When you hand over valuable assets to a specialty crating, packaging and shipping company, it can feel like those items have gone into a blackhole. You aren’t traveling with the shipment, of course, so you don’t know where it is at any given time. In addition, you aren’t monitoring the path the shipment will take, so you don’t know what challenges may lie ahead.
For these and other reasons, it’s vital that you work with a company like Craters & Freighters that practices clear communication. Your provider should also be proactive in their communications with you.
5 Benefits of Good Provider/Client Communication
Why does good communication with your crating and shipping provider matter? There are several reasons. Five of the most important are:
- It lowers your stress level. If you’re tasked with overseeing a shipment, its status is likely to be on your mind throughout its journey. Knowing that your shipping company is overseeing the logistics is reassuring. Not only does this mean your stress level will be lower, but it allows you to focus on other tasks confident that the shipment is either proceeding smoothly or, if problems have been encountered, the company is taking action to address them as your representative and advocate.
- It ensures a collaborative approach to problem-solving. If a problem arises with your shipment, the best solution may come from you and your shipping provider considering and talking through the options. Having open lines of communication makes it easier to find the best path forward.
- It minimizes the risk of delays and potential financial consequences. Your international shipment is stuck in customs for some reason and it takes a few days (or longer) for your shipping company to notify you. As a result, the goods are late in arriving at their final destination and you miss the guaranteed delivery date you gave to your customer or business partner. Good communication gives you more time to address issues like this and avoid financial repercussions.
- It enhances your reputation at your organization. Especially when you’re shipping valuable assets or are required to meet a strict delivery deadline, the last thing you want to have to say when asked for a status report on the project is, “I don’t know.” When your shipping and logistics company has up-to-the-minute details on your shipment and provides them to you promptly when asked for them, that kind of control of the situation reflects favorably on you.
- It helps create strong business relationships and business opportunities. In the same way that your coworkers appreciate you having a firm grasp on your shipping logistics, business partners, customers and potential customers will also value the fact that you work with an attentive and communicative shipping company. They, like you, can feel as though shipments have gone into a blackhole if your provider can’t or doesn’t practice clear, timely communication.
How To Find a Shipping Company That Communicates Well
Every specialty crating and shipping company will say that effective communication with clients is a top priority. But how can you be sure?
When you’re evaluating Craters & Freighters, we encourage you to take these actions:
- Ask us about how we stay informed about shipments. For us to give you information, we first have to obtain it. Learn how and how often we do that.
- Ask for specifics about the timeliness of our communications. How quickly do we respond to inquiries? Knowing what our goal is regarding response time and how good we are at meeting that goal is important.
- Ask about what we communicate to clients. Learning that we confirm pickups, notify clients when crating is complete, provide tracking information and more tells you a great deal about our overall approach to communication.
- Ask current and former clients about their experience. Have companies that have worked with Craters & Freighters had a positive experience regarding communication?
- Check with the Better Business Bureau and other entities. Organizations like the Better Business Bureau maintain records on how companies perform over time.
Making Your Communication Expectations Clear
Despite the fact that we prioritize effective client communication at Craters & Freighters, we encourage our clients to tell us about their expectations regarding communication. We also want to know right away if they feel that we aren’t meeting our communication obligations.
Why Proactive Communication Is a Top Priority for Craters & Freighters
At Craters & Freighters, effective communication with our clients is a top priority for two reasons. First, it’s what they expect and deserve. We’ve been entrusted with important assets and we don’t take that responsibility lightly.
Second, practicing good client communication benefits our team in many of the same ways that it benefits our clients. Being proactive with updates and attentive to inquiries makes a potentially stressful project less so for everyone involved. It also makes it easier for us to anticipate and address problems to keep shipments on schedule.
In addition, we’re proud of our reputation for keeping clients informed about their projects and grateful for all the business that this approach has helped us earn.
To learn more about our specialty crating, packaging and shipping services, contact us today. You can also check out photos of our work and informative videos, and get answers to frequently asked questions, on our website.