In the trucking industry, many large carriers offer both brokerage and asset-based services. But if your company requires both, you have two or more teams to communicate with. But what if those teams were merged? Better yet, what if you only had one person to contact – one person who knows everything about every load you have out on the road?
That’s the beauty of merging the two customer service groups. But it isn’t just streamlining communication that’s making things easier for customers. Having one point of contact has unseen benefits for everyone involved.
1. One Shared Goal: When an organization comes together to share one goal with one strategy as opposed to having different goals and strategies in each department, it allows the team to come up with more creative, effective ways to solve problems and best serve their customers – both with brokerage and asset-based services. That way, the whole organization is moving in one direction instead of a consistent break in freight flow.
2. Knowledgeable Service Reps: Many carriers have regional representatives, asset-based representatives, brokerage representatives, sales representatives, and others who are in regular contact with customers. That’s a lot of people who know a little. But with the merging of teams, each customer is communicating with one person who knows A LOT. In fact, they know everything there is to know about their customer’s freight – where it is, what it is, when it will depart, when it will arrive, etc. They’ll be able to understand market conditions, market rates, details of pickup and delivery, vendors, receivers – the works. And possibly more importantly, the contact will know their customer’s value system and major pain points so they can develop strategies that will best meet their customer’s needs.
3. Accountability: With knowledge comes accountability. When a customer service rep knows the ins and outs of your business, your freight becomes just as important to them as it is to you. When that’s the case, there’s nothing they won’t do to help you succeed.
The idea of having one point of contact has obvious benefits on the surface, primarily in streamlining communication. But when it comes to other benefits, simplicity is just the tip of the iceberg. The real value comes in the creation of a wholistic view that improves efficiency for every customer and every partnership. The real value come in the creation of success.
