An office messenger is in charge of safely transporting documents and small packages from one office to another, even if the offices are on opposite sides of town in different buildings. The bicycle is one of the most common modes of transportation for an office messenger. This is due to the fact that a bicycle can be left in a building or office lobby while a package is being delivered. Unlike when running errands in a car, the messenger does not have to waste time looking for a parking spot and walking between it and the office building. An office messenger does not require any specific training, but it is necessary to be physically fit and knowledgeable about the city’s business district.
Since the introduction of fax machines and electronic mail, the nature of office messenger work has changed. In many cases, having an individual hand deliver hard copies of certain documents is no longer necessary now that documents can be transmitted to the other side of the globe in a matter of seconds. Some documents, on the other hand, must be delivered in hard copy. This is especially true for signature-required documents and legal documents. Office messenger is still used to send these types of documents on a regular basis.
An office messenger is often responsible for obtaining proof of delivery in addition to delivering packages safely and on time. This proof could be in the form of a signature on a piece of paper or an image on a computer screen. Some companies that hire messengers equip them with devices that capture such signatures, allowing customers to track the status of their packages. An office messenger in some very large cities may only serve the offices in a specific district. A New York city office messenger, for example, might only be in charge of transporting packages within the financial district or the midtown area.
Being an office messenger has a number of disadvantages. First and foremost, the job can be physically demanding and puts one at risk of bodily injury. When riding alongside cars and trucks, even the most experienced bikers are at risk of injury. In addition, the job isn’t particularly well paid, and there isn’t much room for advancement. Unlike other types of jobs, office messengers have a low chance of advancement.