Most couriers will tell you they are reliable. The more useful test is how specifically they answer when you ask what reliable actually means. These seven questions are worth putting to any local courier before you commit your deliveries to them, and the answers are worth writing down.
The short version
- Ask for specifics: a time, a named process, a person to call, a recorded result.
- A vague answer is not a wrong answer, but it is a reason to ask a second question.
- Compare two or three couriers on the same seven questions, then run a small trial.
1. Can you commit to a delivery time, or only a window?
A window such as “between 9 and 5” is fine for some shipments and useless for others. If your deliveries have fixed deadlines, you need a courier who will commit to a time, and who will tell you plainly when they cannot.
A good answer says how the time is confirmed, what happens if it is going to slip, and how you will hear about it. A vague answer is “we will do our best.” For how a time is worked out, see how to set a same-day cutoff time.
2. Who actually makes the delivery?
Employees, contractors and a rotating pool of drivers each have different strengths. What matters is whether the same people tend to cover your route, because consistency is where fewer mistakes come from.
A good answer is specific about who drives, how they are briefed on your account, and whether a regular route has a regular driver. A vague answer is not knowing.
3. How do you handle items that need special care?
Fragile, upright-only, temperature-sensitive, oversized. Ask how those orders are secured and carried, and listen for specifics rather than general reassurance.
A good answer describes what happens to your kind of item: how it is positioned, what it is kept away from, and what the courier needs from you. A vague answer is “our drivers are careful.”
4. What happens when something goes wrong?
Every courier has bad days. The question is whether you have someone to call, whether they can tell you where the driver is, and what they do about it. That answer says more than any promise about avoiding problems.
A good answer names a person or a channel, says how quickly a problem is visible, and describes what happens next. A vague answer is a general inbox.
5. What do my customers see?
Tracking, notifications and proof of delivery all affect how your customers feel about the order. Ask what they receive and in what form, including whether it comes in both English and French if your customers need that. Bilingual delivery notifications explains why the language of those messages matters.
A good answer shows you a real tracking link, a real message and a real proof of delivery. A vague answer is a description of what “would” be sent.
6. How do you handle returns and failed deliveries?
Nobody is home, the address is wrong, the item is being sent back. How a courier handles the unhappy paths tells you how much of the job they have actually thought through.
A good answer describes a retry rule you can choose, what the customer is told, and how a return is collected. A vague answer is “we contact the customer.” See failed delivery attempts and how a return actually works for what to ask.
7. How does pricing change as my volume changes?
You want to know what happens in a busy month and a quiet one, and whether growth means renegotiating or just continuing. Surprises in pricing are rarely good ones.
A good answer explains what drives the price (distance, stops, waiting time, return runs) and what is included. A vague answer is a single number with no conditions. Why a multi-stop route costs less per stop and what doing it yourself really costs help you test the figures you are given.
Specific answers and vague ones, side by side
| Question | A specific answer includes | A vague answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Time or window | A time, how it is confirmed, what happens if it slips. | “We will do our best.” |
| Who delivers | Who drives, how they are briefed, whether routes have regular drivers. | “Our network of drivers.” |
| Special care | What happens to your type of item, step by step. | “Our drivers are careful.” |
| When something goes wrong | A named contact and how fast a problem is visible. | “Email us.” |
| What customers see | A real tracking link, message and proof, in the right language. | “Customers get updates.” |
| Returns and misses | A choice of retry rule and a described return pickup. | “We contact the customer.” |
| Pricing | What drives the price and what is included. | A single figure with no conditions. |
Run a small trial before you commit
Questions get you part of the way. A trial gets you the rest. Pick a normal week, send a limited number of real deliveries, and decide in advance what counts as success: the share that arrived at the committed time, the quality of the tracking and photo, how fast you could reach someone about a problem, and how your customers responded. Check the result against what you were told.
Put the answers in writing
Whatever you choose, ask for the answers to be written down, even in a short email. The details worth capturing are the delivery time or window, the handling notes for your goods, the retry rule, the language of customer messages and the conditions that change the price. It protects both sides, and it makes the first misunderstanding much shorter.
Frequently asked questions
How many couriers should I compare?
Two or three is enough. Ask each the same seven questions and compare the answers on specifics, not on the headline price.
Is it reasonable to ask for a reference?
Yes. A courier that is comfortable with the question may offer to put you in touch with a customer in a similar business, if that customer agrees.
What is the biggest red flag?
Answers that avoid specifics. A courier that cannot say how a time is confirmed, or who you would call, probably has not built the process behind the promise.
We are happy to answer all seven for recourier.ca. Ask us when you request a quote.