What Does a Smaller Company Value Most in a Freight Forwarder?

Many times Freight Forwarders never fully understand what it is like to be the customer because they have always been on the service side of the shipping business. Finding out what customers actually want and need for their accounts can be a daunting task. For larger companies, it can be fairly obvious. A large company is looking to get great volume discounts, extra support and the best transit times possible. They can expect to receive all of this even though they are using the most highly regarded shipping companies. They can also have the most demands since forwarders and brokers are guaranteed to make money even at discounted rates. Meantime, it is the smaller companies that seem to present the most trouble for freight forwarders because they are always looking in terms of money. The truth is that smaller companies realize that they are not going to get the best shipping rates available, and they do not even expect the best customer service. They are mostly looking for a company who tries to understand their business needs and treats them with the same respect as a larger company. A little customer attention goes a long way. No one wants to be treated like a "small fish in a big pond" even if that is the reality of their situation. Given that smaller companies are many times not able to support a full time import/export staff, they will rely on forwarders to keep the flow even more than a larger company. If a forwarder keeps this in mind they will create a loyal following from the smaller companies and may even get additional business from their colleagues.