Why Freight Forwarding Is The Key To Delivering A Quality Customer Service Experience

“Almost 90% of everything we buy arrives via ship,” The Atlantic and Rose George’s book, Ninety Percent of Everything, reveal. Why is it such a popular shipping method?

The advantages of a freight forwarder are innumerable. Listing them all would take a significant chunk of time. Instead, let us focus on the advantages that matter the most to you — the advantages that help you deliver a better customer service experience.

Ocean Shipping Saves You — And Your Customers — Money

If you incur more costs, chances are your customers incur more costs. Thankfully, door to door shipping and sea freight shipping is extremely cost-effective. “It’s less expensive to ship Scottish cod 10,000 miles away to China to be filleted and then sent back to Scotland than it is to pay Scottish filleters to do the job,” The Atlantic continues.

With the savings you experience from cost-effective door to door shipping, you will be able to extend savings to your customers as well. By contrast, if you choose a more expensive shipping method, you may need to raise your prices or you will make significantly lower profits.

Keep your pockets and customers happy by opting for inexpensive freight delivery options.

Freight Forwarders Offer Full-Level Service

When it comes to the best possible customer service experience, your customers are looking for convenience. What better way to deliver it to them than door to door shipping?

Door to door shipping is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of the customer taking on the responsibility of transporting their goods to the port personally or hiring a trucking company to do it, many freight forwarders tackle all steps of this process. Goods travel directly from the shipper’s door to the recipient’s.

Door to door shipping saves customers a lot of time and money. Many shippers may not realize, for example, that they will need a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card or other special, legal permissions to gain access to the port where they will pass off their goods for loading. This that is just one of the obstacles and expenses associated with shipping.

Ocean Shipping Is Surprisingly Green

If the low costs and full-service are not enough to win your customers over, remember that is not all they stand to gain from choosing ocean shipping. Attitudes across the world are dramatically shifting. Part of that shift is toward green products and sustainability. Now, customers will favor you if you provide environmentally friendly or green services. In fact, according to Barron’s magazine, “Nearly 70% of consumers in the U.S. and Canada think it is important that a brand is sustainable or eco-friendly.” Across North America, Europe, and Asia, that figure is even higher. An overwhelming “80% of survey participants said they felt it was ‘important or extremely important’ for companies to design environmentally conscious products,” Business News Daily writes.

If sustainability is a priority for your customers, let them know that ocean shipping is surprisingly green. Compared to other shipping methods, like air or ground shipping, ocean shipping emits far fewer emissions. Ocean shipping accomplishes this by using less energy. For example, shipping a container by ocean from Shanghai, China to Le Havre, France (a 12-hour flight for perspective) releases fewer greenhouse gases than driving from Le Havre to Lyon, France (a five-hour drive).

Freight Forwarders Meet Tight Deadlines

If your customers have tight deadlines, let them know that they can talk to you. Often, freight forwarders are able to work with customers. In most cases, there are several possible routes or services when shipping goods. Some routes may be more straightforward and make more sense than others.

However, if a storm is slowing ocean freight delivery along a particular route for the foreseeable future, it makes sense to choose an alternative route. Talk to your customers about this option — and others — and let them know you are committed to helping them, even in a pinch.

Quality customer service can make a tremendous difference. According to Forbes, an impressive 84% of businesses who actively work on improving their customer service experience see a marked increase in profit. Join them. Team up with a trusted freight forwarder to deliver the best possible customer service experience.