What are the responsibilities of the courier?

In life, sometimes you have to deal with people of different professions. Recently, one of the most popular is considered the work of a courier. Why is this so? What is so unusual in this specialty, and what are the main responsibilities of the courier?

Profession history

Back in Greco-Roman times, there were people who delivered messages, letters, and various items. They were first called messengers. After the Roman emperor Augustus introduced a special public service in the country, such messengers were called "couriers." The name comes from the Latin word currere, which means "run." Many years have passed since then, and the specialty to this day is relevant. Who are these people and what is the duty of a courier today? Such an employee can consist both in the state of a particular enterprise, and be an employee of a specialized company, which, by the nature of its activity, is engaged in various deliveries.

Such organizations differ among themselves in several ways:

1. According to the served territory. In this case, the items are delivered both inside the city and beyond. The service can even be provided between different states or continents.
2. According to the size of delivery. Cargoes can be small and oversized.
3. Specialized and universal.

Each of these signs leaves its mark on the duties of the courier who performs this work.

Profession Features

In principle, everyone can become a courier. This job does not require any professional skills or special education. But in order to fulfill the duties of a courier, a person must:

1. Be prepared for serious physical exertion. With a large number of orders, you need to move around quickly and with minimal breaks. This is completely impossible if the employee has health problems. In addition, an elderly person, for example, will not be able to withstand such a rhythm. Therefore, when selecting candidates, the age factor is also taken into account.
2. Easy to navigate the terrain. This refers to knowledge of a specific region and possible routes of communication. If you entrust the delivery of urgent correspondence to a person who does not know the city well, then it is foolish to expect that he will be able to reach his destination on time.
3. Have a presentable appearance. When a messy messenger brings a letter, a negative opinion develops about the whole organization. It is unlikely that anyone will want to reuse her services.

All these circumstances must be considered by management in the selection of personnel.

What should the courier do?

At some enterprises, the staffing table provides for the existence of such a position. In this case, a special instruction is developed in advance, which specifically lists the official duties of the courier.

There are not many of them. An employee of this profession should:

1. Deliver any correspondence and goods in accordance with the instructions of the head. It can be either the director of the enterprise or the head of the courier service.
2. Before sending, carefully study the location of the recipient, phone with him and specify the time convenient for the meeting. After all, each company has its own work schedule. A messenger may arrive at lunchtime and lose valuable time. If the letter is intended for a specific person, then it is necessary to agree that he should be in place at the right time.
3. Develop your own driving route. This is necessary to organize timely delivery.
4. To issue and receive a power of attorney from the person in charge.
5. Correctly execute documents for delivery.Not only the recipient's signature may be required, but also the seal of the organization.
6. Perform all instructions in a timely manner.

The rest of the time at the workplace, the courier is required to be a full-fledged member of the team: to carry out minor tasks of the immediate boss, to be friendly to other employees, to be responsive and positive.

Home Products

Nowadays, online shopping has gained particular popularity. With their invisible networks they literally enveloped the whole country. Now such shopping facilities can be found in almost every city. The staff of such a store is usually small. As a rule, it consists of: manager, accountant, dispatcher, couriers and movers. There is a separate instruction for each with a detailed description of all requirements. The courier's delivery duties in such a store are not much different from those performed, for example, by a postal worker. He must also first receive a task from his immediate supervisor, listing all the orders reserved for him. The deadline for delivery and recipient data (address and telephone for communication) are also indicated there. After this, the courier must phone the client and agree on the date of the meeting. Once in place, the store employee must deliver the goods to the buyer and let him sign the receipt.

This document is needed for reporting. Sometimes it is the courier’s responsibility to receive funds. Usually this is payment for goods and services rendered. If everything is done correctly, then he can only return to the place and report to the authorities about the work done.

Fast food delivery

At some points in the food service, a courier driver is sometimes required. The duties of such an employee consist of two parts, respectively. As a driver, he must be able to drive a vehicle and keep it in good condition. And as a courier he needs:

1. Get one or more orders.
2. Develop an optimal route for yourself so as not to violate the approved delivery time.
3. Take the order to your destination.
4. Hand it to the recipient, taking for it the payment due and the client’s signature in the order.
5. Return to the workplace for other tasks.

Such an algorithm has already become familiar to employees of pizzerias and sushi bars. This work is not complicated, but requires some preparation.

The specificity is that the specialist needs to constantly communicate with people. Therefore, he should be as polite and correct as possible. It is not permissible to show negative emotions, even if they are justified. In addition, a certain time range is allocated for the delivery of food products, exceeding which can lead to a decrease in the cost of goods and damage to the enterprise. And the management will not like it at all.