From June, we are rolling out a new delivery-tracking system for our customers, powered by Podfather. This will introduce digital ‘sign on glass’ technology and automatic email updates about deliveries, with live tracking.
This new system has already been trialed on a small number of routes over the last three months, and both the customer and driver feedback has been fantastic. Now we’re confident that this is the right system for us, we are excited to roll Podfather out to the majority of our customers.
We hope you will enjoy this new system! Please see below for our handy FAQs.
You will benefit from
- A three-hour estimated delivery time, from when your driver leaves our depot.
- The ability to see your driver's route and how many drops there are before yours, to help you better plan your time.
- Live email updates if your driver is delayed, e.g. due to traffic.
- Automatic delivery confirmation - just sign on glass instead of on paper.
- A greener way of doing things! Our amount of paperwork will half and eventually we will be able to phase out paperwork with your delivery completely (saving a lot of trees and carbon!).
Rob Poulton, one of the first drivers to use the new system, commented: "It's a great bit of kit and streamlines a lot of our paperwork, whilst giving live information to the customer about their delivery arrival. I really like it."
Not sure where your delivery updates will go?
The email updates should go to the same email address used to place your order. However, if you would like these updates to go to a different email address, please let us know by emailing: customerservice@thomasridley.co.uk and referencing your account number.
Halving our paper use through Podfather will save almost 1.3 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year!
This is enough CO2 to:
· Charge 156,000 smart phones, or
· Drive 2,600 miles in the average car, or
· Fly from London to New York and back.
Our aim is to move to paperless deliveries eventually, which would double the amount of paper and CO2 emissions saved. With your help, we can operate today in a way that helps to protect tomorrow.
FAQs
To help you get to grips with Podfather, we have put together some handy FAQs.
- Will we still receive a delivery note with our order?
No, we are aiming to reduce the amount of paperwork we issue. Your delivery note will now be emailed to you from the Podfather system. - How long is the delivery window?
On the morning of every delivery day, you will be sent a three-hour delivery window to help you plan your day around your Thomas Ridley delivery. You will also be able to view your driver’s route and how many stops there are before yours. - We don’t have access to a computer so we won't see the email. What do we do?
Please call us to discuss the options that will best work for you on 01359 270536.
E.g. Is there is an alternative email you would like the delivery updates sent to, which is different to the email address used to place the order? - What happens if the delivery is late?
You will receive a phone call from our customer service team and automatic updates from the Podfather system. - Will you call me if my lorry breaks down?
Yes. If there is a major delay to your delivery due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a breakdown or traffic, our team will call you as well as sending you updates from the Podfather system. - Can I still call Telesales?
Yes, of course. If you prefer, you can still call Telesales for updates on the status of your delivery and to place orders. But many of our customers who have trialled the Podfather system with us so far have really liked the automatic updates, reducing the need to call us. - If the driver arrives before I’m there how will we know if I’m missing something?
Once the delivery is complete you will receive an email update with the delivery note for you to check off, without our driver needing to be present. - Will I get a credit note if I’m missing something or, for example, there are any damages?
Yes, the adjustment or credit will show automatically on the delivery note email that you’ll receive shortly after the delivery. This should make the process quicker and easier for you than it is currently. - Is it going to take a long time to check off my order now?
No, this process shouldn’t take any longer than it does now, as long as you have a computer/tablet or phone that you can use to access the electronic delivery note.
Need more support?
If you have any further questions about this new system, please don't hesitate to get in touch by emailing our Customer Service Team at customerservice@thomasridley.co.uk or calling 01359 270536.
