28 February 2006
BEIRUT: DHL announced the launch of time definite shipping services this month from its Beirut office, making it the first and only express freight company in the Middle East that can guarantee the delivery time of a parcel to any destination in the region. DHL began offering an expanded product portfolio in January in its branches in Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan, giving customers access to a new range of delivery options including same-day, time-definite shipping, by which the package is guaranteed to arrive before 12 pm the following business day. In February the DHL Express upgrade process began in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.
DHL Lebanon Country Manager John Chedid said that while the launch of time-definite services had allowed DHL to "beat its competitors," its level of service in other areas also was superior.
Not only does DHL offer door to door pick up and delivery for packages, Chedid said, but its "closed circuit network" is able to ensure the security of a package.
"We are the only operator in the region who can claim to be a closed circuit operator. Meaning that when we move a shipment from here to Kuwait it doesn't leave our hands, but goes on a DHL truck, to a DHL customs center, and on to the recipient in Kuwait," Chedid told reporters.
DHL decided to unveil its new services in response to increasing demand from customers to have more specific choices of transit times. The DHL Express 9 and Express 12 options (where packages are delivered before 9 or 12, respectively, the next day) come with a money-back guarantee.
But Customer Service Director Ziad Ziadi told The Daily Star that DHL is careful to evaluate a shipment's contents before they guarantee a delivery time, since certain products are more prone to customs delays.
"The express services are fine for files and DVD's, but we cannot control the customs inspection time for larger packages," Ziadi said.
