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EVER ORDER A CD, book, or work item from DHL? Standard.
But what about ordering a curry from your favourite restaurant in Europe to be brought to East Africa? Now we’re talking.
That’s what one of DHL’s clients ordered on a weekly basis last year, proving that the truth is always stranger than fiction.
The company said that in 2014 it had the opportunity to test its global transportation network with some “unusual and non-traditional deliveries”.
In August of last year, the South African pole vaulting athlete Cheyne Rahme realised four days before the 19th Africa Senior Championships that he couldn’t check-in his six-metre-long pole on his flight to Morocco.
He contacted DHL, who managed to deliver the pole to the competition venue with just a few hours to spare. Rahme went on to win a gold medal.
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DHL also transported two giant pandas from China to Belgium in 2014. The two four-year-old pandas were flown on a dedicated DHL Boeing 767 freighter aircraft, accompanied by a team of animal handlers, a veterinary physician and plenty of bamboo.
Back in 2013, DHL also helped in the relocation of three endangered Black Rhinos across different continents and nine gorillas from the UK to Gabon.
Not just by plane
While air transport is their primary form of transportation, due to pesky things like traffic gridlocks and poor weather, DHL have developed some alternative means of transport.
After “considerable negotiations” with the Nigerian maritime authorities, DHL Nigeria has been granted permission to operate a commercial boat between the Lagos Mainland and Victoria Island, taking 18 minutes instead of the usual three-hour commute.
They also use electric bicycles in Italy, helicopters for deliveries in New York, Los Angeles and London, as well as couriers on skis when parts of Germany experience heavy snowfall.
DHL also operates a canal river boat in Amsterdam, from where bicycle couriers pick up their parcels.
The week before Christmas I had DHL deliver an electric guitar as a Santa present. I missed the delivery but noticed a missed call. I rang the driver who promptly turned around and came back to my house. He guessed that the gift was a surprise and as it was in an obviously guitar shaped box he went to great lengths to help me sneak it into my home.
During his busiest week of the year he showed amazing customer service.
I contacted DHL directly to tell his managers and a week later the guy sent me a lovely text thanking me for making the effort.
And I don’t now, nor never have, work for DHL or its subsidiaries. As they say on TV
D.amaged,H.idden,L.ost thats my experience with them fools.
Steve has received a gratuity for making this advertisement
Stick in a cv, Steve.
Craving a curry for Breakfast now, thanks Journal
Mmm…pandas.
Panda Curry?
Is there a product placement warning, like at the start of Fair City (hashtag Me Da’s Christy’s shop)
In Ireland, plane loads of “Poles”arrive every week and nothing about it
When will low cost usable postcodes be delivered. Apparently Eircodes are delayed until 2016….Eircode the gift that never gives.
Unlike other state initiatives that keep on and on giving. Not mentioning and names of course.
I enquired about delivering a suitcase from Dublin to Croatia and it was going to cost €600. Crazy money. I couldn’t believe it.
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