The freight forwarding industry is competitive and growing by the day. The global freight forwarding market was valued at $192.50 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $285.15 billion by 2031 , growing at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2022 to 2031.
To survive in the crowded market, freight forwarders can bolster the ‘customer service’ metric to win customers. Freight forwarders organize the movement of their customers' precious goods, where building trust is critical to success. In a recent survey where 100 shippers were asked to rate the importance of customer service in freight forwarding, 78% said it was very important to their business.
Freight forwarders need to adapt to shippers' expectations to thrive in freight forwarding . This article will discuss eight best practices for improving customer service in freight forwarding, from automated rate requests to real-time shipment tracking.
What is Customer Service in Freight Forwarding? Customer service in freight forwarding involves offering support, clear communication, and problem-solving to clients throughout the shipping process. Freight forwarders manage shipments, provide real-time updates, handle customer inquiries, and resolve issues to ensure the smooth delivery of goods. Effective customer service in freight forwarding builds trust and smoothens operations, which is essential for long-term successful partnerships.
When customers are informed about the status of their shipments, freight forwarders create transparency, strengthening client relationships. Additionally, timely problem resolution ensures minimal disruptions to customers’ operations, helping them meet their business goals.
Best Practices for Improving Customer Service in Freight Forwarding While most freight forwarders know the importance of customer service, the challenge often lies in what entails exceptional customer service.
Here are seven best practices to provide best-in-class customer service in freight forwarding.
1. Fast Response Times to Customer Inquiries Responding to customer inquiries quickly is important in freight forwarding, where time-sensitive decisions impact shipping outcomes. Since customers expect fast replies to avoid delays or missed opportunities, freight forwarders can reduce response times using automated quoting systems.
Freightify helps freight forwarders achieve fast response times to customer inquiries by automating rate management and providing instant access to global rates. Freight forwarders no longer need to manually search for and calculate rates from multiple carriers. Instead, Freightify’s platform delivers accurate rates instantly, allowing forwarders to provide quality customer service. This streamlined process reduces delays and improves communication speed.
For example, a freight forwarder receiving an inquiry for a shipment from China the U.S. West Coast can use Freightify’s system to access up-to-date carrier rates immediately. Within minutes, the forwarder provides a quote to the customer, winning the business by being the first to respond.
2. Real-Time Shipment Visibility and Transparency Clients want updates at every stage of their shipment’s journey. Freight forwarders can use integrated tracking systems and freight tech platforms to offer visibility from origin to destination. Transparent tracking improves customer trust by informing them and reducing uncertainty about shipment status.
Freightify’s tracking tool helps freight forwarders achieve real-time shipment visibility and transparency by integrating with multiple carriers to provide live updates on shipment status.
3. Centralized Communication for Seamless Collaboration Fragmented communication strategies like separate email chains and phone calls disorient and delay the shipping process. Centralized communication tools allow all stakeholders — customers, agents, and carriers — to stay updated and informed on time.
Freightify's Customer Portal helps freight forwarders achieve centralized communication for seamless customer service in freight forwarding by consolidating all interactions with customers, agents, and carriers into one system. This tool ensures every stakeholder remains informed and up-to-date on shipment progress, reducing uncertainty caused by separate communication channels like emails and phone calls. Ultimately, forwarders improve customer service and streamline communication across the supply chain by having a single source for all communication.
For example, a freight forwarder managing a multi-leg shipment can use Freightify’s platform to coordinate with various carriers and agents. Instead of relying on multiple emails or phone calls, the forwarder and all parties communicate within the same system, ensuring all stakeholders are updated and timely collaboration across each step of the shipment.
4. Personalized Customer Service in Freight Forwarding Using Data Insights Freight forwarders can offer high-quality customer service by using data insights to provide personalized services.
Freightify’s data analytics tool helps freight forwarders achieve personalized customer service in freight forwarding using data insights by tracking customer preferences, shipping history, and past interactions. This tool allows forwarders to analyze customer behavior and tailor services to meet specific needs. By assessing detailed insights, forwarders anticipate customer demands, provide customized solutions, and improve customer service in freight forwarding.
For instance, a freight forwarder can use Freightify’s analytics to identify a customer's preference for specific routes or carriers. With this information, the forwarder offers personalized rate quotes and service options that align with the customer’s shipping history, strengthening the business relationship and increasing the likelihood of repeat business.
5. Reduce Operational Errors and Disputes Using Advanced Technology Operational errors, such as incorrect pricing or delayed shipments, negatively affect customer service in freight forwarding.
Freight forwarders can minimize these errors using advanced technology to automate rate calculation , quotations and booking.
Freightify’s automated rate management tools help freight forwarders reduce operational errors and disputes by automating processes such as rate calculations. These tools ensure that every step is accurate and consistent, eliminating manual errors that could lead to incorrect pricing, shipment delays, and, ultimately, dissatisfied customers. Freight forwarders minimize disputes and provide exceptional customer service by relying on precise data and automated systems,
For example, a freight forwarder using Freightify’s automated rate management tool generates automatic quotes instantly. This prevents pricing discrepancies from manual calculations, helping avoid conflicts with customers over unexpected charges, and ensuring a smooth and dispute-free shipping process.
In addition, Freightify’s margin automation tool helps freight forwarders set up automated margins and ensure consistency in pricing. This tool allows forwarders to define fixed margins for different services, routes, or carriers, automatically applying them to quotes and rate calculations.
6. 24/7 Access to Self-Service Portals Customers expect autonomy in managing their shipments. Self-service customer portals allow customers to book shipments, track orders, access documents, and receive quotes at any time. These portals cater to customers across different time zones, improving convenience and strengthening customer service in freight forwarding.
Freightify's Customer Portal helps freight forwarders provide 24/7 access to essential services for their customers. The tool allows customers to book shipments, track orders, access documents, and receive quotes at any time, catering to their needs across different time zones. Freight forwarders can reduce dependence on customer support teams to update customers on different time zones using freight software with a customer portal.
For example, a customer in Europe can use Freightify’s customer portal to quickly book a shipment to Asia during their local business hours. They can access the portal outside regular office hours and complete the booking process without waiting for a response from the forwarder. This flexibility improves customer service in freight forwarding and the overall shipping experience.
Leverage Freightify for Exceptional Customer Service in Freight Forwarding The alignment of technology and customer service is important to offering world-class customer service in freight forwarding. With Freightify features such as a customer portal, automated rate requests, and automated margins, freight forwarders provide fast response times, real-time visibility, and centralized communication, all essential to satisfy customers.
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