VP BLOG: Remember, It’s All About the Customer
By: Wayne Davis, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Our team recently received an email from one of our valued clients. A true partner who took time to communicate with us on the current state of affairs. While we take pride in the compliments and appreciate the time taken to recognize our efforts, there are deeper takeaways from this correspondence and with their permission – I am sharing a redacted version of the communication.
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Bonded Team,
I wanted to take a moment to express both my gratitude and my apologies as we work through the busy early summer season together.
I’m pleased to share that (redacted) continues to perform ahead of our ambitious budget, and our (redacted) brand is on track to become the most successful (redacted) in the category’s history.
At the same time, I recognize that our recent activity, including expedited customer shipments and cross-docking requests, has likely created additional pressure for your team. Please know that this is never our intention. Rather, it reflects our commitment to keeping our customers stocked and supporting the rapid growth of the business.
We view Bonded as a strategic partner and want to emphasize how much we appreciate the flexibility, responsiveness, and hard work your team has demonstrated throughout this period. As a small token of our appreciation, I would love to send some (redacted) merchandise for your team to enjoy.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. If there is ever anything we can do to better support your team, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
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Here are some key takeaways from this:
1) Clear Communication. “I wanted to take a moment to express both my gratitude and my apologies as we work through the busy early summer season together.”
A true partner provides open and honest communication – in good times and bad. This kind of transparency and candor eliminates guess work, ill feelings, confusion, and more.
Summary of key points communicated:
- Appreciates you as a partner
- Phenomenal growth driving supply chain challenges
- Recognizes the impact … on us and them
- Reinforces Focus: remains on our clients and the consumer.
- We’re in this Together: Thank you and let us know if you need anything!
Great partnerships start with clear communication. A short e-mail – but powerful. Our team talks daily as we work through various issues and communicate frequently. Having a reminder of the “big picture” helps reinforce a clear understanding of what is happening, how it impacts us and what is most important.
For Bonded and our client, here’s a play on a famous quote from the movie Cool Hand Luke … “What we’ve got here is clear and successful communication.” (I am dating myself using a Cool Hand Luke quote, but it works. The original quote is “what we’ve got here, is a failure to communicate” which is not what we have with this client).
2) “Stuff” Happens. “Please know that this is never our intention.”
If you have worked in supply chain for any length of time, then you know what I’m talking about when you hear “Stuff Happens” (cleaned up version). The client is not sadistic, and they are not doing this on purpose … well, usually 😊. The best made plans include well-calculated forecasts, thorough market analysis, and consumer trends. Rarely, if ever, do they account for all the variances … and I would assert no one can as I have yet to see anyone do it over 25+ years in supply chain related businesses.
Things happen out of our control and here are just a few anecdotal examples:
- 10% forecasted growth that turns into 40% growth above (or below) your number.
- A global event no one saw coming, sending petroleum prices and freight costs soaring. (COVID, ship blocking the Suez Canal or insert here: any natural disaster)
- Unforeseen raw material shortages and/or quality issues can happen; key suppliers can have issues.
- Shifting consumer demand or preferences can move at a moment’s notice
The list goes on and on. But, having a great partnership between a 3PL and client allows you to work through the bumps in the road. Not IF they happen, but WHEN they happen. We have several great partnerships, including one with this client, and that makes a world of difference in tackling the supply chain challenges we face together.
3) Scale and Support: “…expedited customer shipments and cross-docking requests, has likely created additional pressure for your team…supporting the rapid growth of the business.”
Our job as a leading 3PL is to help our clients meet the demands of their business. If you already have your own warehouse, we bring additional capacity for special projects, seasonal spikes, or an increased buffer in inventory. Many companies forego building their own network relying on 3PL partners like Bonded to help them scale and grow while investing their capital into manufacturing, marketing, or R&D.
3PL’s can often be more nimble, especially in a multi-client site. We may not always enjoy the variability and seasonal influx, but that’s one of our roles in the supply chain: flexibility! Bonded Logistics has been tried, tested, and we’re not perfect, but I am very proud of how our team handles the unexpected.
4) Stay Focused. “…it reflects our commitment to keeping our customers stocked and supporting the rapid growth of the business.”
While the note starts acknowledging our performance, efforts, and expresses appreciation for Bonded as a 3PL partner, the key reminder is the focus is on the customer and their client. As a 3PL, we have our customer (client) and their customer (the consumer or end user) to help take care of and at the end of the day, our joint success is based on the consumer. Never lose sight of that. Stay focused on the most important person(s) – the customer!
5) Celebrate, encourage, and have some fun! “As a small token of our appreciation, I would love to send some (redacted) merchandise for your team to enjoy.”
Kind and encouraging words do mean a lot, but it doesn’t hurt to throw in some “merch” too! (And by the way, they sent us the good stuff!) Small celebrations that come with items you would be happy to wear or use help reinforce the value of the partnership and how much you matter. Take time and invest a little money to celebrate the wins and encourage your team. And, remember to have some fun along the way!
It’s been a long, hot summer that isn’t over yet … moving right into Q4 and the seasonal/end of year push.
Stay safe. Remember to communicate with your team and your partners openly and frequently. Call out the things to improve, be thankful for the good performance, and always encourage. After all, we are in this together and remember – it is all about the customer!