Current COVID-19 Updates and shipping protocols

Shipping and delivery updates as passed on to us from our warehouse management Effective from 05/08/20 

Dear friends,

Here at Waters Co, we hope everyone is staying safe during these testing times 😊 and whilst our office staff are working from home, our 3rd party warehouse providers remain fully functional and are continuing to dispatch orders at this time.

Due to the growing issues and regulations due to the COVID pandemic, all carriers are experiencing significant delays on deliveries plus they are introducing new measures to ensure they comply with the ever growing restrictions. It is important that we all take note of the industry changes and challenges that everyone is facing. Victoria in particular is in a dire state right now with major restrictions in all areas. Crossing borders, making deliveries, meeting expectations, processing returns, CS enquiries and everything in between has been impacted with no immediate relief in sight.

Below is a summary on what to expect moving forward and these apply to all carriers in Australia: 

• All of the call centre staff are working from home hence there are reduced staff numbers which are resulting in lengthy delays for a phone call response
• The best course of communication is via email
• No more “carded freight” – due to COVID19 and the risk of transmission, courier drivers have been instructed NOT to leave a card if you have missed your delivery. If a card is left, this will be an exception to the rule
• All your customers will receive a dispatch notice and complete tracking updates by email and SMS. Please ensure your customers track their parcels and take due diligence during this pandemic
• No human contact and minimum 1.5m safe distance for all deliveries hence no signatures in any circumstance
• Some zones / post codes / towns / suburbs may be restricted and no deliveries can take place due to COVID19 safety measures. As this can change rapidly and is dependent on local governments, there are no lists or exclusion zones we have been provided. Local authorities will update those local residents on such restrictions and changes
• Delivery Times and Case Enquiries – all couriers have specified a minimum transit time allowed before any case or enquiry can be opened. Any enquiry raised that is within the below scanning time frames will not be actioned by the carrier:
• 14 Working days between scans / scan updates for all metro / same city deliveries around AU
• 21 Working days between scans / scan updates for all sub-metro / regional deliveries around AU
• 21 Working days between scans / scan updates for all international deliveries

• Due to an significant increase in drivers, there are not enough GPS / Camera Scanners for all drivers. This means not all deliveries will have a picture taken of where the parcel was left
• All PODs will not have a signature. All PODs should either say ATL or COVID so there is no real proof or benefit to provide a POD
• Due to higher levels of theft from the general public, if a delivery scan shows as delivered but the parcel is not there, your customers need to assume it has been stolen from their property
• Customers will still be able to access POP Shop Collections in certain scenarios – such collections should only be extended when an ATL is not possible (apartment or unit address)
• For any residence with a gate or fence, the gate or fence must be opened and not just unlocked. If the gate or fence is closed (even if it is unlocked) the courier is not permitted to enter your property
• In such a case where access is restricted, the driver will not call the customer on their phone. They will simply deem the delivery as “unsuccessful” and either take to a Post Office, Depot or Pop Shop (depending on the carrier)
• For any insufficient address or unsuccessful delivery, it is the customers responsibility to make contact with the carrier to arrange a pickup or redelivery where possible (should the parcel not be at a Pop Shop for collection)
• The customer will need to monitor their tracking details for such updates

Thanks you for your attention to this matter and your patience and understanding goes a long way towards services returning to normal as soon as possible.

Regards,

Scott, Katrina & the Waters Co family.