
collection so there’s always something new for the customer to borrow.

4. Establish a strong referral network among others in the bridal industry.

5. To provide a personalised customer service for customers living in
Bedfordshire and surrounding areas through the mobile service, where
customers can request a home.

Joy Salem’s Silk Flowers

Joy has produced a beautiful bouquet of silk flowers that are long lasting and non-allergenic. So if you are a bride or bridesmaid that can not have real flowers in their bouquet or would just like to be able to keep your bouquet as a treasured memory of the day than have a chat withJoy

Holiday Hut

Why use a Travel Researcher?

You’re ‘both’ putting a lot of time and effort into ensuring that your big day is memorable and that everything goes right. The colours of the flowers and bridesmaids’ dresses match, the food is top notch and the seating has been arranged so that nobody important is sat near the drafty door.

But in general the same attention to detail just doesn’t go into the honeymoon. This is why you hear stories of honeymoons being disrupted by bad weather, tickets being booked in the wrong names, not having the right visas or not checking that you actually have a transfer arranged to get you to the hotel. This is the first two weeks of married life. It’s important people!

Perhaps it’s the fault of tradition. But let’s be honest, nothing important should ever be left to the groom. Just be thankful that he’s going to show up on time. Don’t leave anything else to him.

This is where a travel researcher comes in. I will work with you to plan your honeymoon down to the last detail. In many cases, I can find better deals for you than even the most discounted travel websites.

Andy wasn’t sure about using travel research service when he came to me last March. He had a rough idea of what he wanted, but didn’t know the best way to book. A client gave him my details. To be honest, without this recommendation he probably wouldn’t have called as this service is so unusual. Luckily my clients love my work and are always willing to recommend me to their friends.

So we went through the travel research questions to find out what he really wanted, and I set about putting the best possible honeymoon together based on the requirements he listed and within the price range that he had in mind.

I caught up with him after his honeymoon. Yes he had a great time, the hotels, locations and tours were wonderful. But to him the one thing that made the difference was the personalised guide book that I put together for him. Each part of the trip was clearly laid out, with step by step instructions for the airport, getting around, and suggestions for restaurants, shopping and sightseeing. He said that whenever the stresses of work or life got him down, he looked at the pictures in the guide book which reminded him that than in a little while he would be on his honeymoon.

Now he has his own pictures to look at to remind him.