Depending on how often you use delivery services, you may or may not have heard of the phrase “white glove delivery.” When you think of white gloves, do you think of a butler holding a silver platter, ready to serve you champagne? After all, white gloves used to be part of a man’s evening attire. They continue to be worn by professional drivers in Japan today.

White gloves are elegant. They also show dirt or dust, so if you’re being served hors d’oeuvres by someone wearing white gloves, you can quickly determine if their hands are clean or not.

If you associate white gloves with special treatment, you’re right. Whether your waiter or delivery driver wears them, “white glove” means your satisfaction comes first. That’s the idea behind white glove delivery service.

What Is White Glove Delivery?

White glove delivery is essentially a step up from regular delivery. Exceptional attention is paid to the item throughout its journey.

When an item is delivered via white glove delivery, every step of the way, from point A to point B, is very carefully considered. Whereas ordinary delivery services leave packages on the sidewalk or in the driveway, white glove drivers will bring the package or packages into your home or place of business to save you the trouble of heavy lifting and assembly.

White glove delivery services include care for the following:

• Packaging: Items delivered through white glove services are packaged with proper materials to ensure the items arrive exactly as they were before delivery — no scratches, dents or broken pieces. Some courier companies build custom crates for your items, regardless of size or weight.
• Logistics: From the moment packages or goods are prepared for shipping to the minute these items are transported to their destination, every step is planned according to the needs of the customer and the objects handled. From choosing the proper packaging to scheduling overnight storage, all the logistics are dealt with by the delivery service, leaving you time and space to take care of other priorities.
• Cleanliness: The storage facilities and delivery trucks used with white glove delivery services are clean and secure, to prevent damage from dirt, dust or other debris.
• Assembly: White glove delivery drivers are trained specialists who not only deliver goods safely and efficiently but also assist with moving packages to the desired location. They can help with assembly and setup of delivered goods. Whether it’s a piece of bulky furniture or a delicate lighting fixture, white glove drivers are trained and prepared to make sure the object is left in a condition and position that satisfies the customer.
• Disassembly: If you use white glove services for an event such as a wedding or trade show, white glove drivers will safely and quickly disassemble, remove and transport the delivered objects to the new location.
• Disposal: All boxes, crates and packing materials will be disposed of by white glove drivers as you wish, saving you time and trouble.

When Should You Use White Glove Delivery?

There are countless scenarios where using a white glove delivery service would undoubtedly be the best option. Whether you have antique furniture or art delivered to your home, or you need sterile medical equipment delivered in a timely fashion and treated with extreme caution, consider going white glove. For your business or your home needs, it’s worth it.

Say you just bought a new home in London. Your mother calls you from Manchester and tells you that she wants you to have grandma’s antique Victorian desk. You have long dreamt of owning that desk, and you finally have the perfect room to keep it in. How will you get it there?

You imagine that gorgeous piece of mahogany riding in the back of a truck that’s also delivering rolls of carpet. In such a situation, you might find grandma’s desk upon delivery looking as if it’d been handled by a giant angry cat instead of a human being. In this case, choosing white glove delivery could give you peace of mind nothing will happen to your heirloom.

Or say there’s going to be an exhibit of your life-sized glass sculptures in a gallery a hundred miles away. Would you feel safe hiring just any delivery service to transport and install a decade of your life’s work? Probably not.

The Best Items to Ship Using a White Glove Delivery Service

Obviously, not every item needs to be handled by expert delivery drivers. But some, as we’ll take a look at below, really do need attention to all the details. Generally speaking, if an object is of high value, irreplaceable, too heavy, difficult to assemble, or needs quick assembly, then it’s probably worth white glove treatment.

Valuables

A valuable is anything that has monetary value or personal value. A valuable could be a piece of Egyptian pottery transferred to a new exhibit, or it could be a wedding dress passed down through generations. Whatever the object is, value means something different to everyone.

White gloves services will give just as much care to ancient pottery as a vintage bridal gown because specialized delivery services value customer satisfaction. Some valuable items to consider using white glove delivery services for may include:

• Artwork — sculptures and paintings
• Expensive equipment — machines, musical instruments or robotics
• Rare items — antiques or memorabilia

Fragile Items

Setting up a theater production? Need lighting or displays delivered and assembled ASAP? Fragile items aren’t just those made of glass or ceramic. Lots of things in our businesses and homes require unique handling and arrangement, as they may have delicate parts that could be easily damaged if not transported with extreme care. Fragile items that may need particular treatment include:

• Decorations — displays or event decor
• Furniture — unassembled pieces or fine materials
• Displays — theater set pieces or trade show exhibits
• Lighting fixtures — chandeliers or large wall sconces
• Other goods — glass, porcelain, chinaware, pottery or crystal

Unassembled or Bulky Furniture

You may want to consider hiring white glove professionals to deliver your furniture if it is valuable, delicate, too heavy to carry alone, difficult to handle or in need of assembly. Consider some stats:

• It is estimated up to 80% of people will experience a back problem at some point in their life.
• A tip to prevent back pain is to “lift with your knees, keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.” Want to know our tip to preventing back pain? Leave the lifting to the experts.

White glove services might be worth considering for not only heavy items but difficult or hard-to-assemble items. We all only have so much time in the day, and sometimes it’s just worth having a professional take care of something and save yourself the headache.

Remember the last time you tried to build that do-it-yourself bookshelf shaped like a mermaid? Or when you asked your neighbour to help you squeeze your wrought iron headboard through the front door, and whoops! There went the freshly painted wall. Some chores are just way easier and less of a health risk to leave to the experts.

Medical Equipment

If you work in a hospital or any medical facility, or you care for someone at home, you know the importance of sterile medical equipment. In addition to equipment being 100% sterile, it’s vital the equipment works upon arrival, as someone’s life may depend on it.

White glove delivery can ensure your medical equipment is handled with the utmost care. Call your delivery company to see if it offers medical-related deliveries, as this may include the need for refrigerated trucks.

Refrigerated or Perishable Goods

Depending on the service you contact, they may or may not offer refrigerated services. Whether you’re a business or restaurant owner, or you want catered dishes to make it to a party on time, white glove delivery is the way to go.

Food items or beverages should always be handled with great consideration. The last thing you’d want on your daughter’s wedding day is for the 5-tier cake to arrive looking like a deflated basketball. Anything edible requires cleanliness and climate control — factors you’ll want to consider when choosing your delivery service.

Special Event Deliveries

White glove delivery services will not only transport perishable items from a caterer or other business to the desired location but will also help you set up your special event or trade show in one seamless transaction. This could include delivery of and assistance with:

• Decorations
• Tables and chairs
• Lighting fixtures
• Cooking equipment and serving stations
• Food and drink
• Musical equipment
• Sets or displays
• Sound systems or audio equipment

Virtually anything you need help with regarding the delivery of goods, and the setting up and tearing down of the event, can be left in the hands of a white glove delivery service.

How to Pick a Provider

Now that you know what white glove delivery services are all about, you’re probably wondering how to choose the right provider for you.

Here are some questions you’ll want to ask yourself and potential providers when making a decision:

• Provider location: Can this provider meet your needs on time?
• Services provided: Will you need overnight storage? Refrigeration? Audio setup experts? Make sure the company you are interested in will be able to efficiently deliver quality service.
• Delivery time: How long will the delivery take? What are the hours of operation? Can a delivery be scheduled at any time?
• Tracking: What tools are available to you to track your delivery? Are the tools convenient or easy to use?

Also, you’ll want to read past customer reviews and testimonials. Learn the company’s history. What is their reputation? You’ll want to go with a company that is experienced, has positive reviews, and shows a proven record of reliability and excellent customer service.

What to Expect From White Glove Delivery Services

What a white gloves service offers depends on the company. However, you should expect to receive nothing short of the highest-quality customer service with any white glove service. The delivery service will not end until your satisfaction is met.

Using a white glove delivery service will save you:

• Time
• Stress
• Hassle

Moving is not fun. Lifting heavy furniture is not fun. Asking friends, family and neighbours to help you move is definitely not fun. At times, it can be tempting to abandon all your belongings and hide in a cave somewhere. If you’re feeling discouraged enough to live with a family of bears, then it’s likely time to contact a delivery service.

Get in Touch With Greg Paulson Couriers For All Your Delivery Needs

Not all companies provide top-notch service from beginning to end, so it’s important to know what you’re paying for with any company you choose. However, you can depend on Greg Paulson Couriers to be there for you every step of the way.