What if a customer says it’s “STAT” but won’t give a deadline?

Treat it as unconfirmed. Ask: “What exact time must it arrive, and what happens if it’s late?” If they still won’t give a time, price it as a rush ($50–$150) instead of a direct-drive emergency, or decline if it’s after-hours without clear details.

How do you prevent false emergencies from blowing up your scheduled route ($20–$40/stop)?

Require the three proof points before you interrupt a route: exact deadline, item ready-time, and payment method. If any of those are missing, offer the next available rush window instead of emergency dispatch.

What do you do if the pickup isn’t ready and the driver is waiting?

Start your standby clock after a 10-minute grace period and bill $15 per 15 minutes (or your chosen rate). Text the customer: “Driver is on site; standby has started at 2:10pm. Do you want us to wait or reschedule pickup?”

How should you handle medical specimens if you’re not a dedicated medical courier?

Only accept what you can handle safely: clear labeling, sealed packaging, and a known temperature requirement you can meet (cooler/ice packs). If the caller mentions hazmat, biohazard leaks, or unclear packaging, decline and refer them to a specialized medical courier.

How do you quote wait times without overpromising?

Give ranges and checkpoints: “Pickup in 25–35 minutes, then 30 minutes to deliver once in hand.” Add one access question (dock/front desk/badge) and tell them you’ll send proof of pickup and delivery—this builds trust without risky promises.

Should you take payment before delivery for emergencies?

For new customers and after-hours, yes—card on file or prepay prevents no-pay situations. For established accounts, use the PO or billing terms you already have, but still confirm the contact name and department for invoicing.

Emergency Call Protocol

Emergency Call Protocol for Couriers

When a customer says “ASAP” or “critical,” it can mean anything from “I’m late to a meeting” to “a lab sample will expire.” This emergency call protocol helps you quickly decide what’s truly urgent, dispatch the right driver, and quote a clear price—without risking safety while you’re on the road.

1) What Counts as an Emergency for a Courier (and what doesn’t)

For courier work, an emergency is any delivery where a missed deadline causes real damage: patient care risk, legal/financial loss, or a shipment becoming unusable. Most true emergencies fall into four buckets: (1) medical specimens and pharmacy runs (blood, biopsies, “STAT,” vaccines needing cold chain), (2) legal filings (court deadline, “process service pickup,” “must be filed today”), (3) aircraft/line-down parts (“plant is down,” “line stop,” “AOG”), and (4) time-window airport or freight cutoffs (“miss the flight,” “tender cutoff in 45 minutes”). Customers will use specific words when it’s real: “STAT,” “time-sensitive specimen,” “chain of custody,” “court filing deadline,” “AOG,” “line-down,” “tender cutoff,” “last pickup,” “must be there by 4:30,” “hand-carry,” “no signature no release.” Treat those phrases as high-priority—but still verify the hard deadline and addresses. Not emergencies (but still rush jobs): “ASAP if possible,” “end of day,” “client is waiting,” “I forgot to ship,” “can you do it in an hour?” These are usually rush deliveries ($50–$150) or same-day locals ($10–$50), not true emergency dispatch. The difference is the consequence: if the package is late, is anyone harmed, does a lab reject it, does a court deadline get missed, does a production line stop? If you’re driving, your #1 rule is safety: you do not text and drive and you do not take a detailed call while moving. Your protocol must allow you to capture the essentials fast and call back when parked or hand the call to an answering service.

Emergency Call Protocol for Couriers

1) What Counts as an Emergency for a Courier (and what doesn’t)

Explore SkipCalls

2) 60-Second Triage Script (what you must capture on every emergency call)

3) Triage Decision Tree (Emergency vs Rush vs Scheduled)

4) After-Hours Emergency Response (nights, weekends, holidays)

5) Dispatch Procedures (first-available vs best-fit)

6) Communicating ETA and Wait Times (scripts customers actually accept)

7) Emergency Pricing (simple, fair, and profitable)

8) Documenting Emergencies (so you get paid and avoid disputes)

Step-by-Step Process

Answer safely (or capture fast)

Run the 60-second triage

Classify the job

Quote the price before dispatch

Dispatch best-fit driver

Confirm readiness and access

Send checkpoint updates

Document and close out

Pro Tips

Frequently Asked Questions