Online shopping is extraordinarily popular worldwide. Whether electronics, clothing, shoes or even groceries – there is hardly anything that Germans would not order on the Internet.
To meet this logistical challenge, of course, various parcel service providers are needed to deliver the longed-for goods to the doorstep. In earlier times, customers had to wait impatiently for the objects of their desire because they didn’t know where their delivery was while it was being sent.
Nowadays, of course, things are completely different. Finding out when your parcel will be delivered is absolutely no longer a problem thanks to the practical tracking service offered by many different service providers. Although the possibility of parcel tracking does not mean that the shipment will reach its recipient any faster, the waiting time is nevertheless clearly eased by parcel tracking. The following article explains how modern parcel tracking works.
Registering the data of the parcel
Parcel tracking basically follows a fairly simple process. The parcel service providers, such as DPD, GLS, DHL or Hermes, have various nodes at which the barcodes of the parcels are scanned as they pass through. A storage of the time and place of the scanning process takes place. This data is then transferred to the online parcel tracking system after a short time.
For the providers, this service does not represent an immense additional effort, as the processes are completely automated. The possibility of tracking parcels is therefore part of the standard service nowadays. At the respective handling points, the parcels pass through sorting systems that ensure that the barcode is automatically scanned and forwarded.
Receiving the parcel
The receipt of the parcel by the recipient also makes an important contribution to automated tracking. In the past, the signature was still carried out on simple paper lists as part of the handover. Nowadays, however, the signature is made on a modern scanning device when the parcel is received at the front door.
The signature confirms that the parcel has been received. There are even some hand-held scanners that have an integrated camera. These are able to photograph the parcels. This is important in case there is a claim due to damage. In this way, the tracking and tracing system is also informed if the recipient has not been found or if a return is necessary. This information can then also be viewed in the online view as part of the parcel tracking.
What to do in case of a lost parcel?
If the recipient has to wait a disproportionately long time for their order, the parcel service responsible should be contacted. This also applies if the current status of the parcel does not change in the tracking for a longer period of time. Cases like FedEx lost package is seeing an unprecedented rise these days.
The parcel services can usually be contacted both by telephone and by e-mail. In doing so, it is important to know the relevant parcel number and possibly also the postcode of the recipient and the sender.
If the whereabouts of the shipment cannot then be clarified immediately by the responsible service provider, it is common to submit a so-called follow-up request. However, continuous tracking and tracing ensures that the relevant coordinates that the parcel has already passed are always known. This makes it much easier to find out where the parcel was lost or where it is currently located.
