There are many choices when it comes to choosing a Third Party Logistics (3PL) company for your warehousing and distribution needs. With that said, there is no reason to work with a company that is less than suited to your needs. Below are some indicators of a good Third Party Logistics partner.
- Does your Third Party Logistics partner answer the phone when you call or is it an automated system? We have all been frustrated with this situation from time to time. When that very important bit of information leads to a problem solving decision for you and the automated system keeps sending you to voice mail wouldn’t it be great to talk with a live person? Unfortunately the personal touch has disappeared from many companies. Try calling AWD, a live person will answer the phone every time….guaranteed!
- What is the response time to inquiries? At AWD we find most questions can be answered during your initial call. There are some questions that require a return call later that day and some (but few) that cannot be answered until the next day only when we have extensive research to ascertain the answers to your questions. This type of customer service shows that your 3PL partner cares about the service they provide and is working in your best interests.
- Does your Third Party Logistics partner have a web based, user friendly inventory control system? If not, they should! It needs to be available to you 24-7. Our customers appreciate our weekly cycle counts to insure inventory accuracy. It also tracks when items come into inventory and when they go out, lot/serial numbers, date sensitive materials, etc.
- We are all going to make mistakes but it is how the mistake is handled afterwards that really counts. With trained warehousing and distribution personnel mistakes should be kept to a minimum by your Third Party Logistics partner. When AWD makes a mistake we fix it immediately and move on.
