Why has it become an unspoken rule that couriers do not come to the door?

Source: China News Weekly

After years of debate over the non-delivery of couriers, another clear mandatory fine is about to be introduced. Recently, the State Post Bureau publicly solicited opinions on the "Measures for the Administration of the Express Delivery Market (Revised Draft)", which mentioned that enterprises engaged in express delivery business shall not confirm the receipt of express mail on behalf of users without the consent of users, and shall not deliver express mail to smart express boxes, express delivery service stations and other express delivery terminal service facilities without authorization.

If there is a violation, the responsible personnel will face a fine of up to 3,000 yuan, and the courier company will face a fine of up to 30,000 yuan.

As soon as the news came out, many netizens clapped their hands and applauded, and some people expressed concern about the situation of grass-roots couriers. Can this management measure solve the problem of express delivery not coming to the door and signing for the receipt without permission?

Some experts believe that the biggest problem lies in the express delivery companies themselves. With the introduction of new management measures, enterprises must adjust their internal operating systems, and if they cannot adapt to new needs and seize market opportunities, they will face the risk of being eliminated.

It has become a habit for couriers not to come to the door

After 4 times of courier delivery to the door, Li Jia finally couldn't bear it and complained about the courier company on the black cat consumer service platform.

During this year's Double 12 period, pregnant woman Li Jia bought a lot of household items online. The courier weighed heavily, so she changed her delivery preference to "Need to deliver to the door" and called the courier in advance when the courier started delivering. However, after more than an hour, the courier did not arrive home, but the logistics information showed that it had been signed, and finally, she had to go to the station hundreds of meters away to pick up the package.

At the time of the complaint, Li Jia wanted to "apologize, punish, improve the service and deliver it to the door", but the courier company only responded with "will verify and deal with it". A few days later, the company's courier again cast and signed for it without authorization, and Li Jia was angry, "Why doesn't my courier contact me every time?" ”

Without the permission of the user, the phenomenon of direct delivery of goods such as express lockers has almost become an unspoken rule. On social platforms, there are not a few users who have the same experience as Li Jia, and many netizens mentioned that after shopping for goods online, even if the courier indicates "home delivery", it is often a text message that notifies the pickup.

According to data from the State Post Bureau, from 2013 to 2020, the single volume of the mainland express delivery business increased from 9.19 billion to 83.36 billion pieces, an increase of nearly ten times, and by 2021, the national express delivery business volume has reached 108.5 billion pieces. During the 2021 "618" campaign alone (June 1-20), the industry received more than 6.59 billion express shipments, but on the other hand, more than 70% of recipients expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the fact that the courier did not deliver to the door.

The existence of collection points and courier cabinets was originally a more convenient and safe alternative for delivery when the recipient was not at home, but now it has become the default option for couriers.

At the same time, the courier does not come to the door, but also brings a series of problems - the courier is lost, can not be inspected in person, fresh and other goods damaged, the sender's information is exposed and so on. Li Yue told China News Weekly that for a period of time after the epidemic, the courier in her community even directly placed the package on the shelf at the entrance of the community, and after receiving the text message, the residents could only pick up the package on the express package.

Once, she accidentally took the courier of the same house number of the next building, and after going home to open it, she found the problem. She can only contact the recipient according to the phone number on the package, but also explain her unintentional actions, "although I read the wrong information, but in fact, the courier is not responsible." If someone wants to fish in muddy waters, the courier will not know who took it."

A courier trapped by a dispatch volume

The problem of couriers not coming to your door has a long history. Li Tao has been engaged in the express delivery industry in Beijing for many years, and in his view, behind this problem is the helplessness and exhaustion of grass-roots couriers.

Li Tao is responsible for express delivery in 3 communities, with a single dispatch volume of about 200 orders on the same day, and up to 500 pieces during the promotion period of the e-commerce platform. The delivery fee for each order is 1.1 yuan, and if it is invested in the courier cabinet, it is also necessary to pay 3 to 5 cents.

Under normal circumstances, if the recipient's information is clear, Li Tao tends to go upstairs and put it at the door of his home, but during the promotion of the e-commerce platform, the volume of express delivery surges, and he will also choose to put the express cabinet, "Several residential express cabinets are very tight, and when the volume of goods is large, they have to grab." But there is no way, you can't send a fine, and you will do it in vain in one day."

However, whether it is placed at the door, or placed in other places such as express lockers, Li Tao only sends a text message to customers after the release, basically does not call, "There is no time for telephone communication, and indeed there are customers who are not satisfied to complain." Weighing the pros and cons, dispatch volume became a priority for couriers.

Li Tao told China News Weekly that courier companies require more than 95% of the daily dispatch volume, otherwise, the delivery fee will be discounted and may also be fined. He calculated that if he called each customer to communicate before dispatching according to the company's regulations, they could only complete half of the dispatch volume per day.

In order to minimize customer complaints, Yu Liang, another courier company, purchased a cloud call service out of his own pocket. When he delivers the courier to the corresponding location, the customer will receive a smart voice notification phone, and after rejecting it, he will also receive a short message reminder. "But Yunhu can only play a notification role, can not talk to customers to solicit opinions, can only say that as far as possible to make customers satisfied, especially to provide convenience for the elderly."

"If the courier wants to call each customer to confirm, the average order adds one minute, if you encounter a customer who is not communicating well, the time will take longer, and you will not be able to send it at the end of the day." According to the current assessment and incentive mechanism, who can eat enough of this bowl of rice, and who is still willing to eat? Yu Liang said.

Many netizens mentioned that at present, only SF, Jingdong, etc. provide door-to-door services, and express delivery companies such as Zhongtong, Yuantong, Shentong, yunda and so on, there are cases where express delivery does not come to the door. Yu Liang explained that these are two different business operation models, which are the difference between quality and quantity. "In the same delivery area, there are more couriers like SF than we do, and the delivery price of a single order is more than twice ours."

Yang Daqing, an expert in the logistics industry, told China News Weekly that at present, the mainland express delivery business still maintains medium-high speed growth, but it is estimated that the number of practitioners will not change much, and "it can be foreseen that the delivery pressure of front-line courier personnel."

Zhao Xiaomin, an expert in the express delivery industry, also said that in the case of rapid growth in the volume of express delivery orders, the business model of express delivery companies and internal incentive mechanisms have not changed significantly in the past seven or eight years and have not kept up with the rhythm of the market, which is also an important reason.

Yang Daqing analyzed that the express delivery industry has to face three realities: First, rural labor is no longer a large-scale influx into the city. As the increase in the fertility rate declines, this contradiction will become increasingly prominent. Second, young people are more willing to engage in free and easy work, resulting in a high rate of attrition of front-line courier personnel, with a churn rate of 60% to 80% in some areas. Third, the long-term low-price competition in the express delivery industry has made some enterprises rush to make quick gains, and they are not active in improving the treatment of front-line personnel and increasing salaries, and most practitioners have a monthly salary of about 5,000 yuan, and the work is incremental but it is difficult to increase income.

"These factors determine that according to the existing manpower supply, it will not be able to meet the delivery needs of each piece to the door." Most of the working class in online shopping consumption, the time of receipt is exactly the wrong time with the time of the courier. Yang Daqing said that in this case, there will inevitably be a contradiction in door-to-door delivery.

The express delivery industry needs to be regulated urgently

On January 7, the State Post Bureau's Measures for the Administration of the Express Delivery Market (Revised Draft) (Draft for Solicitation of Comments) publicly solicited opinions from units and individuals. It is mentioned that enterprises operating express delivery business shall not confirm the receipt of express mail on behalf of users without the consent of users, and shall not deliver express mail to intelligent express boxes, express delivery service stations and other express terminal service facilities without authorization. If there is a violation, the responsible personnel will face a fine of up to 3,000 yuan, and the courier company will face a fine of up to 30,000 yuan.

As soon as the message was sent, many netizens said that the management measures will strictly require couriers to standardize delivery in daily management. Some people are worried that this will also increase the pressure on couriers.

Zhao Xiaomin said that the draft opinion is a further refinement of the Interim Regulations on Express Delivery issued by the State Council in 2018. At present, Zhejiang, Guangdong and other places have also issued relevant regulations, which is also the implementation of supervision to the detailed rules. Next, with the introduction of new management measures, the express delivery industry will also enter a new stage of high-quality development.

In Zhao Xiaomin's view, the biggest problem with express delivery is the company itself. He believes that the business model of express delivery companies, the integration and reshaping of express delivery outlets, and the incentive mechanism of couriers have not been solved, resulting in the concentrated outbreak of all problems, which is also a problem for enterprises to consider.

With the introduction of the new management measures, enterprises do not have to worry about the level of fines, but must consider how to adjust the internal operating system. "It is necessary to change the incentive mechanism for couriers, mobilize the enthusiasm of couriers, and adopt different piece counting standards for home delivery and express delivery cabinets or stations; we must change the assessment mechanism for express delivery outlets, etc.," Zhao Xiaomin said.

Zhao Xiaomin also mentioned that as the express delivery industry shifts to high-quality development, the future may usher in a reshuffle, and the integration and restructuring mergers and acquisitions in the industry will also accelerate. At present, the competition in this industry has been very sufficient, the user's choice is also a lot, if you can not adapt to the new needs, seize the market opportunities, will face the risk of being eliminated.

However, in any case, the act of storing and placing cabinets without the consent of consumers violates the Interim Regulations on Express Delivery. Shi Hongwei, a public interest lawyer at the Shanghai Municipal Consumer Protection Commission, believes that under normal circumstances, the dispatcher is obliged to accurately deliver the express package to the recipient. If the dispatcher puts the courier into the express delivery cabinet or the station without authorization, it is a breach of contract and needs to bear the liability for breach of contract.

Shi Hongwei said that the service contract relationship established between the courier company and the sender is established. While the courier company collects the courier fee, it is obliged to accurately deliver the package to the designated recipient according to the delivery information agreed with the sender. The delivery information here includes not only the recipient's name, but also the delivery address, "If the dispatcher unilaterally drops the package into the express locker or station without authorization, it is a breach of contract." ”