The Logistics sector is very close to the market average on all fronts, both in individual pillars and in terms of total scores, with Zásilkovna clearly dominating the sector, just like it did in 2020.
In the pandemic-ridden year of 2020, Logistics, as well as the Telecommunications sector and Grocery Retail, benefited heavily from their indispensability. In that year, the sector has shown rapid improvement in all pillars and took home the third place, a success it managed to hold on to in 2021.
In logistics, the most important factor for customers is the company’s ability to meet the promised schedules and terms and to keep the customer informed on their parcel’s status – that is, setting up the right expectations.
The availability of pick-up points and the related option to pick up the parcel whenever it suits the customer is also crucial, with more and more customers favouring this type of parcel delivery.
The undisputed king of the sector, Zásilkovna, also became the overall winner of the entire Czech Top 100 Customer Experiences – again. The company stands out with its fast, cheap, and reliable service, with respondents showing special appreciation for the company’s services during the pandemic and praising a dense network of pick-up points and quick, efficient communication. The company achieved very high scores in all pillars, with the highest score in time and effort, showing that they are truly fulfilling the customers’ demand for a quick and simple delivery service.
Their “Between Us” service that allows individuals – not just businesses – to send parcels to each other is also greatly popular, while their app can boast over 1.5 million downloads, making it the third most downloaded Google Play app in the country. In 2021, the company also introduced an option to have parcels delivered to your home address.
The company has been growing internationally as well, asserting its presence in Germany, Hungary, Poland or Slovakia and with bold plans to expand to the Middle East.
The second-best logistics company on the Czech market, PPL, has been busy as well, introducing a chat window right on their website to complement their support channel on Facebook Messenger with plans to improve the chat even further by implementing a chatbot in the future.
Among other news, you can now receive a confirmation of cash on delivery payment in an online form as well, and if you forget to ask the driver you can simply use a ZIP code to look it up on the company’s website.
The company has also significantly broadened their portfolio of international delivery options, introducing PPL Parcel Connect designed mostly for online stores and giving them an option to send parcels to Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia.
Apart from the speedy and precise delivery, PPL’s customers also appreciate the company’s friendly, forthcoming couriers, who are ready to help carry a heavy package up the stairs or deliver it to a different address.
The study’s newcomer, DPD, came in strong and placed third in the sector. The company has been on the local market for over 27 years, becoming the biggest private carrier in the Czech Republic in 2020 when they acquired Geis Parcel. The company is a part of the international DPD Group, delivering parcels all over the world. In August 2021, DPD introduced their own self-access boxes to allow customers to pick up their parcels, but they can also use the boxes to send parcels as well. The payment system is a modified type of COD, with customers paying online with their credit or debit card before they can pick up the parcel.
PPL: “I have one word for them – great! They always stick to the time slot I get from them in a text, sometimes they even arrive 5 minutes ahead of that. Drivers are always nice and friendly, and their prices are decent as well.” (Woman, 44)
Zásilkovna: “Top service! The package is delivered almost to your door for basically peanuts, and you don’t have to worry about the courier arriving when you’re not home – you can pick up your parcel when it’s convenient for you instead.” (Man, 21)
“I think Zásilkovna is the best delivery company in the country. They are quick, their pick-up points are everywhere, and you can have parcels delivered to your home address, with all services being of the highest quality.” (Man, 21)
“What I like most about Zásilkovna is the fact that I can pick up my parcel when it’s convenient for me.” (Woman, 72)
PPL: “10/10, a great carrier. They are always ready to accommodate you – you just need to call them to have the package delivered to your door or to a ParcelShop. PPL is my favourite carrier.” (Woman, 22)
“I am quite satisfied with DPD. They always arrive on time, however sometimes there is no text message, or the option to change the delivery parameters is missing. I’m happy with the new DPD stores – now you don’t have to drive to warehouses on the far side of the city and can have your parcel delivered to a nearby store instead.” (Man, 33)
Zásilkovna: “I can enter my parcel into the system quickly and easily from my smartphone. Then I just take it to the drop off point and dispatch it using nothing but a code.” (Woman, 62)
DPD: “They work well, their couriers arrive on time, and I like that I can track the parcel in their app.” (Woman, 55)
“Everything works great! They are flexible and they have a huge network of PPL shops, so the courier can drop off my parcel at one of those. I also love the option to change the delivery time or address. The only complaint I have is that I need to re-enter the address for simply changing the delivery date through their website.” (Man, 72)
Simple parcel dispatch and pick up with a unique code
The option to pick up a parcel without having to fill out parcel slips or any other type of forms is a clear winner in the eyes of the customers.
User-friendly, in-app parcel tracking
Just like people are now used to watch their data plan usage or monitor their power consumption online, they also want the ability to track their parcel in real time, a feature that helps them plan for parcel pick up and makes the process even more efficient.
Online change of delivery date or address
For customers, a good delivery service is a service that allows them to change the delivery time or address in just a couple of quick, simple steps. A carrier that doesn’t allow customers to make these changes at all or has them jump through complicated hoops will only scare their customers away.