In this fast-paced world, white-glove service has become immensely popular in the field of transportation and logistics because of its speed and convenience. The concept of “white glove” came from the white gloves worn by a butler or luxury store personnel who provides special treatment, care, or attention to the customers and clients. White glove delivery is just like that. The delivery rider picks up your package wearing white gloves, ensuring that the package is handled, delivered, and transported with the utmost care to ensure that it will arrive safely at its destination.
In simpler terms, this is a premium delivery service recognized for its special attention to detail, particularly on items that require special handling. This method of shipping is used in delivering specialty items, including valuable, fragile, and sensitive goods such as rare antiques, artwork, wedding cakes, and un-assembled furniture.
What do white glove services include?
White glove delivery includes delivery, pick-up, and drop-off to the particular room or location of the customer’s choice. Through this service, the client is spared from lifting heavy and bulky items, particularly up and down staircases, for example, after the delivery driver has gone.
Some white glove delivery companies offer assembly, disassembly, and installation of furniture, electronics, and device syncing so that the items are ready to use immediately. Other services would also include specialized packaging and protection of the goods for safe transportation. Materials such as crates, boxes, bubble wraps, and Styrofoam are used during packaging.
What makes white glove delivery different and unique?
Before deciding on which delivery to avail of, it is vital to identify the other types of delivery and how white glove logistics fares with them.
Standard delivery.
Couriers such as USPS, FedEx, and UPS provide standard delivery. This type of delivery is considered the most common parcel delivery service. It transports the parcels from their point of origin and delivers them outside the receiver’s home or work address. Standard delivery is relatively inexpensive and usually takes 5 – 10 business days.
Threshold delivery.
Another shipping delivery option is threshold delivery. Numerous companies, including Amazon, offer free threshold delivery to its Prime members where it delivers a package to a dry and secure place within the customer’s property, usually the main entrance.
White-glove delivery. On the other hand, white-glove service can offer more than just delivery. While other logistics and delivery companies claim to handle parcels and packages with care, this delivery has certain distinguishing features that make it stand out. The following are the remarkable characteristics of the white-glove delivery:
Special protective packaging.
Packaging and transporting specialty items can be complicated, but white-glove service makes it straightforward. It offers customized packaging to goods, depending on the item’s nature, sizes, value, and fragility. The service utilizes premium packing materials such as wooden crates, Styrofoam, bubble wraps, cardboard, corrugated containers, and specially designed boxes that pass international shipping standards. Personnel and delivery riders keep the shipment safe, protected, and secure during transport until delivery and setup. Moreover, trained professionals drive and operate delivery vehicles and ensure that they are dry, clean, and safe.
Real-time freight tracking.
Before the shipment arrives, customers usually experience delivery anxiety, especially when the package involves high-value or fragile goods. With white-glove service, companies offer delivery tracking so that customers can track their orders in real-time at every stage in transit. Using business intelligence tools and applications, white glove delivery companies send timely notifications and alerts to customers, promoting transparency, which helps avoid any possible damage or delay during transportation.
Product assembly.
White glove delivery is not merely a drop-off delivery service of just delivering goods. Another notable feature that white glove delivery companies offer is providing product assembly services. It can either be charged as an additional service or inclusive of the product price, which is usually common for appliances and electronics. Trained personnel involved in inside delivery will ensure exceptional handling and proper installation of goods such as furniture or specific equipment. Likewise, customers do not have to worry about unnecessary trash as these experts could also take care of disposing of the used packaging materials.
Premium customer service.
Maintaining attentive and quality customer service can make or break a company as it adds value to its product or service. To provide a memorable customer experience, white glove delivery companies have dedicated teams that provide quality customer service 24/7. They also communicate well with the clients, understand any special delivery instructions, and organize deliveries based on the client’s preferences and directions.
In white-glove deliveries, customers in high-value purchases are assigned to a customer care representative. This person will constantly update the client throughout the order fulfillment and shipping process, answering questions and organizing delivery slots. Providing customers with a point of contact with a dedicated representative distinguishes white glove delivery from the rest, as standard shipping sends clients a tracking link for a third-party website. Not only that customers feel valued, but it also indicates how these delivery companies genuinely care about the post-purchase experience.
Giving customers a consistent point of contact with a live human is the actual white glove treatment, compared with just sending them a tracking link for a third-party website.
What items could benefit from white glove delivery?
White-glove delivery companies not only promise convenience, but also speed and premium services that can cater to the requirements of the clients and the nature of the products being transported. Items with specific needs greatly benefit from this type of delivery such as:
Refrigerated or perishable goods.
Delivery companies should handle food and beverages with the utmost consideration. Edible items require temperature control and cleanliness that only white glove delivery services can provide, ensuring that perishables are delivered on time and free from spoilage or damage.
Medical equipment and laboratory supplies.
Scientific laboratories, treatment centers, and hospitals avail of the services from white glove delivery companies because healthcare items require special packaging and transportation. Equipment such as ultrasound machines, laboratory workstations, and fragile tools, including glassware and microscopes, are usually shipped via white glove delivery. A good and common example is pharmaceutical delivery.
Electronic devices.
In 2018 alone, 30% of individual consumers purchased electronic devices or computers online. Undoubtedly, electronics require the most attention in terms of packaging and delivery because not only can they be valuable and fragile, but these items are also prone to electrostatic discharge (ESD). Therefore, highly protective packaging and swift yet secure delivery must be in place to ensure that no physical and mechanical damage may incur during transit. Expensive electronics that require utmost care and protection in packaging and delivery are smartphones, laptops, computer parts, and cameras.
With white glove delivery, shipment is delivered to the exact place that the customer wants it unloaded and can be assembled by the delivery riders, rather than being left outside the house, which could make it vulnerable to bad weather or theft.
Retail and E-commerce.
E-commerce stores and retailers depend on white glove delivery services to transport their products to customers as quickly and safely as possible. Take, for example, a jewelry shop specializing in customized engagement rings that want to ensure that its product can be packaged securely and delivered on time, without fear of being damaged or stolen. White glove delivery will guarantee that the customer’s demands are met and that the seller’s reputation is safe.
Home appliances and furniture.
Several businesses and consumers buy appliances and large furniture online such as refrigerators, wash stations, and ovens. The bulk, size, and weight of these items make white glove delivery the best option for packaging and delivery. White glove delivery services can include on-site assembly, making it the most convenient choice for the buyer.
How much does white glove delivery cost?
With the effort and time white glove delivery provides, it costs more than standard shipping by minimum 2x times more. Several factors can affect the pricing, such as:
Pick-up and delivery locations.
Pricing depends on the accessibility of the sites – may it be a home or business address. Remote drop-off locations or navigating numerous flights of stairs may impact the cost of the service. With the route optimization capabilities offered by white glove delivery companies, you can determine the most efficient route and ensure that items are delivered timely.
Shipped product.
The size and dimensions, the qualities of the product being shipped or transported, whether it is perishable or not, fragile or not, and product weight all count into the cost of the white-glove delivery service. Moreover, goods with unusual shapes can be more challenging to prepare and will likely involve a higher price.
Speed and handling of shipment.
White-glove delivery services deliver items at various shipping rates, depending on the client’s preferred delivery speed. Same-day and overnight shipping usually costs more compared to regular standard shipping. The customer will incur additional charges if the package requires certain considerations, such as controlled temperature.
As customers steadily gain more confidence and financial capability maximizing modern online purchasing channels, the quantity, and kinds of products they purchase are limitless. Not just food and apparel, people are also buying expensive items such as jewelry, furniture, and appliances which paves the way for white glove delivery companies to thrive. This service has more to offer and provides a unique customer experience worth the price. However, choosing a credible and experienced company that offers excellent value and outstanding customer service is crucial before deciding on which company.
