As I sit here anxiously waiting for the arrival of my packages, I wonder why delivery services do not offer customers the option of picking up packages from their distribution center.
Pros
- Saves the delivery company time and gas from making door-to-door deliveries.
- Customers can get packages at a predictable time at their own convenience – no more staying at home just to wait for a package, or sad faces when you find those “we’ve missed you…” notes.
- Less chance of the package being damaged while out for delivery
- Less chance of packages being stolen off porches
Cons
- Many delivery drivers will be out of a job
- Increased pollution as more people will choose to drive themselves to pick up packages — however you can make the case that making a second or third trip to someone’s house because they are not home is equality as taxing on the environment.
- Additional staffing at distribution centers to accomodate pickups.
Anyways, it’s pretty clear that the benefits outweigh the cost of setting up a “pickup at distribution center” system. Just give customers who have tracking numbers the option to hold their packages at the closes distribution center. Email them when the package are scanned in at the distribution center and allow them time to come pick up.
Most of the distribution centers already do this. But this usually happens AFTER a failed delivery attempt.