Caught a programme about Asia cities yesterday. What an insight into the life of another city. Yesterday's feature was about 'Quick Delivery Man' in Seoul.
Seems in Seoul, everything has to be done fast, quick and on the double. These courier service or delivery service are hence in great demand. There are more than 10,000 such services (SME) and they deliver almost anything! These delivery man are amazing. They promise delivery of documents within an hr. Now, if you've been to Korea, you will know that the traffic can be quite a nightmare. So these deliveryman travel by motorcycles to get their deliveries done. They are so professional, their delivery slips are not crumpled!
Besides the usual delivery of documents, there are also rather unusual requests such as delivery of packages from the market. This lady had wanted to serve the freshest catch to her guest and had fresh fish shipped to the market. The delivery man had to go to the market, pick up the fish and deliver it to the lady. All these while juggling other deliveries as well! Their lives are simply exciting. Sometimes, they even work for rival companies. If you think that we're advanced with our GPS system for driving on the roads, Korea's deliveryman already has these items as one of the items in their bags!
It seems that no request is ever too small or insignificant and service definetely rates highly on the list of priorities. You can request for delivery of items from different convenience stores and even a light bulb! These deliveryman will even fix the light bulb for you. You never have to leave the comforts of your home.
We may now be amazed by the services of the deliveryman but there's more. Famous for their night markets, these delieryman place an important role. The clothes that are made in the day are rushed to the markets for sale by the evening. These deliveryman deliver bags of clothings stacked high on their motorcycles and these bags can sometimes weigh up to 40kg or more! These deliveryman still manage to meander through the streets to ensure the timely delivery of their goods. Do not be mistaken to think that they charge premium for such service, a bag is delivered for only US$2-4.
In Korea, the University entrance exams for all schools are held on the same day. Studied late into the night and woke up late? No worries, just give a call to the quick deliveryman. They will deliver you on time to your exam venue. Seems almost any type of delivery is possible indeed.
Besides these deliveryman, there are other types of quick service as well. Have you heard of mobile tellers? Never underestimate the importance of these tellers. These tellers make their rounds to their customers who are the shop owners in the night markets to ensure that their cash is safely deposited at the end of the day. (The end of the night market day is usually wee hours of the morning before regular banking hours). All the cash is carried in a briefcase and more than one bank provides this 'quick' service. Aren't these easy targets for the robbers, you wonder? The amazing thing is that these tellers have never been robbed!
The deliveryman and the mobile tellers are not the only types of 'quick' service one finds in Seoul. Quick delivery of food is common as well. What is the big deal, you think, we have that in many countries too. But if you have tried Korean food before, you will know that many of their favourite foods are served in claypots or hotpots. These pots help to keep the food warm and the hotpots come with portable gas stove (the type we see at marina south steamboat places) as well. Let's not forget the many accompanying dishes as well. All these are delivered on trays and balanced on a delivery lady's head! Payment is not necessary as tabs are kept and collection is made once a month.
Korea's 'quick' culture is truly amazing. Not only is it quick, it is also personalised and done with a smile. Perhaps it is time our service industry leaders visited some of our neighbours. :)
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