A good courier is often seen as someone whose work goes unnoticed – the parcel simply arrives on time and at the right place. Yet this mindset makes the profession largely invisible, and the feedback couriers receive is too often limited to frustration when a delivery is delayed.
Parcel delivery company Venipak has decided to challenge that culture. The company is launching a campaign aimed at encouraging people to pay more attention to couriers’ professionalism and to leave compliments for well-delivered parcels.
Supporting couriers’ emotional wellbeing and raising standards across the logistics sector
According to Venipak’s CMO Asta Raudonienė, couriers have become almost like family members to many people in Lithuania, yet people are still far more likely to complain about them than to appreciate them. To foster mutual respect, the company is introducing a new standard – from now on, Venipak couriers will introduce themselves to customers by name – while also encouraging people to share a kind word in return.
“Couriers often know not only the addresses of their regular customers, but also the names of their pets or the safest places to leave a parcel. Yet we often do not even know their names, and we certainly do not always say ‘thank you.’ Their work is physically demanding: they travel hundreds of kilometres every day and face a wide range of challenges, so sincere appreciation is one of the strongest forms of motivation. That is why we decided to launch this campaign – to encourage people to be more generous with compliments, because this not only improves couriers’ emotional wellbeing, but also helps raise the culture of the entire logistics sector,” says Asta Raudonienė.
The company believes that couriers introducing themselves by name will help build a more personal connection with customers.
“We want customers to know that it is not just ‘someone from Venipak’ arriving at their door, but a real person – Jonas, Tomas or Andrius. When you know your courier’s name, gratitude feels less formal and a compliment becomes more personal. It is a small gesture, but one that can mean a great deal to a courier. A simple step like this can help change attitudes towards the profession and strengthen respect for the entire sector,” Asta Raudonienė says.
As part of the campaign, customers who receive a parcel from a Venipak courier are invited to visit the company’s website and leave a compliment for their courier. The couriers who receive the highest number of compliments are set to be rewarded with cash bonuses.
More than 500 compliments from business clients in one month
According to Asta Raudonienė, the company ran a similar compliments campaign for business clients last year. Over the course of a month, Venipak couriers across the Baltic states received more than 500 compliments.
“Our previous experience showed that people are willing to share kindness when they are given the right opportunity. Couriers received numerous compliments from our business clients for their punctuality, politeness and professionalism in delivering parcels. That made a meaningful contribution both to their job satisfaction and to their motivation to deliver the highest possible quality of service. That is why we decided to expand the initiative and encourage end recipients – people with whom couriers build direct relationships every day – to share compliments as well,” says the CMO.
In the CMO’s view, couriers may be the final link in the delivery chain, but they are also among the most important, which is why the company wants to highlight the value and significance of their work more publicly.
“We can invest in modern systems, warehouses and delivery speed, but it is the person delivering the parcel to the customer’s door who ultimately shapes the customer experience. That is why we want to build a culture of respect, because the people who take the best care of parcels are those who feel appreciated and motivated,” says the CMO.
An ambitious goal: making the courier profession more prestigious
According to the CMO, this campaign is not a one-off initiative, but a strategic step towards making the courier profession more respected and rewarding couriers not only with words, but with meaningful recognition.
“Our ambition is for this initiative to become an annual tradition – one that not only customers, but couriers themselves look forward to. We want to show that couriers play a hugely important role in the entire e-commerce ecosystem. That is why we do not just shake hands with our top performers – we also reward them with cash bonuses that serve as a tangible recognition of their efforts,” says the CMO.
In the CMO’s view, when couriers know that every polite greeting or helping hand may lead to meaningful recognition, it changes not only their personal attitude, but also the standards of the entire logistics sector.
“We believe that by publicly sharing compliments and encouraging our employees, we can gradually change the culture of the market as a whole. This is a long-term commitment to creating an environment where professionalism is recognised and where the courier profession is seen as respected, rewarding and worth striving for,” says the Venipak representative.
