Subject-matter experts. It's a phrase that you'll often hear mentioned by logistics companies, and rightfully so. A quality logistics company should be able to guide you through industry best-practices and help you operate your business. However, just because your logistics company is the subject-matter expert, it doesn't mean that there isn't anything that they can learn from you. That's one of the reasons we send out a Client Satisfaction Survey every year - to see what we're missing and to see how we can improve. Through this process, we always receive valuable feedback that helps us continue to be a preferred service provider to our customers. Based on the results from our survey, here's 3 things that you can teach your logistics company:
What you truly enjoy about your logistics provider - Sometimes the basics matter most. Companies get caught up in KPIs, statistics and reporting but what's truly important for successful business relationships is much simpler than that - enjoying who you work with. While this may seem obvious, it's also easy to forget when you're focusing on the bigger picture. Your logistics provider may not know what sets them apart from the pack, and they won't be able to further develop those qualities unless you tell them. For example, the most commonly indicated positive aspect of Port Jersey Logistics and our operating companies is that our customers enjoy working with their primary contacts on a daily basis, so we launched an internal survey to build upon our company culture and ensure that our employees are delighted, just like our customers.
How you expect your logistics provider to grow - Logistics companies should be looking to evolve and one of the best ways to determine the direction they should take is by asking their customers. Their customers will likely have insight about trends in their specific industries that may require the logistics provider to enhance their service offerings. Overall, one of the common goals across the logistics industry is to improve turnaround time. Many refer to it as the "Amazon Effect," where consumers, and now businesses, expect to receive products quicker, which will only increase over time.
What you need help understanding from your logistics provider - Even though logistics companies are the subject-matter experts, certain processes that occur behind the scenes may not be well communicated to customers. This is a fast-moving industry with many steps throughout the process that impact your business in various ways. If there's something that you don't understand, your logistics company is the perfect resource for answers to your questions. We do our best to continually communicate industry information and diving deeper in logistics processes through regular conference calls, quarterly business reviews and e-mails like these.
Do you already express these points to your logistics provider? Do they listen? At Port Jersey Logistics, we understand that in order to be a preferred logistics provider, we must also be a partner. If you're struggling with your logistics provider or just need general logistics advice, contact us today.
