Weekend Delivery Now Available

Mark B: Hi, it's Mark from Top Local. We're here with Mark Huggan, Phantom Couriers in Vancouver. Vancouver's best, most exciting courier company. Bicycles, cars, vans, trucks, planes, even weekends. How're you doing? 

Mark H: Marketers? Jet powered helicopters? Yeah, doing good. 

Mark B: So you guys have been open for the weekend for a while now. How's that going? 

Mark H: It's going really well. It's been three months of being open seven days a week. At first, we were just doing it for the demand of the COVID onslaught. There was lots to do. And now we've established a weekend ritual where it's busy enough to be including more drivers per day.

We initially had limited hours. Now we're extending our hours. The demand is there, the word is getting out, and I was very surprised. So it's working out better than I expected. 

Mark B: So there was a very special delivery that you guys did just recently. What's the story on that one? 

Mark H: Yeah, it was cool because I was in the office, so I was like, Oh, I like this kind of stuff right. Cause you know, it's usually just things to do and then do the stuff. So it was out in West Vancouver and it was a late pickup. It was a one o'clock pickup. Must be delivered by 2:00 PM exactly. And I was like, Oh, what is this? I'm taking a look and I see it's picking up an ice cream cake. I was like, Well, okay, one hour? Is that like a little bit too long a time? So I phoned the driver and she had already been texting the receiver. And what it turned out to be was because birthday parties are not so easy during these pandemic days and it's not as much fun that their friends are just driving by the house. So apparently, the kid who was having this birthday was really fixated on the fact that she was born at two o'clock.

And so we picked up the cake and we took it to the building, contacted concierge. He was in on it. The mom was in on it, and of course the kid's watching the clock counting down and at 1:59:59. The driver knocks at the door and the kid's probably thinking, It's my birthday but what can it be? The kid goes to the door. Nobody's there, just an ice cream cake. So it kind of made her day. And you know, if we weren't open, we wouldn't have gotten to do it. It was a feel-good moment and the fun part of doing deliveries. So somebody will probably remember this. I don't know the girl. I just thought it was cool. Like, let's make that happen. So I'm glad we were open. It was just a good thing to do. And if there's anybody out there who's got something going on in the weekend when they can't be in three places at the same time, it's the perfect opportunity to call a courier and get your wishes to come true. 

Mark B: So this is kind of unique for you guys. There's not a lot of other courier companies that are open on weekends, right? 

Mark H: That's right. It started when I was sitting around doing paperwork after everyone had gone home and got a late call from this woman in England. I thought, There's gotta be a bigger company that must be open. So I did a Google search and the answer was no. She wanted somebody to go to London Drugs and pick up some medicine for her son who wasn't feeling well. It was just after office hours. Way too late to call someone in. So after helping her out, I decided that we'll open on weekends. There's a need so we'll extend our hours. Let's service that need and make people happy. So I'm pretty stoked to do it. Ever since I've had my company, I always felt like the after hours pager guy or the after hour cell phone number.  

There's no systems and procedures like, "Hey Mike, will you be the after hours guy?" Sure, maybe if they're not watching TV, you know. It's an inconvenience for somebody just to randomly pick up the phone for one thing. And it could be anywhere so it's nice to have a scheduled team that's ready to go. Now we strategically get drivers from across the lower mainland and we spread them out because the volume is not as high. And then for Vancouver, we'll operate West side, East side, North side, South side so we set up for crisscrossing. Cover and move, get the job done. 

On Saturday, one driver went from Vancouver to Richmond to Delta to Surrey, and then all the way back up to Squamish to drop off some stuff. It was a $400 day. Very busy from ten til two so it was a rocking day for her. A hundred dollars an hour. Can't complain. So we got the job done and everybody was happy and it makes me very happy. 

Mark B: So there you are. If you need delivery service in the Vancouver area, right from Whistler to Hope, and even further as they expand into Vancouver Island and the Interior, and Calgary and Toronto, contact Phantom Couriers, (604) 899-5447 or use the toll-free number +1 844-899-5447. www.phantomcouriers.com. Thanks, Mark. 

Mark H: Excellent. Thank you.