Plan your transport
Decide whether there may be an alternate recipient at all and, if so, who by name. Also decide what applies if neither the recipient nor a deputy can be reached: waiting within an agreed limit, calling the sender or taking the shipment back. Each option affects time and effort. Explicitly exclude leaving it with neighbours or without a signature if that is not wanted – for valuable one-off items, this is the norm.
Three proven rules for the moment it matters
First: name a deputy, with a direct number. Second: set a waiting time, for example 30 minutes, and who is called during that time. Third: decide whether the shipment goes back if not accepted or is taken to a second, previously named location. These three points provide a clear basis for an agreed handover procedure.
Return and a new delivery date
If a shipment is taken back, a return journey and a new date are needed. What this costs depends on route and process and should be known beforehand. A reachable alternate recipient is therefore usually the more economical solution.
What matters
- Name an alternate recipient or exclude one
- Decide in advance what happens if nobody is reachable
- Explicitly exclude leaving goods without a signature