Picnic: a customer-friendly attitude
When Picnic started in 2015, I was one of four delivery guys, or as we call them — Runners. There was only one vehicle and just three shifts a day. Since then, Picnic has grown from being an idea to operating in both the Netherlands and Germany! That’s not by accident. Our customer-friendly attitude and time at the door play a huge part in this success.
The Runner
Being a Runner isn’t like any delivery job. We don’t just knock on the door and wait for a signature. It’s a people-first role, in which we bring groceries into the kitchen and chat with customers. We provide a familiar, warm…gezellig service.
Picnic depends on Runners to deliver groceries to its customers. To do this, we use a one-of-a-kind electric Picnic Vehicle (ePV), optimally designed to make my job easy. The ePV is small, and as the wheels are below the driving cabin, parking is a breeze. This lets me park close to a customer’s home and I don’t get tired from carrying groceries all day!
Unloading deliveries is as easy as driving the ePV. After sliding up the side shutter, I use a special device to scan the red crates and black cooling boxes. This tells me exactly which groceries to deliver. The design of the supply-chain is intelligently planned, so each item’s place has been predetermined since it was ordered. Finding the right groceries is quick, leaving time for the most important part of the job — talking to customers.
More than Groceries
Our customer-friendly attitude and time at the door is something that distinguishes us from other companies. We don’t wait impatiently outside, but we stop for a chat. In Dutch, we say to talk about ‘koetjes en kalfjes’, and although it may just mean small talk, we know how much a little can mean a lot. Friendly deliveries and a few minutes talking can brighten up someone’s day. For some people, especially our older customers, it makes a huge difference that a Runner will come inside and make time for them.
The response from the customers has been amazing. They really appreciate and respect our service. We see their positivity through kind and simple gestures. When it’s sunny, Runners are given cool water or soft drinks, and when it’s cold, hot coffee and pancakes. Once, I was even offered a seat at the dinner table!
A Different Experience
Picnic provides a different experience from what people are used to. Oftentimes, delivery drivers don’t care if they have given the package to the right place. They just want a signature, and then they go to the next location. If I find that a household is empty when I try and deliver, I add it to the end of my delivery route. I did this at Christmas, and the customers were so grateful that they gave me a card and a gift. I couldn’t believe it.
There has been a clear and positive response to Picnic’s customer-friendly attitude. In only three years, I’ve seen Picnic grow from delivering to a handful of households to over 150,000. The role of the Runner is super important to this. It may just be the final step of a complex logistical operation, but a familiar face and friendly chat go a long way. It shows me that just by being polite, it’s easy to have an impact. Hopefully, our approach will be a lesson to other companies, making smiles and pleasant conversation the norm.
