Choosing the right logistics company can be a hard decision, especially if it’s something you have never been involved in before. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be. We have put together the 5 key elements to consider, to ensure you make the right decision. After all, your company’s reputation and success could be on the line if you get it wrong!
“It takes months to find a customer, seconds to lose one” – Vince Lombardi
Customers take a lot of time and effort to gain but can be lost extremely quickly. With customers being at the core to any business’s success, it is paramount that you choose a freight forwarder to work with, that genuinely puts its and your customers first.
The problem? There doesn’t seem to be any company in the current market that’s not claiming to have ‘excellent customer service” so make sure you find out if they do!
If you’ve found a company that you are considering – don’t be afraid to ask around and get a reference first. Don’t choose a company that’s never been heard of. Equally if the only thing you’ve heard is negative, stay away. Be safe! Choose a well-known company in the industry with a good reputation. After all reputation has been earned not purchased!
Many providers out there claim to be No.1 in the industry or a leading provider in one area or another – this can be deceiving. Although they may be the ‘Best of the Best’, make sure that the provider you choose suits your individual business needs, both short term and long term. Your Company’s logistics can be detrimental to your own customers and
reputation if you get it wrong. By choosing a company that not only meets your demands but also understands your business needs, will ensure you can work to the highest standards and most efficient procedures.
There are a lot more logistics companies entering the industry year on year. Due to the competition, they need to place themselves with some advantage in the market. A lot of the time, they will use price to their advantage. Although using the cheapest company may appeal to your own company’s bottom line, we advise to have peace of mind and choose a company that’s been around a while. By using a company with stability, they will know the most effective ways of getting the job done, have a lot more experience on how to handle issues when they arise and most importantly, have a lot of history to gain those important references from!
Something else to look out for is the ability of the company not needing to outsource. If the company is relatively new or needing to cut its own costs, it will outsource a lot of ‘its’ own work. When a company is reliant on third party providers, they no longer have control so time critical shipments could be affected. If you can, try to choose a company that has everything in house. If the company has its own vehicles, manages its own transport, airport runs etc, this will allow a lot more flexibility, control and ability to give you the best service possible.
Probably one of the most important factors is whether the company meets trading standards or not. No matter what the costs are, the endless promises the company makes to you, if a company is not safe and meeting standards or set regulations, then stay well away!
Choose a BIFA or IATA accredited company and have peace of mind of who’s in control of your logistics. After all, if you are paying for a logistics expert, then you shouldn’t be needing to clear up their mess or do their job also. Make sure you choose a professional so you can spend more of your time on what you do best and trust that you can leave them to it!
Visit www.bifa.org or www.iata.org for more information.
We have already touched upon how important logistics can be to your own company and the importance of getting it right. It is the people that make the company great to work with so make sure you meet them and get to know them personally as they will be playing an important role in your supply chain! Make sure you ask and find out who would be looking after your account. You do not want to be in a situation where you are constantly passed from person to person or never have a key contact you can call on to get answers when you need them. We recommend that you work with a company that provides a key point of contact and can always offer a personalised service.
PSP Logistics have been established since 1998, are well respected in the industry and have gained an excellent reputation through superb customer service and tailored service packages.
If you are looking for advice on how to manage your logistics then please do get in touch today and contact us!
