Andy Martin - YRC Logistics EU

Unfortunately for Mr Forwarder YRC Logistics has been visiting this client and had verbally agreed to trial in the near future, during a meeting with the client yesterday we were asked to quote on a DDU Air Freight to California. The GDM called the local Manchester office during the meeting and secured a price immediately in line with the Quote to Win Process.

The client also emailed Mr Forwarder for an ‘Urgent Price’ for the same job and received no response back. After half an hour the client called Mr Forwarder and said that the price was urgent and could they please get back to her as soon as possible as it was for a collection the following day.

After another 45 minutes and nearly close of business, the client called Mr Forwarder again. Her contact told her that they would not be able to get a price to her that day and it would have to be the following morning.

YRCL won their first piece of business from Mr Client as a result.

My summary would be: -

• Having a service failure is not good, but how you react is very important. Aside from monitoring the original delivery at the appropriate danger points, the airfreight shipment that followed the failed delivery should have been managed with 'gold plated service' to ensure the client knew where is was at every stage and to make sure it was delivered on time. The client should have felt before the shipment departed, comforted by the shipment planning.
• Replying immediately is a common courtesy but in our industry it is also a 'must do'. Nothing else is more important.
• Being chased by a client is a disaster, not replying after being chased is inexcusable.
• Freight Forwarding has many complications but some areas like replying immediately, managing shipment movements are actually fairly simple.

Aside from excellent (or even good) customer service, I believe that replying immediately to a request from a client, internal or external is just good manners that my dear old grandmother taught me every day some 40 years ago.

Labels: Communication, Minimum Service Standard, Quote to Win, Service

When I discuss moving clients goods from A to B to some of my friends they say 'what is difficult about arranging transport of some boxes'. The reality is we do not move boxes we manage our clients livelihood.

Often when a client asks us to move their goods from A to B via airfreight, we could be like most forwarders and just carry out our clients request. when in fact by asking basic questions such as:-

When is the shipment ready?
When does it have to been delivered?
What is the reason for the shipment?

We can plan a solution that could include consolidating the shipment or using an alternative airport or even amending the transport mode.

Asking a few pertinent questions allows us to find the right service at the right price to meet the clients delivery requirements. It also allows us to establish if there are additional benefits outside the physical movement such as taking advantage of customs regimes

Once we have this information we then build a clear solution on how the clients livelihood will be managed through each of the major danger points with appropriate communication.

Labels: Minimum Service Standard, Service

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