Hello, all!
Well, well, well. It seems the Christmas season has not slowed any of you down. At least judging by the response to last week's reader participation question, which was just as lively as it always is, if not more! It seems you lot like discussing serious topics even more than you do light-hearted ones – perhaps I should do them more often...
For now, though, let's get right down to it. First, I'll do my usual recap, for the benefit of those who may have not been here last week, or not paying attention - shame on you! The question in question (sometimes I even make myself laugh) had to do with carrying out courier jobs during winter, and whether or not drivers and companies should increase their prices during this time of year to compensate for harder work and worse conditions. Posted below are just a few examples of what you had to say on the matter.
'As much as I want to say yes, absolutely, courier jobs should absolutely be charged higher during the winter, I really don't think that would be viable. A lot of people would probably not want to pay extra for a Christmas delivery as opposed to any other time of year, and that could mean less business for courier companies during this period. And considering this time of year is the main money-maker for most courier providers I don't really see how it could possibly work.' - Ted, East Anglia
'I think it would be doable, and only fair for drivers. After all, in winter, we have to deal with more than just traffic jams – there's snow, and rain, and sleet, and hail, and frozen engines, and all sorts of things that need accounting for that don't really affect us during summer. So yes, I feel courier jobs should actually be more expensive in winter, and I don't think it would affect profits unduly as I'm sure most reasonable consumers understand. The extra money would need to go towards expenses, so everything would even out in the end.' – Jack, Merseyside
'I feel like maybe independent couriers could do it, but not necessarily the larger companies. Courier jobs work out more expensive when you're self-employed, and with everything that can go wrong in winter I think you deserve a safety net; but for companies, it could mean much larger increases so it might not be a good idea.' - Anna, Wiltshire
There you have it, then – three completely different points of view, but each as valid as the next. And there were dozens more like that, but I wasn't able to print them all – sorry. So folks, THIS is why I love my readership!
For now, though...that is all the space I have. Until next week, ta-ra!
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