Ship It Fast with a London Courier

Technology is marvellous but although email, instant messaging and texts are fantastic but sometimes you just need to get an actual item or paper document somewhere safely, swiftly and securely. That's where couriers come in.

You could of course risk the postal service but for peace of mind it's probably better not to just stick a stamp on and hope for the best, especially if you are sending something fragile, important, containing sensitive material or even just time sensitive. And the last time I looked Royal Mail didn't offer a pick up service or same day delivery.

There are many London Couriers available but you should definitely read the small print as they are not all created equal. A one man band "guy with a moped" type courier might be fine for delivering your pizza but for legal or financial documents or valuable antiques for instance you want a reputable firm offering a seamless service.

These are points to check for when you are looking for a courier.

• Are they insured? Accidents happen and nothing is foolproof so if the worst does happen you want the reassurance that your shipment is insured.
• Do they offer online booking and tracking services? Online services mean you have all the information you need at your fingertips.
• Some companies offer the services of a personal account manager who will monitor your delivery from booking to delivery. Does the company you are looking at offer this or might you end up on hold on the phone trying to find someone who knows where your parcel has gone.
• Do they offer a variety of options like overnight logistics, international shipping or same day services?
• Can they cope with specialist deliveries like medical, fashion or financial items. If you are sending your latest fashion collection for a runway show you need to be able to trust the couriers will get it there on time and in good condition.
• Does the company offer home or office pick up?

If your item is time sensitive or there are specific instructions for delivery you really want to be confident that the courier you choose can be trusted to follow instructions to the letter. Finding a courier company which has a team dedicated to guaranteeing a smooth, stress free service is worth spending time on. Barry and his bike might be cheap but a larger company is more likely to have back up and experienced staff to solve any unexpected challenges along the way.

Interestingly I discovered that using a courier for larger parcels at least worked out cheaper for me than using traditional mail services. All I needed was a tape measure and weighing scales to get a fast accurate quote. I saved a fortune sending gifts to New Zealand as well.

A good courier will have access to all forms of transport from zippy little bikes to beat city traffic to aircraft. Some companies are really working hard to become more sustainable so may have zero or low emission vehicles at their disposal.

There's almost nothing a good courier can't transport so whether you have just one sheet of A4 or an entire truckload of equipment to move, check out what your local courier company has to offer.