When a leaflet distribution campaign is completed, it is the duty of the distribution company to be able to prove that every flyer was delivered.
With some ethical companies who have every intention of delivering all your leaflets, the staff they choose to employ can let them down massively. Most likely every leaflet distribution company has come across a staff member who has attempted to cut corners and sometimes not even deliver any leaflets at all.
This is where every distribution company should back check the campaign, looking into each area and team individually.
The most reliable source of back checking is to have every staff member carry a GPS tracking device, that records all their movements while out delivering. This will show a staff member walking up and around each of the streets and include them walking up and down driveways and gardens.
The GPS tracking device will also show the time in the area. This can be useful to see exactly what time a specific street would have been delivered.
There is the problem that the staff member could have just walked around with the GPS tracking device, but if they were already walking around the streets then why would they choose not to deliver and risk getting caught that way.
A way to have further confidence in the distribution run is to request door to door back checks. This is when a team leader follows around the streets a few hours later and knocks on doors. When a resident answers, the team leader will present a copy of the flyer and ask if they have received it. For these sorts of back checks, some distribution companies may need to charge extra to cover the wage of the team leader conducting these checks.
Other back checks that distribution companies can provide include:
- Telephone back checks – This is where an external company who has data of residents, including addresses and phone number, calls out to households to ask them if they received a flyer following distribution.
- Sign off sheets – These are when a member of the team calls into the store if it is in the area and gets a sheet signed to show that the client has witnessed the team in that area. This is not hugely reliable as staff members could just call in for the signature. This could be used alongside GPS tracking to ensure everything matches up.
- Secret Shoppers – This is when you have people in the area waiting to receive a leaflet. The team are not told about this address. If the street is coloured in and your secret shopper has not received one, then this will indicate that the distribution has not been completed correctly.
All back checks and follow ups should be completed within a few days of the distribution, otherwise they will not be valid or accurate.
Therefore, GPS tracking will always remain the best form of evidence, and other back checks should be used alongside this to add confidence to the run.