Transferees now are demanding better customer service with a focus on transparency and speed. In our fast-paced, technological environment, clients are used to instant responses 24/7. These expectations also come with lower volumes and more stringent budgets from companies, making it challenging to know how and who to allocate the time to.

During the COVID 19 crisis, some clients experienced delays and unexpected higher rates from movers adapting to the crisis. This past experience has made customers more apprehensive as they demand transparency and accountability from their international movers, increasing the pressure to communicate outputs on a timely basis. Some clients of ours have started to notice that services offered can differ drastically from different branches of the same global companies, and they want to know who is on the other side of the supply chain. It is my role to communicate about our processes and be transparent about working with companies with known track records.

One way to adapt to today’s high expectations is to create crystal clear processes and to anticipate client questions before they ask. One way we have done this is to provide accurate real time tracking of clients’ shipments. Goetz has been able to mitigate conflicts involving congested transshipment ports by providing clients with a real-time link to the shipment status so they can seek guidance from their destination agents. This allows our team focus on actionable tasks. When needed, we offer to create instant messaging threads with our team to address client’s concerns as they appear. The goal is for a grain of sand in the machine not to erode the client’s trust, and to not leave any chance for them to snowball minor issues into something bigger.

I see the role of the move manager evolving over the next few years as processes are being diverted closer to the company’s headquarters. We will most likely see a hybridization of the role to incorporate some marketing elements into the job. This change should drive the perception of the company or local branch in the B2C market by encouraging good reviews on online platforms.

The move manager can also be an asset in the handling of demanding B2B files, as their customer focus experience can be valuable in providing top-notch service to high profile accounts. Our coordinators handle multiple files and often don’t interact directly with the clients. Having the move coordinator meet challenging clients and add the personalized touch and extra care clients desperately crave has helped us close B2B deals when interest from clients started tanking.

More than ever before, we are being asked to reverse quote where the question is no longer, “How much will it cost to ship my items?” and has become, “What can I ship for this budget?” Leveraging online quoting tools and having a good knowledge of your local cost structure and shipping costs is of the utmost importance in order to respond to the client's needs in a timely manner, and turns your company into THE solution to their conundrums.

We are also sometimes asked to manage a client’s inventory locally, when long-term storage may be more practical and cost effective than shipping big volumes back and forth. It is important to position yourself as a company that cares for your client’s budget, yet not market yourself as a “budget moving company.” We have experienced an increase in embassies rotating their inventory of furniture in our local storage, which allows them to furnish their local residences cost-effectively while maintaining the same quality of life for their employees.

The best way to ride these new trends is adaptability and knowledge of your market. It is important to adapt your approach towards building your network with industry colleagues all around the globe. Expand your network to include industry colleagues close to decision makers and leverage your international network. When traveling for a week or more, I recommend visiting one or more industry colleagues and gain insight into their world and find areas where synergies can be built.

For your local market, it is important to care for your B2C strategies. Monitor and participate in the nurturing of your online presence through reviews and expand your network of influential individuals. As more local employees’ skills are being recognized everywhere and more talents are getting transferred from emerging markets to more established locations, the world is changing faster than ever, so keep an open mind and challenge your assumptions.