It's All in the Delivery They all bring the package to your door--so what's the difference?

When you're shopping for a courier service, chances are oneof your primary concerns will be the rates. But even thoughthat's certainly important, you have to consider more thanprice. Otherwise, you could end up throwing money away on a servicethat doesn't fit your needs.

If it's your first time selecting a courier, a good startingpoint is to pinpoint the type of service you need, says BobDeCaprio, executive director of the Messenger Courier Association of the Americas.For example, you may want scheduled service, where something ispicked up and delivered every day. Or perhaps you require routedservice, where, for instance, a courier picks up payroll checks anddelivers them to various locations. Or you may need on-demandservice, which means calling for a pickup on an as-neededbasis.

Next step: Define your terms. "There's really nostandardization in the industry as to what terms like'priority' or 'rush' mean," he says. So makesure the courier understands exactly what you mean when you say"rush."