The number of businesses is growing day after day. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that everyone can launch a company. You can do it even online. There are lots of tools and software designed to help newbies to cope with financial, marketing, and management issues. When it comes to logistics, many beginners face real problems and challenges. There is no universal solution that is able to meet the requirements of all companies even if they are almost similar.
The modern logistics market offers lots of freight shipping companies. It seems they are able to satisfy even the most demanding clients. Yet, even if you hire the most expensive forwarder, it doesn’t mean that you will fully avoid delays.
Sometimes delays happen for reasons independent of business owners. For instance, car accidents may lead to a suspension of transportation. Yet, if delays happen (no matter what the reasons are), it’s necessary to respond to them in an effective manner. The following tips can be rather useful:
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● Inform the customers in advance.
Nowadays there are many tracking applications. And your clients are likely to get to know about delays from these apps. Yet, it’s still a good idea to inform clients and apologize personally.
● Stay calm and do not react to aggression.
Even if the customers start yelling, you have to be calm and explain the reasons for the delay and inform them about further steps.
● Provide extra services.
Both clients and shippers have to rely on mutual understanding. For buyers, it’s necessary to realize that sometimes emergencies happen and cargo just can’t arrive on time. For shippers, it’s important to keep in mind that clients may lack essential elements for their work, projects, or even health. When freight is delayed, you can offer clients extra services next time. For instance, instead of standard transportation, you can provide him or her with white glove delivery. It allows you to smooth things over.
● Work on mistakes.
The first question you should ask yourself after the delay happens is “What went wrong? How can I avoid similar situations in the future?” If it was your fault and you can fix it, you should review logistics procedures.
The list of the most common reasons for cargo delays includes lots of points. They are missing papers, blurry writing, wrong labels, poor planning, and traffic issues. It isn’t definitely the whole list.
For both, clients and entrepreneurs, it’s of prime importance to consider all the details in the contract. If you are a business owner, it’s up to you to include information about potential delays and possible solutions to the problem. It goes without saying that this point should be written in accordance with current legislation.
To conclude, it should be mentioned that there are different types of both clients and entrepreneurs. There are people who are ready to wait until their parcels arrive and do not pay attention to slight delays. There are people who can’t wait even for a minute. Your task is to stay flexible and avoid conflicts if you want our business to prosper and bring profit.
