5 Benefits of CRM for Logistics Service Providers

Armed with the power of hindsight, many have cited transport and logistics firms as the backbone of the COVID-19 response. During the pandemic, these organizations worked tirelessly to adapt their usual services to deliveries of PPE and medical equipment, as well as support a huge number of e-commerce businesses in delivering goods to everyone isolated in their homes.

And as we’ve moved into the ‘new normal’, success for transport and logistics companies has been grounded in the customer experience. Logistics service providers (LSPs) aim to meet and exceed expectations, from pick-up through to delivery. Logistics businesses offering clients a high caliber of customer service stand to build their reputation, incentivize repeat custom and ensure business growth.

As a result, LSPs are digitalizing many of their processes and leveraging technology to create competitive advantages. At the core of this mission is CRM software — offering a powerful combination of task automation, communications, information management and location mapping. CRM’s ability to simplify the full order process makes it a must-have technology for LSPs.

So, what are the top five benefits of CRM implementation for transport and logistics organizations? Let’s take a closer look.

Why invest in a CRM as a Logistics Service Provider?

CRM systems offer a variety of advantages to the organization willing to invest in effective implementation. You can learn more about what to expect from a CRM project in our dedicated article looking at CRM outcomes and some of our client success stories.

However, as for firms operating within the transport and logistics space, there are a set of specific advantages. These are some of the top benefits of CRM implementation for LSPs.

1. Improved customer incident management and SLA monitoring

CRM platforms provide a knowledge bank of customer queries that can be accessed by every relevant employee. This helps customer service agents find applicable information quickly and provide the best-quality advice in response to service issues and complaints.

For live incidents, agents can keep track of the priority, impact, and timeline of communications associated with any report. This way, all issues logged are addressed with a rapid turnaround and utmost accuracy, without customers needing to go back and forth endlessly with different customer service operatives.

By improving incident management, CRM has enabled many transport firms to set priorities around agreed SLAs, ensuring that customers always receive the level of support that they’re paying for. Simultaneously, dashboard reporting helps to highlight preferred services for customers and ensures that they get offered the best-fit service for their needs.

This level of data accessibility reduces duplication of activity and passes the best possible service onto customers.

CRM also supports smooth internal workflows by automating routine tasks. For example, Workbooks can automate the process of receiving requests from different comms channels (telephone, web, social media, email) and assigning them to managers. This ensures that no stone is left unturned and each client query is addressed with a fast turnaround time, helping to ensure customer retention.

2. Unparalleled marketing and sales insights

CRM brings marketing and sales into one platform, supporting each department to improve its processes. This enables customer data to be effortlessly collected and organized to streamline operations and inform decision making.

For example, LSP marketing teams are able to automate communications within their workflow and reduce the time and attention allocated to repetitive, low-priority campaigns. Instead, they can prioritize the production of bespoke content for specific accounts or identified customer groups.

Once content has been distributed to segmented customer groups, CRM can also assess its success. The Workbooks platform provides valuable insights in the form of aggregated feedback gathered from surveys, or by measuring performance against SLAs.

Based on feedback, some Workbooks clients have opted to categorize their customers according to profit or risk factors, allowing them to make accurate revenue predictions and plan more effectively. Other LSPs have gone on to action these insights by asking their happiest customers to become brand advocates.

Similarly, CRM supports sales teams to manage leads more effectively. CRM enables salespeople to:

• Establish the most suitable channels to attract and retain customers
• Monitor ongoing customer purchasing behavior
• Track new leads from a variety of digital channels
• Anticipate customer needs and follow up appropriately to secure repeat business
• Assess which services attract a high volume of queries to identify areas needing optimization

All in, CRM implementation helps logistics service providers to identify and track their business opportunities, gain feedback from customers, and inform future strategy based on past successes.

It goes without saying that CRM could dramatically change your trajectory as a logistics business. If you’re unsure of how implementation could pay off for your own organization, contact one of our experts today to discuss your long-term ambitions.

3. Simplified quoting and data management

It can quickly become complicated to manage variables across different routes, schedules or currencies. As a result, transport and logistics firms stand to benefit massively from simplified quoting processes that account for any levies or import taxes. CRM streamlines the quoting process and ensures that all relevant contracts are stored in one place, with renewal reminders for the sales team that prevent revenue opportunities from being missed.

However, CRM doesn’t just enable teams to produce complex quotes, but also to analyze them by several financial variables, ensuring that they can always meet profit goals.

CRM systems also support effective data management. A CRM for transport and logistics providers offers detailed customer information profiles out of one accessible knowledge base, containing intel on:

• Transaction history
• Transit status
• Expected delivery time
• Inventory control
• Vehicle documentation
• Billing information

This data can be leveraged to create and share reports with business stakeholders, providing data-driven insights into deadline fulfillment, service performance and more, to inform decision making and identify areas for improvement.

With a host of new features to learn about, smoothly onboarding staff with a CRM system can be challenging. Workbooks can help each member of your team implement its tools effectively — learn more about our tailored services here.

4. Enhanced customer experience

For many firms, one of the key motives behind taking on a CRM is to improve logistics customer service. This strongly influences the customer experience, which is vital and intrinsically linked to logistics.

When a client contacts a firm, the most important factor determining their experience is the impression of the person they interact with. So, if teams want to secure new sales, they will need to equip staff with the tools necessary to build strong customer relationships. But how can logistics companies improve their customer experience?

One strategy is better incident management. Workbooks enables online self-service to route support requests to a knowledge base that can provide guidance for common queries. Then, customers can log any issues that can’t be easily solved — for example, a missing or damaged shipment — to be sent to an agent. Meanwhile, customers receive regular updates to keep them informed at every touchpoint during the service cycle.

Once the query is with an agent, customers will receive faster and more helpful solutions to their issues through several means:

• Agents can refer to the knowledge base for information on similar cases and all details associated with the query
• CRM helps deliver greater ownership of cases, so the same staff member handles all related issues
• Issues are automatically routed to the best-qualified staff member to resolve them

Together, these benefits help to establish trust between customers and support agents, speed up the time to resolution, and minimize friction for both parties.

But don’t just take our word for it — read about how the Workbooks platform transformed DX Exchange’s operations to deliver outstanding customer experiences during lockdown.

5. Integrations with bespoke logistics software

A good CRM system will seamlessly embed itself into a firm’s existing tech stack. Many CRMs can be connected specifically with TMS (Transport Management Systems) as well as POD (Point of Delivery) trackers. There are countless benefits of logistics software working in tandem with CRM platforms and enabling teams to easily see the status and location of customer deliveries.

For instance, Workbooks can be integrated with ERP and logistics tools such as:

• OrderWise
• SAP
• Epicor
• Sage200
• Sage 500
• Microsoft Dynamics AX
• Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Integrated CRM improves customer data management, enabling businesses to learn about transaction and communication preferences. This can empower customer service agents to offer more personalized solutions and foster stronger customer relations.

Internally, integration can also streamline data management and team collaboration efforts, helping businesses to efficiently liaise with customers and achieve core deliverables with a faster turnaround time.

If you’re thinking about starting your CRM project or you’re searching for a new CRM solution, make sure you’re asking the right questions with our Evaluating CRM Guide.

Partner with Workbooks as your logistics CRM

When selecting a CRM platform, many firms will go through the arduous process of shortlisting, trialling and discussing their needs with a variety of providers. After all, when the system you choose plays such a vital role in influencing your logistic company’s customer service, it’s not a decision to be made lightly.

So, why Workbooks over one of our competitors?

In short, it’s because our toolset is built especially for businesses in the logistics and transport space.

We’ve helped countless LSPs implement CRM. From providing quick wins of new prospects to overhauling your long-term approach to strategic decision making, the Workbooks platform can revolutionize the way your business works — both for your staff and customers.

But when you come on board with the Workbooks team, you’re not just getting a piece of software. Our approach to implementing Workbooks is unique to each client we work with in the logistics space. From our very first meeting, we’ll take a consultative approach to identify your goals, adapt to your working style, and deliver on our ambitious plans together.

This way, you get a cost-effective CRM system that provides an unparalleled return on investment.

To get started with Workbooks, book a demo with a member of the team today.