British express delivery company City Link has teamed up with online comparison site Parcel2Goto launch ‘City Link Click&Send’, a web-based service aimed at low volume and ad hoc users such
as small firms and eBay sellers.The company’s range of next day services will now be available to business customers andconsumers without them needing to open an account first, and broadens the range of target customersegments.
Click&Send is a service which City Link believes will be much welcomed by a range ofcustomers, from ad hoc business users and eBay power sellers to consumers wanting safe next-daydelivery. City Link has traditionally specialised in Business to Business and SME next daydeliveries and has more recently grown its Business to Consumer customer base.
City Link said the new service offers “a quick and simple” delivery solution. All acustomer needs to do is select the Click&Send icon on the website, follow the prompts, andselect the service required. Payment can be made by either credit or debit card, and allorders placed will be collected from the customer’s address by a City Link driver.
Tim Brown, Sales and Marketing Director, said the partnership with Parcel2Go meant ad hoccustomers would reap the benefits of City Link’s experience as a premium express deliverycompany, coupled with Parcel2Go’s expertise in the consumer and e-commerce markets. Customers wouldenjoy the same quality offering as City Link’s business customers, including its caged securenetwork, full track and trace facility, and proof of delivery, with a range of next-day and timedservices on offer.
“The introduction of Click&Send into our portfolio of services is an exciting new chapterfor City Link. The needs of today’s businesses and consumers are converging and evolving. We findwe are taking an increasing number of enquiries from potential customers looking to send ad hocparcels straight away without signing up to an account – both among the business community andamong members of the public attracted to the premium brand by their experience receiving parcelsdelivered by City Link.
“Customers wishing to utilise our services on an ad hoc basis are looking for the same peaceof mind as our account customers. They want the same flexibility, security, and reliability regularbusiness senders enjoy, and they realise this service is only possible through a premium carrier.We believe this new service will give them exactly what they want.”
James Greenbury, CEO Parcel2Go, added: “We are delighted to join forces with City Link. Therate at which our own customer base is growing perfectly reflects the demand out there for premiumcarriers to cater for the ad hoc sender market. We pride ourselves on our excellent customerservice and look forward to working with a premium carrier like City Link who we know operates on asimilar ethos.”
Click&Send forms part of a new portfolio of products introduced in recent months by CityLink, including an e-booking tool for Sameday services and cross-border packet services.
Meanwhile, City Link has also unveiled its planning for the forthcoming pre-Christmas peakseason to ensure reliable deliveries for B2B and B2C customers. The company will use more than 300additional vehicles, 130 more trailers, 1,000 extra hand-scanners and some 715 additional staff forwarehousing, operations and deliveries. It will also open an additional site in London to relievevolumes at the other three locations, put a ‘control room’ into action at its Coventry hub, andhave support staff ready to help with any local problems.
Louise Whitehouse, Head of Network Support & Service, commented: “Planning has continuedapace over the past month with all our project staff working on the detailed plans that will ensurethe business delivers a successful peak. The depots have also been actively recruiting temporarydrivers, warehouse and operations staff and also talking with agencies to ensure we secure enoughstaff for peak. Christmas is a busy and stressful time so City Link is doing everything in itspower behind the scenes – including contingency planning – to ensure that both consumer andbusiness deliveries arrive safely and on time.”
