Hello, it’s IINO.
I would like to broadcast IINO san’s Logistics Radio today.
Today’s theme is what the important in forwarder’s job.
I myself have been working as a forwarder for about 10 years now. I thought I’d talk about what is important in a forwarder’s job based on my experience.
Daily Logistics Radio by IINO san in 13th Sep. 2021
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What is a forwarder’s job?
The job of a forwarder is to rent space from shipping companies and airlines to transport the shipper’s cargo overseas.
Nowadays it is difficult to secure space, but the minimum function is to be able to transport cargos properly.
In this way, we need to function as an infrastructure for the world, but I personally think that this is not enough.
Service quality as a forwarder
As mentioned above, forwarders do not sell products, but rather intangible services. So the quality of service is also very important.
Accurate work
What makes the difference in quality of service? Accuracy is an important factor in a forwarder’s work.
It is a mistake happened often that due to error of B/L, they cannot clear the customs and are charged demurrage.
Also, there are times when forwarder cannot coordinate well with truck company and the container is brought in at the wrong port on the export side, so it cannot be put on the scheduled ship.
In the unlikely event that the B/L is lost, it is a big problem which you have a hard time getting the cargo out of the port.
Speedy response
A slow response time is also not a good quality of service. If it takes a week or two to respond to a customer’s inquiry, the customer may choose a different forwarder.
Although the forwarder’s sales staff is doing their best, but it may take time for them to check on the site. In this sense, overall coordination is necessary.
It is also preferable to reply to e-mail as quickly as possible.
When a problem occurs, speed is also important. Just half a day’s delay can add up to a lot of losses, so you need to be able to respond quickly to problems.
Be friendly
I personally think it is also important to be friendly. If you are not friendly or difficult to talk to during customer service, customer will not want to continue receiving service.
If there is forwarder who can secure a space but the person in charge is too unfriendly and unresponsive, it would be a reason to choose another forwarder who can secure a space.
Therefore, it is the bare minimum of forwarder’s job to be able to secure space and have low freight rates, the added value which is more than that is in the quality of the service.
Pursue individual and company quality of service
From the standpoint of the forwarder’s company management, these service qualities should not be dependent on the individual person in charge. All staff should be able to provide an equally high level of service.
On the other hand, if you are in charge of sales or customer service, you can raise the service quality to some extent by yourself.
Since securing space and freight rate is needed a company-wide effort, which has to give it their all at.
If you focus on service, both as a company and as an individual, you can become the forwarder of choice for customers.
