Showcase 3: Healthcare

The challenge

One of the first times that our premium service was deployed was several years ago when we were approached by a producer of accessories for the healthcare sector. The products they supplied included hospital beds and special baths and lifts for nursing homes, hospitals and similar institutions.

White glove delivery

At the time, delivery was offered in the form of an expensive white glove service, carried out by two persons. So the client approached DFDS Wijchen and asked if it would be possible to reduce their delivery costs without compromising their high quality of service.

The solution

After initial discussions with top management, we invited their delegation to visit our warehouses in Corby (UK) and Wijchen (NL). In return, we were invited to visit their production facilities in Poland.

Communication support

A really important factor in this market sector is effective communication between planning, customer service, delivery workers, and delivery address. Just imagine: Our driver arrives at the destination, for example a large hospital. He can access all relevant delivery details via his reference number. For example, he first reads: ‘Please contact Mr X at Department Y.’ He then drives onto the hospital grounds, goes to the reception desk, and asks for Mr X. The receptionist then sends the driver to the service department on the other side of the building. When he reports there, he is told: ‘You can make your delivery in building 3, in room number 385.’ Our driver unloads the product himself and delivers it to the room in question. There, he removes the packaging and takes it back with him, leaving everything neat and tidy behind him.

Patience is a virtue

It’s clear that this level of service does not allow for the driver to make 25 deliveries or more per day. It’s also clear that our driver needs to be patient and cannot rush the process. But it also delivers great results. Our client is so satisfied with our premium service that we will be making twice as many deliveries for him next year.