How do I review a courier firm’s signature records when a customer disputes a delivery?

Start with a sample. Ask for several recent disputes and trace each from the customer’s complaint to the final outcome. What evidence was found, how long it took, and who decided the result? Look at the records themselves. A good proof of delivery shows who received the item, when, and where. Photos and notes help. Check whether drivers collect these consistently, or only when they remember. Ask how records are stored and how long they are kept.

Ask about patterns. Do certain drivers, routes or customers appear again and again? That can point to training needs or problem addresses. Talk to a driver or two. Ask what they do when nobody is home, or when someone else signs. Their answers show whether the written rule matches real practice.

Finally, ask what happened to claims the company lost. A pattern of paying out because records were missing is a cost the buyer inherits. Your accountant can total it for you. Ask whether customers are told what proof is kept and how they can request it. A firm that explains its records up front tends to have fewer arguments, and tends to settle the ones it does have faster. Jot down what you learn as you go, and take it to your adviser before deciding.

Key takeaways

• Trace a few past disputes from complaint to outcome.
• Check that records show receiver, time and place.
• Ask drivers what really happens when nobody answers.