Will the courier driver call before parcel pick-up and delivery?
TL;DR
- Courier drivers may call before parcel pick-up and delivery, especially for freight shipments, but it’s not guaranteed for standard shipping.
- Drivers often follow a pre-set route and may not have time to call; practices vary by country.
- If a driver calls, they will use a local phone number; it’s advisable to have a local contact available if needed.
- Some courier companies offer optional call notifications for an extra charge, which can save time and prevent issues.
You have just placed an order and stressed how important it is that the courier driver will call before parcel pick-up and delivery. Then you ask yourself if you can really expect a phone call? In many cases, drivers do call their customer. However, we cannot guarantee you a phone call on either occasion no matter how much we would like to.
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Call before delivery – freight and standard shipping
Drivers have a huge number of parcels to pick-up and deliver on a daily basis. This is already a well-known fact. Each driver has a pre-set route schedule that he has to follow. Courier drivers try hard to do their job the best they can in order to satisfy as many customers as possible. Different courier companies have different practices but one thing is certain: they all strive to do a good job and keep the customers satisfied.
- Freight shipping services – As for the freight shipment the courier driver will call before parcel pick-up and delivery and will arrange the time frame with the shipper and receiver.
- Standard shipping services – On the other hand, for standard parcel shipping, the story may be a little bit different sometimes.
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Courier drivers are not obliged to call customers before they come to pick up or deliver their shipments. It greatly depends on the country, though. In many countries, couriers do call the contact person in advance. When the driver calls you, make sure you do answer the phone as he will not call again. If you have a missed call, you can call back. Have your tracking number at hand!
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Calling before delivery on local and international numbers
If the driver decides to call before parcel pick-up and delivery, he can only contact you via a local phone number. No international phone number can be used. If you don’t have your own local phone number, try to ask a friend or neighbour who does and speaks the language (in case you are a foreigner and don’t understand the local language).
Many courier companies, such as DPD, are implementing SMS or E-mail notification about scheduled package pick-up or delivery in certain countries, such as Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia and other countries. This service enables each customer to have a time frame, and in this way, he has more time to run his personal errands instead of waiting at the location all day.
Some courier companies do automatically include a phone call before parcel pick-up and delivery, while some have the service as optional and can extra charge it. If it is very important for you to receive a call, we do recommend you opt for this extra option. It will cost you a few euros, sure, but it can also save you a lot of time or other possible problems.
What can you do to assist in a successful pick-up and delivery?
If you are absent or have an errand to do, you can ask somebody else who is present at the location to hand over or accept the shipping. You can do it already in the beginning process of placing your order if you know that you will not be on the spot. Select another contact person who will be at the location and can communicate with the driver. Provide us with this person’s details and phone number to avoid pick-up or delivery issues.
In case you don’t have a local phone number, try to obtain one from a friend, schoolmate, or neighbour… whom you trust and who can help you with the task. Make sure that the person speaks the local language.
Is my delivery call a scam call?
A scam caller is a person who calls and claims he is from the selected courier company, saying that he has issues with your parcel delivery. He may ask for your personal information, such as your credit card or bank account number. He can offer redelivery but surcharges it.
You can also receive a mail scam informing you that you have an undelivered item for which you have to pay some fee to be redelivered. At the same time, you will be asked to open an attachment and download it. Certainly, don’t do this as it is a virus in most cases and will lock your computer. You can, of course, guess that in order to unlock it, you will be charged.
Pay attention and don’t provide any personal information. Instead, call the local courier company directly using their official customer support number. Explain the situation and check the status of your shipment by giving the tracking number.
Still have questions?
Check our delivery guides for more information.
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About the author
Marcel Nahtigal is Head of Marketing at Eurosender, specializing in digital strategies to enhance customer connections in logistics.
