Customer Interaction
IntroductionThe cargo and its shipper are the main influences of all activities in a maritime business. It is cargo that keeps ships at sea, pays the wages of the captain, the crew and all shipping line staff, and earns revenue and profit for the shipowner or operator. Therefore no relationship that a shipowner or operator maintains is more important than the ones with its customers.
Customers have the choice to use multiple shipping providers and will choose which ones to use on the basis of any number of factors, including performance on the job, but also less tangible factors such as courtesy and professionalism by the company’s staff. Therefore, to ensure the prolonged success of the business, it is necessary to maintain excellent customer relations.
Customer relationship involves doing everything from responding to phone calls and emails promptly, to displaying a positive attitude to looking for ways, large and small, to make life easier for the customer. It also means taking opportunities to entertain the customer during lunches or dinners or during visits to company locations. Finally, it means having expertise in breakbulk shipping to provide advice and guidance to help the customer achieve a successful outcome.
The objective is to develop a long term relationship with customers. The reason is that, a close long term relationship between the carrier and the shipper is necessary to achieve repeat business. This is the basis for success as a carrier of breakbulk cargo. An understanding of worldwide trade patterns, areas of customary and non-customary project cargo, origin and destination of cargoes, and the selection and availability of an appropriate ship at the shipper’s preferred time and place are the requirements of the project cargo business sector.