DPD Germany today started re-opening parcel shops and assured customers that it is continuing to operate at full capacity and with a full service range.
The company stressed it wants to ensure that parcel shipping throughout Germany is fully safeguarded and that it continues to provide reliable deliveries while protecting the health of both delivery personnel and consignees with new processes for contact-free parcel delivery.
Furthermore, the company’s network of Pickup parcel shops, which were temporarily unavailable due to the closure of numerous shops ordered by the authorities, will gradually be opened for business again.
CEO Eric Malitzke commented: “Especially in difficult times the delivery of parcels is more important than ever: we are making an important contribution to the supply of essential goods to people and companies in Germany.
“In spite of today’s unprecedented challenges, we continue to offer our customers a delivery infrastructure which is vital for maintaining supplies, and we remain fully operational while maintaining the same high quality standards. This would not be possible without the magnificent efforts of our delivery personnel, who have both my gratitude and my appreciation.”
DPD is giving top priority to the health of shippers, consignees and delivery staff by means of a wide variety of measures. A central example of this is contact-free delivery. Until further notice consignees no longer need to sign on the handheld scanner when receiving parcels.
In addition, there is no need for parcels to be transferred from hand to hand. The driver will continue to ring the consignee’s doorbell, but will always keep a distance of two metres. If the consignee is at home the driver will place the parcel close to the front door and confirm the delivery with his or her own signature.
Parcels which are small and flat enough can for the time being be inserted into the consignee’s letter box. At the same time DPD is calling on all non-business consignees to provide a “deposit okay” wherever possible, so that the driver can leave the parcel in their garage or garden shed, for example, without any contact.
Malitzke added: “With a deposit okay every consignee can contribute effectively to making parcel shipping compatible with the current requirement to avoid contact.”
In order to avoid the possibility that the parcels of shippers and their consignees might be unavailable for weeks due to the closure of shops ordered by the authorities, last week DPD first collected all stored parcels from the parcel shops and delivered them as part of normal operations.
At the same time, many of these Pickup parcel shops are integrated into shops which are allowed to remain open anyway, due to exceptions ordered by the authorities.
The processes which are applied in the parcel shops have also been adapted so that parcel pickups as well as the private shipping and return of parcels are completely free of any physical contact. This means that the consignee’s signature is no longer required at the parcel shop either. In addition, a minimum distance when parcels are issued also applies here, with transfer from hand to hand no longer taking place.
With a series of measures DPD Germany is helping to counteract the further spread of the coronavirus and protect its own workforce. Employees whose presence on site is not absolutely necessary will work from home until further notice.
Moreover, DPD is making its workforce more aware of the need for hygiene measures. It has been possible to provide the company’s depots throughout Germany with sufficient quantities of disinfectants, disposable gloves and similar working equipment in good time.
Updated pandemic plans exist for all locations in order to maintain parcel delivery services even if there is an increase in coronavirus cases. Several weeks ago DPD set up a crisis management team and is monitoring developments relating to the spread of the virus in order to decide on suitable measures on a daily basis.
