TNT Express

Dreadful, terrible, hopeful incompetent morons. Avoid them at all costs unless you want your package to disappear in the TNT black hole.
Their drivers must work for Aus Post — they love leaving their ‘sorry you were not home’ cards when what to really means is we couldn’t be bothered knocking on your door.

They were supposed to pick up the package on Friday. No one came. No phone call, no message, no calling card, no email. Nothing. So I called them on Monday. 20min phone call to a 13 number is not cheap. No apology for not picking it up on Friday and unable to pick up on Monday. They assured me that someone would definitely pick it up before 12noon on Tuesday. I waited until 12:15pm. No one came… yet again. I called them Tuesday late afternoon and they told me that someone had come by at 1:06pm. Is that before 12noon?! Don’t think so. They hadn’t called me, left a calling card or notified me of any changes etc. Now they assure me that it will be picked up between 9am and 12noon Wednesday. So that totals 4 days of disruption to my work and moving house duties, while I wait for TNT to pick up a package. Without so much as any courtesy email, text, phone call… NOTHING!!! I have had to contact them at the end of each day that they did not show up. How can they get away with this? I’ve requested that their customer service team call me back so that I can leave some feedback. I won’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen, so in the meantime, I’ll be lodging a formal complaint with NSW Fair Trading. Unacceptable.

I’ve switched between TNT, DHL, AAE, and Toll in the last 12+ months and none of them are perfect. In my case, currently, its ‘better the devil you know’.
This review had been kept as a lengthy draft until my most recent debacle comes to a resolution. And then I thought, you know what, Jen, TNT are as hit-​n-​miss as LiLo with a clean record; kill the rant and broaden your review.
TNT Express is a courier/​freight service. From the very small to the very large, they’ll take everything except the elephant in the room. You can book by phone, or if you have an account, you can book online. Consignment note handy or not, they’ll pick it up from wherever you are (provided there’s a willing agent) and send it to your heart’s desire.
Ambience **
How does a freight company have ambience? I’ll tell you how — the cleanliness of their delivery drivers, their hold music, the phone tone their customer service reps have, the state of the trolleys when your freight is handled in front of your eyes. TNT’s delivery and pickup guys are a clean lot; they scrub up well in their TNT shirts, and one in particular is always really, really nice, with a big smile and energy that seems unbreakable. But that’s probably the best I could say for the company as a whole. The hold music as you wait (sometimes for 20 minutes or more!) advertises to you the online services — as if you didn’t already know the world is run online!
Services on offer ***
I will not vouch for any time sensitive packaging being sent domestically. I’ve sent half a dozen or so ‘overnight’ express and had the most difficulty with one sent to a remote ‘outback’ location. Sending road express from the east coast to the west might take upward of a week, but think ‘road’ express, and you should be thinking that. Sending overseas: for goodness sake find out what restrictions the receiving country have before you book a pickup and make sure your custom declaration forms are copied x 5 before you’re ready to send. I’ve had articles returned from countries on banned items, but not for a good month or so. I’ve received domestic and international freight in both perfect condition and sopping wet.
Service ***
This is the hardest one to pick simply because there’s absolutely no consistency. You get super nice delivery guys, who’s first priority is pickup or dropoff and not how well they present themselves, and then you get narky or abrupt customer care consultants who’s first priority is… wait for it… customer care! Personally I prefer to deal with suppliers and clients alike by email; I like having in writing what someone will or won’t guarantee me. I’ve been given the run around a few times, but I’ve had issues resolved quickly a few times, too. There’s no telling what kind of service you’re going to get. If you are lucky enough to find out what the phone number is for a depot you regularly send to or receive from, KEEP IT. The depot staff are, in my experience, a lot faster and friendlier to deal with than the call centre staff.
If you do need to deal with customer care and by the sounds of things they need to speak to you again about your item/​s, check with them when they’ll call and take a note of it. If you don’t hear from them when they’re due to speak with you, call them up. I’ve learned to ask this question, and more often than not they will call when they’re due to, but it’s comforting to know when your packages are in limbo.
Overall
If it’s a small parcel and you want it sent overnight, send it with an Australia Post express platinum satchel. If it’s not time sensitive, try your luck with TNT’s road express. If it’s international, find out if you can send it first, then make sure your paperwork is in order BEFORE you book! Your research beforehand will save both you and TNT a lot of headaches.
I know I’ll have to use TNT again because my workplace has an account and to their credit their pick-​up service and delivery guys are really nice; probably the only consistently good thing about them. But find me a freight transport company that can tick all the boxes and are proven to keep them ticked and I’ll jump the fence faster than you can say ‘as the crow flies’.