By now, most businesses understand the importance of customer service. For any business to be successful, customer service should be at the heart of your business plan. When businesses provide positive experiences for their customers, it directly influences a company’s growth. Keeping new, existing or potential customers happy will increase customer loyalty and enhance the amount of returning customers.
So why not look at customer service from all angles – including logistics. One mode of transportation in particular – air – can have a massive impact on a company’s customer service levels:
How Air Transport Improves Customer Service
Regardless of transportation modes, they all have the same responsibility – to get shipments from one place to another. As simple as that sounds, there are many different components that need to be considered before just going with the “cheapest option”. While it is important to be cost-effective, finding the right method that contributes to your company’s progress altogether can have an affect on your customer service levels.
Amazon has stepped up the speed on delivery times in the transportation world, and now businesses are expected to provide options for two-day delivery and even same-day delivery. Because of this, company’s needs to find faster solutions to compete with competitors, and air transport is the first in line. Shipping via air has many benefits for your cargo, but also is very valuable for increasing customer service levels. Here’s how:
Fastest Shipping Method
The faster the better right?
Not always, but with air transport it is! Air transportation is the fastest shipping method. Not only does air transport get your cargo to it’s destination the quickest, it also allows for some extra time to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Here’s a scenario example: You need to get your cargo to the Netherlands in 7 days, and instead of being on a time crunch with ocean shipping, you can fly it out a few days prior. It arrives early providing extra room to make sure customers expectations are met. This leaves less risks of delays and keeps you from fixing critical customer service issues in the long run.
Reliable Arrival and Departure Times
One of the biggest concerns with transportation is arrival or departure times not being met. Depending on the type of business, delays or inaccurate arrival/departure times can really hurt a company’s reputation. Since most companies depend on their products arriving on time, having a reliable shipping option is crucial.
With air transportation, there are less complications during transit, so arrival and departure times are generally much more accurate. This allows you to have good control over your company’s inventory management practices and sales revenue. After all, getting customers what they want at the time it is expected has a strong influence on your customer service levels.
Flexible Shipping Options
From the large system of connections airlines have throughout the world, there are many different options for shipments. Need your cargo shipped out tomorrow? Air transport has an option for you!
With the flexibility air transportation has for shippers, you are almost guaranteed an available option last minute. Scheduling issues, last-minute demands, and customer preferences can all play into the need for quicker delivery. As stressful as that sounds, air transport can meet those expectations or provide ways around any timing issues you may be encountering. You won’t be stuck trying to find a solution that can get your cargo to its destinations on time. Customer service is directly impacted by your ability to problem-solve, and air transportation is the ultimate “problem solver” when it comes to transit time planning and options. When you can meet customer demands or provide fast ways to ship, it increases customer service.
High Level of Security
Our nation created TSA (Transportation Security Administration) because of the horrific events that happened on 9/11. It was established to prevent any other attacks in the future. Because of this, air transport tightly manages all cargo and leaves little room for theft to occur.
When shipping on land or water, you are exposed to theft or damages due to improper handling. So how are you planning on breaking it to your customers that their freight was stolen? This can greatly affect the financial situation of your company and your customers. Air transport is considered to be one of the safest ways for cargo to travel. Not only is there less stops and handling; it’s actually a more secure process altogether. Because of TSA, cargo is well protected and handled properly. This all ties back to customer service – your customers have expectations for their cargo to arrive in the condition as promised.
Tracking Devices
With all the technological advances in the logistics industry, many airlines offer apps for tracking cargo during transit. This allows customers to see exactly where the cargo is and when it will be arriving. Providing visibility to your customers gives them a strong sense of security.
TSA Known Shipper
Are you aware of the benefits of being a TSA Known Shipper? While there are already many available options with air transportation, being a Known Shipper gives you up to 5x as many options. Registering as a Known Shipper allows you to ship goods on cargo or passenger aircraft. This gives you more control over your air freight transportation practices and timelines. In one of our previous posts, we talk about the importance of TSA known vs unknown shippers to provide a good understanding of the benefits of being a Known Shipper.
More options on air transportation? More options to improve customer service! Want to become a known shipper? Our team at InterlogUSA has provided a simple form: https://ship-intl.com/known-shipper-registration for you to get started on becoming a TSA Known Shipper!
Conclusion
With the demand for quicker shipping deliveries, fast and efficient shipping solutions are a key to exceed customer’s expectations and start increasing customer service levels. While other shipping modes have their benefits, air transport ultimately has the ability to meet the demand for faster transportation. When you can manage your shipping solutions to get the fastest and most efficient routes, you can improve your customer service levels. On top of all the benefits air transport offers, going a step further and becoming a TSA Known Shipper gives you all the more control over your air freight options.
Our experienced team has done a lot of air transportation and has experience with becoming a Known Shipper! We would love to have a conversation and answer any of your questions!