Sessions With Tami Allensworth
Monday, 30 September
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09:15am - 10:00am (CST) / 30/sep/2024 02:15 pm - 30/sep/2024 03:00 pm
Inland Academy: Customer Service
Shippers want their trucking and intermodal partners to provide a reliable service, and what happens on the tracks and highways obviously matters. But so does the person who handles the account. The customer service representative — often referred to as a CSR or account rep — can make or break the relationship between a carrier and a shipper. Strong CSRs can forge a long-term strategic partnership, while poor or ineffective CSRs can lead to losing the shipper to a competitor. This Inland Academy module will answer the following questions:
• What are the attributes of a strong CSR and what separates a good CSR from a poor CSR?
• How do carriers train their CSRs to exude the attributes of a strong CSR.
• What questions should shippers ask themselves to identify what attributes they require in a CSR?
• Not all shippers are alike. What differences are most common among various shippers in their CSR expectations?
• How should shippers communicate their expectations of a CSR during the onboarding process? And what questions should the shipper ask their carrier about the process of assigning a CSR during the onboarding process?
• How can shippers maintain a relationship with a supervisor to give feedback on their CSRs on a recurring basis?
• How can shippers communicate to supervisors if the CSR isn’t a strong match to get their concerns addressed before it results in switching carriers?
• Because strong CSRs are likely to be promoted to higher positions, how do carriers ensure there is a pipeline of CSRs who can take over accounts and perform as well or better than the prior CSR? And what if that doesn’t happen?
• What role do CSRs play in breaking down the silos between divisions? If a shipper, for example, wants to use intermodal and dedicated truckload, or intermodal and truckload brokerage, what role should the CSRs or their supervisors play in ensuring cross-communication between business lines?
- Speakers:
- Tami Allensworth