While around 80 per cent of domestic customers and two out of three businesses said they were generally happy with the standard of the inter-Ireland postal services, many also believed that substantial improvements could be made.

Seventy per cent of people questioned also said they did not know the correct cost of sending mail from Northern Ireland to the Republic, and more than 25 per cent were unaware of the prescribed standards for delivery times between the two. Consumer Focus Post’s Principal Policy Advocate, Chris Thirkettle, said that a well functioning postal service which could be relied upon by business and individual customers alike was essential to encourage the growing social and business links between Northern Ireland and the south.

And while existing Northern-Southern Ireland postal services complied with Europe-wide standards for their quality, he called the current standards unambitious, and said they were unable to meet Northern Irish businesses’ or individuals’ reasonable expectations. And bodies representing businesses trading with partners across the border expressed their hope that Consumer Focus Post’s report could be a catalyst to making improvements to the postal service specifically, and bring enhancements in cross-border links in general.

Any steps which could improve the reliability and speed of cross-border communications could have a substantially beneficial effect on the way business is carried out between the two countries, believes Liam Nellis, Chief Executive of InterTrade Ireland. The Federation of Small Businesses also threw its weight behind calls for improvements, and said it would urge that its recommendations be adopted in both countries.

The postal system’s wide range of services were essential for keeping communities and their businesses alive, especially in the current economic climate, William Mitchell, the FSB’s Policy Chair, William Mitchell, said.

The courier services in large cities are comparatively vast as they even deliver bikes and motorcycles along with delivering smaller packages. They are capable of managing faster services by avoiding traffic hassles. Sometimes, the couriers even use small cars or vans for transporting the packages. Technological advancements have also reached the courier service sector with advanced companies making use of computer dispatched couriers and GPS systems. With the technological kick off, the efficiency level of companies have been increased.

In a computer dispatched courier service, the computer at the center would determine which vehicle would be best positioned for handling the fats delivery of the packages and would dispatch that vehicle for pickup. Using such advanced systems, the companies are able to provide efficient delivery of the goods and also the consumers get fast and reliable deliverance. Yet another thing is that the system potentially lowers delivery costs thereby giving the consumers cheap courier service. If the company is using the GPS systems, the consumers would be able to trace the delivery of the package by monitoring the GPS location of the courier on the web. The courier would also provide confirmation and date of the deliverance through web or via email updates.

Since the services and way they provide it vary with each company, it is important to find a courier service that would best fits your needs. People would generally want to send things across the country or across the state. If you are planning to move the things across a local place, it is better to find a company that specializes in your locality and would make quick delivery possible. Secondly you have to consider the cost factors. Find a courier service that can give a very close estimate citing the charges and time frame of the delivery. This is important since the cost and delivery dates make a major part of the requirements. If you wish to get email updates and also web tracking of your delivery, better go for a service which uses modern technologies in their operation. Finally it is not always good to jump into a conclusion soon after finding a company. Try to shop around and get as many estimates as possible. Different companies may have difference in delivery time, quality and costs. You would surely find a cheap courier services if you spend some time in research.