Customer Satisfaction

By Rick Aquino (Sr. National Accounts Manager)

In the transport & logistics service industry, I find that it is more difficult to evaluate “satisfaction” than products. Services are characterized by intangibility, heterogeneous requirements, simultaneity of production and demand, schedules, etc. These are issues that complicate the evaluation of the quality of professional service. However complex it may be, the customer or client will still form an overall impression of quality of the service delivery in one way or the other. It is very important for any service provider to understand and continuously uncover the evaluation process of a customer to ensure customer satisfaction.

In general, satisfaction is primarily a function of a customer’s quality of experience with a service. The greater the perceived quality, the higher the level of customer satisfaction and what I mean by this is that the client’s evaluation is affected by his interaction with the service provider’s ability to communicate clearly and honestly, level of empathy, ability to listen, capacity to follow instructions, availability when needed, personality, and what I call the “get-along-ability.” Yes- it may have picked up and delivered as scheduled and the price was within budget of customer but did the customer enjoy the process? Yes- the interaction between the service provider’ and the client is a very important or if not- the most important part of the evaluation instead of the “moment of truth”…was it delivered and on schedule? The customer evaluates not only the outcome of the delivery service but the process of the service must be a positive experience! In the trucking industry- anyone can PU and make delivery…. however- who is able to provide the smooth, timely, pleasant communication and enjoyable ride throughout the process is the one that will get the Loyalty.