There’s nothing more frustrating than waiting in anticipation for your new order of custom printed T-shirts or embroidered hoodies only to find that you’ve missed the delivery.
Thankfully, missed deliveries are usually resolved quickly and easily with most couriers simply delivering the following day or sending your parcel to a nearby parcel shop for you to collect at your earliest convenience.
However, we know you’d still prefer to get your parcel on the first try. So we’ve put together this guide to help you maximise your chances of getting your hands on your Fairtrade sweatshirts sooner.
Check Your Address
We’ll always ask you for your address. If you’re ordering through our online shop, this will be done directly through the site when you place your order.
Things work a little bit differently if you request a quote and place your order through one of our team. In this case, you’ll need to let them know where you’d like your new organic polo shirts to be sent to. They will usually ask you when finalising your quote and confirming the order.
However you tell us, the first step in making sure that the address you give to us is the correct one.
Some of the most common reasons for an address being wrong include:
- Typos – A simple misspelling of a post code or house number can cause your order to get held up with the courier.
- Moving House – If you’re planning on moving house in the coming weeks, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and let us know when so the person in your old house doesn’t receive your shiny new printed hoodies.
- Old Address – If you have recently moved since you placed a previous order, we may have an old address on file. Be sure to update it before/while placing your next one.
Make Your Office or House Easy to Find
With a decade of sending parcels behind us, we’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve had parcels get held up because a delivery driver can’t find an address. There are many reasons why this may be, though it can happen in rural areas and in big cities.
Here are the reasons we see most often for a courier struggling to find a property:
- It’s in the Middle of Nowhere – Escaping to the country offers many great benefits, but it can mean it’s hard to find you. If you live in a rural area, be sure to have the name or number of your property displayed from the road so a passing van driver can find you.
- It’s a Block of Flats – Large houses converted to apartments are often difficult to find as they may not always have an obvious entrance. Again, try to have your number/name displayed on the street.
- You Have a Letter in Your House Number – Most of us have house numbers, but a small group also has a letter thrown in for good measure. Delivery drivers can sometimes struggle to find 1C or 12B if it’s not immediately obvious where it’s located so, again, it can help to have your number displayed on the street.
- Your House is Hidden by Plants – Bushes and trees are great for many reasons, we even plant new trees when you use our Plant a Tree shipping method. But if you’ve let them grow tall outside your home, your shrubs might block a delivery driver from seeing your house number. Consider trimming them back or placing a number on your garden fence.
- You’re in Serviced Offices – Serviced offices are great for small businesses as you get all of the facilities you need to operate with less hassle. However, this can make it hard to find you from the street since it’s unlikely you’ll have your signs outside. In this case, include the building name in the address you give us.
Keep an Eye on the Tracking
If you provide us with a valid phone number and email address when you place your order, we’ll pass this on to the courier so that they can send you tracking details. You’ll usually receive an email and/or text message when your order has been dispatched to tell you when you can expect it.
Some couriers may give you a timeframe in which they’ll deliver your parcel, though not all do this. You may also be able to change the delivery date or redirect it to a neighbour or nearby parcel shop from the tracking link you’re sent.
Keeping an eye on the tracking can help make sure you’re in so you don’t miss the courier.
Use what3words
what3words is a new service that has split the entire planet into tiny squares. Each one gets its own three-word address that can be used to direct someone to a precise location, anywhere on earth.
This has proved to be useful for a whole range of reasons, including allowing the emergency services to find people faster when they need help. Another common use is to help set an accurate meeting place for when you’re going out with friends.
Many couriers are beginning to use what3words to help get their parcels to their customers. This works by telling the delivery company the what3words address of your office entrance or front door.
We’ve found that customers who use what3words have a much greater chance of getting their parcel on the first try, so it’s definitely worth setting up.
The process is pretty similar for most couriers, though here are some links to guides to help you:
- Evri (formerly Hermes)
- DPD (DPD is our primary courier)
- DHL
what3words keeps an updated list of couriers that support their service which you can find here.
Get a Video Doorbell
Video doorbells are becoming more and more popular as their cost decreases. They work in the same way as a standard bell but they also connect to your phone and allow you to talk to whoever’s at your door, even when you’re not home.
This is great if you’re not in and you receive a delivery as you can tell the courier where to leave it or ask them to take it to a nearby parcel shop.
It can also help to reduce the chances of you missing a delivery while you are in since you’ll get a push notification on your smartphone, tablet, and/or computer.
While there are plenty of great video doorbells on the market, several of our team members have Ring products and they all speak very highly of them.
Make Sure People Know to Expect a Parcel
Although this happens less regularly than the other issues, we do still see plenty of occasions where parcels make it to the right place, only to be rejected by someone at the other end.
Rejected parcels often cause significant delays as they’ll be returned to us and will require checking again before they can be sent out for a second time.
Usually, the person who actually ordered the custom printed tote bags isn’t the one to refuse delivery. Instead, it’s usually a relative, housemate, colleague, gatehouse, or receptionist who turns aways the driver.
If you think that this could happen to you, be sure to let all the appropriate people know that you’re expecting a parcel and that they shouldn’t reject it.
If you follow the tips above, no matter whether you’re ordering printed T-shirts in Manchester, London or further afield we should be able to have them arrive with you safely and on time.
