In response to the continuing Coronavirus situation, Swift Despatch and APC are making several operational changes in order to maintain service levels during these unusual circumstances. These updates will remain in place until further notice and have been made in order to firstly protect the safety and wellbeing of staff and our customers across the country, but also aim to maintain service levels.
We are continuing to operate and its business as usual albeit with a number of staff working from home and a skeleton staff at the depot – for this reason we would appreciate it if customers could communicate by email wherever possible and keep the calls to us down to a minimum.
If however you do need to call us, please be assured that whilst it may take a little longer than usual your call will be answered as soon as possible.
Operational Changes
‘Leave Safe’ delivery option
To allow us to make as many first time deliveries during these difficult times, we strongly encourage you to use our ‘Leave Safe’ delivery option where possible.
As deliveries into consumer addresses continue to increase, along with consumer self isolation, consumers and drivers will welcome the ability to have goods left in a safe place, as per the address label special instructions.
Collect From Depot- Option suspended
To prevent footfall into depots, from Wednesday 25/3/2020 until further notice, APC Overnight have suspended the collect from depot option across the APC network. redeliveries can be arranged but not a collect from depot option.
Drop into Depot- Option suspended
In an effort to limit the possible exposure to office staff, we have also taken the decision to suspend the practice of dropping items into our depots nationwide.
Account customers can still continue to book collections online in the usual way and customers without accounts can use the pay online solution APC Direct at
https://www.apc-direct.co.uk/ where a collection can be arranged on a collect next day, deliver next day service (ND1600 only, no liquids/fragile).
Consignments Addressed to Depot for Collection- Engineers/Mobile Workers
Similarly, where customers are manifesting consignment’s to depots for their mobile workers to collect, please wherever possible manifest to an address other than that of the depot e.g. the mobile workers home address.
Suspension of Live Fish/ Movement of Bees
With immediate effect we are will no longer be accepting Live fish/ bees within our network. We are implementing this change until further notice as delays may be experienced in this service.
Suspension of Same Day PURS- next day booking only
To ease the pressure on delivery drivers, with effect from Wednesday 25th March all PURs are for next day collection and not same day action.
RTS of Goods which are for ‘closed’ businesses
We are aware that the announcement by The Government to close businesses that are not retailing essential goods will result in goods within depots that cannot now be delivered. From now, until further notice these will automatically be returned to sender.