With a routine full of important processes, many companies find it difficult to manage everything that directly involves their core activities, as this ends up taking a lot of time. In this way, hiring the services of other companies for the middle activities becomes a way to improve the management of the business. To reach a satisfactory level of efficiency in contracting services, some practices are essential.
Assess basic skills
If you are looking for shipping work, the first step to start hiring is to have a well-defined list of the minimum skills that the carrier needs to meet your needs. In this case, some parameters can be included, such as: quality standard, compliance with deadlines, cost-effectiveness, customer support and sustainability. Besides being a guide for evaluating providers, this checklist can be the tool that will help you choose the best service provider.
Analyze company values
Besides the prices charged for the services, it is also worth checking the values of the carrier as a company. For a good business partnership, it is worth checking if they are close to what your company practices.
Check recommendations from other customers
Another aspect worth considering when choosing carriers is the reputation that companies have in the market. This can be done through internet research and consultation with other customers in order to know what is being talked about the services and how they are rated. This strategy is good for getting feedback from companies that have had direct experience with the supplier.
Analyze profitability and stability
The verification of the financial health of the contracted companies can also be carried out, if possible. Analyzing this criterion is a way to make sure that the delivery company will be able to fulfill the contract until the end, with the same level of quality and frequency of service.
Check the agility and flexibility of processes
When carrying out a negotiation, it is also possible to analyze the carrier’s processes and verify if it can offer agility and flexibility, besides adapting to changes or emergencies that may occur. When this so-called “scalability” exists, it means that the company is better able to understand customer needs and is able to prepare itself to act even with changes.
Don’t hire a carrier based on price alone
Economy is always one of the main points in a negotiation. After all, reducing costs is always a goal, isn’t it? However, it should not be the most important factor, especially if it is to the detriment of the level of quality of the service provided. Therefore, it is ideal to consider all the variables that are relevant to the business. It is always worth remembering that customer satisfaction is at stake, and a well-organized shipping process can bring returns greater than the amounts paid in freight.
Observe how the company communicates
Still in the negotiation phase, it is important to observe the carrier’s communication process. If even at this stage, which is the conquest stage, there are problems which are hard to solve, you get late answers to e-mails and it takes time to send important information, imagine what it will be like after you hire the services.
