Although China will overtake the US as the largest express delivery country, it is a late starter in the sector. In fact, the networks of most domestic express enterprises are not yet complete, and their employees are mainly men with relatively low education levels. And since the industry is still under construction, even senior workers are drawn to it just because of the salary and seldom have a sense of belonging.

The story is different in the US, where managerial-level employees in courier companies ensure that high-quality employees are recruited to help provide better services for customers. Take the FedEx as an example. It was founded in 1971, and within 40 years became a Fortune Global 500 company. It employs about 160,000 people worldwide, and uses 634 airplanes and 47,000 special freight cars to deliver letters and packages. FedEx also has won the World Best Employer award for providing both advantageous salaries and good corporate culture for its employees. Like many Western companies that strike a balance between service and profits, FedEx also believes that highly educated employees contribute to the company's better development.

In contrast, domestic companies seem to pay more attention to "profits", which is likely to lead them to a development path where service and precision could take a back seat. Of course, few foreign express delivery companies can compete with their domestic counterparts when it comes to providing services within the country. But that is because domestic companies charge must lower rates and foreign companies, with their stronger capital reserves, focus on international deliveries. Therefore, China's express industry must work out a strategy for better, rather than faster, development.

First, the managements of domestic companies should make serious efforts to increase customers' satisfaction. The managements have to keep pace with the feverish speed at which the express delivery industry is expanding, or else customers' dissatisfaction levels will increase, eventually leading to a crisis.

Second, Chinese companies, apart from recruiting quality employees, should make arrangements for staff training to make existing employees more efficient in order to win over potential customers.

Third, express delivery companies should run programs to instill a sense of belonging among employees and expand their "profit-only" motive to include "people and services". Only when employees have a sense of belonging will they take on extra responsibility and help the entire industry to grow healthily as well as profitably.

Fourth, express delivery companies need to share more social responsibilities. Since the express delivery industry greatly depends on the transportation sector, it needs to pay attention to environmental protection and use eco-friendly methods to deliver packages.

And last, domestic courier companies need to reach some sort of agreement to avoid harmful competition in the industry.

The author is a senior analyst of Sootoo Research Institute.

(China Daily 12/25/2013 page9)