Systems and methods for providing personalized delivery services

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing personalized delivery services by a carrier providing a package delivery service. For example, a consignee may indicate a delivery preference to be applied to delivery of a package, such as indicating a specific location where the package is to be left upon delivery, if the consignee is not present to accept the package. In one embodiment, the consignee may be notified by the carrier of the scheduled delivery of the package, and may be linked to the carrier's web site to indicate a delivery preference. Alternatively, the delivery preference may be indicated by the consignee proactively accessing the web site. After conveying a delivery preference, the carrier's systems communicate the delivery preference at the appropriate time to a portable computing device which informs the delivery personnel of the consignee's delivery preference. Other embodiments allow the consignor to indicate delivery preferences.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A package delivery method comprising:
 accessing a consignee profile record to identify a delivery address for a consignee of a package;   attaching a shipping label to the package indicating the delivery address, the shipping label comprising machine readable indicia that provides access to the consignee profile record;   scanning the machine readable indicia of the shipping label with a portable computing device after the package is routed to the delivery address via a final delivery vehicle;   in response to scanning the machine readable indicia, receiving at the portable computing device a set of delivery instructions for the delivery address, the set of delivery instructions having been added to the consignee profile record via a web-based application in response to a communication to the consignee that the package is to be delivered to the delivery address; and   delivering the package to the delivery address in accordance with the set of delivery instructions, the set of delivery instructions being displayed via a graphical user interface of the portable computing device when the package is being delivered to the delivery address.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of delivery instructions is added to the consignee profile record on a same day the package is delivered. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the set of delivery instructions in the consignee profile record as a record for only the delivering of the package. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the set of delivery instructions in the consignee profile record as standing instructions for all future deliveries. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of delivery instructions includes a signature waiver authorizing the package to be delivered to the delivery address without an in-person signature. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising flagging a specific date associated with the set of delivery instructions in the consignee profile record, wherein the set of delivery instructions is received at the portable computing device on the specific date based on the flagging. 
     
     
         7 . A system facilitating package delivery, the system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 communicating to a consignee an indication that a package is to be delivered to a delivery address associated with the consignee; 
 receiving from the consignee a set of delivery instructions for the delivery address, the set of delivery instructions received from a web-based application in response to the communication to the consignee; 
 storing the set of delivery instructions in a consignee profile record associated with the consignee; and 
 providing the set of delivery instructions to a portable computing device, the set of delivery instructions provided in response to a consignee profile record query received by the portable computing device. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the consignee profile record query is received by the portable computing device in response to the portable computing device scanning machine readable indicia associated with the package after the package is routed to the delivery address via a final delivery vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the set of delivery instructions is received and stored on a same day the package is delivered to the delivery address. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the set of delivery instructions is stored in the consignee profile record as a record only for delivering the package. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the set of delivery instructions is stored in the consignee profile record as standing instructions for all future deliveries. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the set of delivery instructions includes a signature waiver authorizing the package to be delivered to the delivery address without an in-person signature. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising storing a flag with the set of delivery instructions in the consignee profile record, the flag being associated with a specific date, wherein the set of delivery instructions is provided to the portable computing device on the specific date based on the flag. 
     
     
         14 . One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for facilitating package delivery, the method comprising:
 communicating to a consignee an indication that a package is to be delivered to a delivery address associated with the consignee;   receiving from the consignee a set of delivery instructions for the delivery address, the set of delivery instructions received from a web-based application in response to the communication to the consignee;   storing the set of delivery instructions in a consignee profile record associated with the consignee; and   providing the set of delivery instructions to a portable computing device, the set of delivery instructions provided in response to a consignee profile record query received by the portable computing device.   
     
     
         15 . The media of  claim 14 , wherein the consignee profile record query is received by the portable computing device in response to the portable computing device scanning machine readable indicia associated with the package after the package is routed to the delivery address via a final delivery vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The media of  claim 14 , wherein the set of delivery instructions is received and stored on a same day the package is delivered to the delivery address. 
     
     
         17 . The media of  claim 14 , wherein the set of delivery instructions is stored in the consignee profile record as a record only for delivering the package. 
     
     
         18 . The media of  claim 14 , wherein the set of delivery instructions is stored in the consignee profile record as standing instructions for all future deliveries. 
     
     
         19 . The media of  claim 14 , wherein the set of delivery instructions includes a signature waiver authorizing the package to be delivered to the delivery address without an in-person signature. 
     
     
         20 . The media of  claim 14 , further comprising storing a flag with the set of delivery instructions in the consignee profile record, the flag being associated with a specific date, wherein the set of delivery instructions is provided to the portable computing device on the specific date based on the flag.