Leading logistics franchises have access to much of the same infrastructure to deliver items on time. Technological innovation which makes an impact on the industry will quickly be implemented by leading logistic specialists. Despite recent technological developments such as the increased use of robotics in warehouses a recent CGS survey found that 50% of consumers believed that chatbots and virtual assistants make it harder to get issues resolved* – highlighting the continued demand for expert staff to achieve excellent customer service in both B2B and consumer businesses.
PACK & SEND Chief Executive, Mike Ryan, believes the skills of the people in your company are what truly make your franchise stand out. Here he shares his advice on how your staff can make your franchise stand out in the customer service sector.
The people make your franchise
“Recruiting the right franchisee is where you need to start in the journey to making your franchise stand out. Culture fit is a huge part of your task when evaluating a prospective franchisee – so make sure you are aware of what makes a winning member of your team. To do this you must look at the applicant past their skills and qualifications. It remains very important to have highly accomplished candidates, but if they do not match your brand’s vision, the impact of their skill is lost. Analyse your stars of today to help spot the stars of tomorrow. Look at the traits of your high-performing franchisees and use their merits to build a framework for success. By building this franchisee success criteria you can then evaluate your applicants specifically to the needs of your franchise.”
The human touch
“Being able to have someone available to talk to on the other end of the phone in a customer-service focused industry is a vital part of any franchise but is particularly important in our logistics franchise. This human touch is the lifeblood of our franchise as it is in any service industry. Emotional intelligence helps to navigate the complex packing and shipping projects that our clients need solutions for. The delicate nature of organising items of significant personal importance or helping families and their well-loved possessions move to a new location needs a lot of empathy. We also have to cater specifically to the high-value items that we handle at PACK & SEND – one-of-a-kind statues, art, china and chandeliers – all of these need an expert to organise effectively.”
Community is important
“Local service centres that are operated by local franchisees who have ties to the area also make a big difference in businesses. For us, it’s so important to have a local contact that customers can communicate with to check on the status of their important delivery – whether the delivery is national or global. Having the same handlers throughout the process offers a consistency that ensures a customer’s needs are understood throughout. If an item is sent from Glasgow, people want a local point of contact throughout to make sure the delivery is handled correctly. At PACK & SEND, customers have an expert staff member to manage the tracking of a shipment, so the customer doesn’t have to.”
You can’t replace experience
“Growing IT infrastructure allows businesses to share information quickly and efficiently, however I still believe it’s the experience of expert staff that makes a business stand out. The network of knowledge you build by retaining highly trained staff cannot be replaced by an IT system. Years of experience, which you can utilise every day, makes a substantial impact. Complex logistics needs a complex response – so having a real person to identify potential issues and ensure everything runs smoothly is important. This knowledge is passed on when training new recruits, and a winning team culture increases the retention of your loyal staff. For us this allows us to understand and navigate the complex rules and regulations of logistics.”
The customer’s point of view
Cambridge-based gallery Byard Art says that it’s the people who put their minds at ease when shipping items through PACK & SEND, “Our centre provides us with quick responses to quotations which are essential when communicating with clients and trying to clinch a sale. The PACK & SEND team in Cambridge are very friendly and offer us advice on the shipping of pieces globally which, in turn, assures our clients of great service. The team are also very quick to come and collect the items from us meaning our clients are not left waiting too long.”
*CGS ChatBots and Channel Survey 2019
