CRI听力:Shorthanded Delivery Company during Spring Festival

Starting from next week, delivery services across the country will face the situation of short staffing. For some companies, more than 80 percent of their employees will go home during the Spring Festival.

According to a manager of a delivery company in Shanghai, almost everyone will leave for home. Only 7 to 8 employees will be on duty. On normal working days they have more than 40 employees.

To deal with the staff shortage and maintain operations, managerial level employees have to fill the gap. Wang Bin is a manager of a delivery company in Shanghai.

"I need to drive by myself and make the deliveries, especially on the Lunar New Year's Eve. None of my staff will be in the company in that day. I estimate the remaining few colleagues and I will deliver about 200 packages a day."

Many delivery companies are trying what they can to balance the business operation and the tradition of going home for family reunions during the Lunar New Year. Yang Jinghao is the chief HR supervisor of a delivery company. He says his company hopes their staff will work until the last minute.

"We will rent buses to send our staff back home, not to exactly where they live, but the as close as we can, so they won't need to travel long. And the date will be the day before the Lunar New Year."

Due to the staff shortage, the delivery fees are predicted to rise 3 to 10 times during the Spring Festival and the delivery speed will surely to be affected. Jin is a manager of a Shanghai delivery company.

"The delivery fee is going to rise 3 to 10 times, depending on which area the package goes to. It's because our costs are higher during the Spring Festival. Our truck still runs even there are only a few packages to send."

So if you are planning to buy gifts or goods during the Spring Festival, you are advised to place an order as early as possible.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.