Choosing a 3PL Provider: Look for More than Just Price
Who would you turn to if you needed surgery? The best, most qualified doctor or an inexperienced one who charges half the going rate?
Similarly, if you needed investment advice, would you consult with a reputable financial firm or trust your local auto mechanic with your hard-earned savings?
The same concept applies when you decide to outsource to a 3PL provider (third party logistics). Do you prefer an experienced and reliable partner or are you willing to take your chances with a less experienced provider who offers you a lower price?
The contact center is the central point in your organization that is charged with responsibility for customer care. As a business owner, you need to ensure that your customers are satisfied. Always remember:
“Quality in a service or product is not what you put in it. It is what the customer gets out of it.”
- Peter Drucker
So a wise decision would be to not to cut costs in this area as it might be detrimental for your business!
Factors you need to consider when evaluating a potential 3PL relationship:
Some think that opting for the lowest cost provider will yield savings that can be invested in other areas of the business. However, if you choose an inadequate partner, you may end up losing customers due to lack of good service. It is very difficult for companies to recover from the bad publicity that inevitably results from poor customer care. Customer satisfaction should be the major goal of your company because it leads to both repeat purchases and referrals from loyal customers. Just as cost should not be the primary consideration when choosing a healthcare provider, neither should it be when evaluating a 3PL provider.
Carefully analyze the pros and cons that a 3PL has to offer and take decisions based on what fits your bill. Your partner would be the one that would walk by your side joining hands and promoting the success of your business.
To know more about MAI's expertise in contact center and fulfillment services, please drop in an email now!
"The Bridgestone Firestone purchase resale program was initiated in 2000. The main objective of the program was to provide automotive dealerships, muffler and brake shops and general service stations with the support tools they needed to sell Bridgestone Firestone tires to end users."
- Bridgestone Americas
"We rely on MAI, an established provider of call center and fulfillment services, to deliver efficient service and unparalleled customer satisfaction. MAI has proven to be an excellent outsourced solution and a true business partner. The company’s background in marketing communications and brand support ensures we are being represented at the highest level possible."
- Tim Holody, Seta Corporation
"MAI recently completed its fifth season as Figi’s outsourced call center partner. We have gained incremental efficiencies year-over-year with regard to the program ramp up – not only from a human resources perspective, but from a technology and telephony standpoint as well."
Darcy Tudor, VP & Program Manager, MAI - Figi’s Gifts in Good Taste
"MAI developed, produced and monitored a direct mail initiative on behalf of ColeTaylorBank which has served the needs of Chicago area business for more than seven decades. The program achieved a 1% response rate and resulted in a sizable new account win, as well as valuable exposure to a group of highly targeted prospects."
- Cole Taylor Bank
"MAI had the I-PASS customer service/transponder fulfillment program up and running in half the time originally projected for start up. Within 90 days, call volumes increased 250% in response to a planned increase in tolls for customers without I-PASS transponders. Because MAI built the program for scalability, the increased demands were quickly taken in stride."
- Illinois Tollway Authority
"The information collected was invaluable in developing an advertising campaign that exposed the realities of the issues surrounding the‘health services’ provided by Planned Parenthood. I had the opportunityto monitor the survey calls on several occasions and was impressed with the Marketing Alternatives staff members assigned to our project. The interviewers were polite, respectful and very professional."
- Steven Brody, Executive Director, Dubuque County Right to Life
"MAI has always provided good reporting and it just keeps getting better. My team loves it. The best part is, they realize the relevance and value of the information that is now available and it’s being used to strengthen and improve our business."
- Nancy Barbee, Assistant Marketing Manager, Domino Foods, Inc.
"Firestone Complete Auto Care customers enjoy the convenience of scheduling service appointments online thanks to MAI’s creative thinking and outstanding IT capabilities. Not only do customers enjoy a higher level of service, we are now able to identify – and resolve – store issues that have resulted in lost opportunities in the past."
- Jim Stahulak, Manager, Database/Internet Marketing, Firestone
"Shipping product to customers quickly and accurately is a vital part of our business. MAI takes great care of all of our shipping needs, so I can focus on everything else that needs to be done. When we have a shipment with special requirements, we always know MAI will handle it without a problem."
- Christy Kaskey, Owner, Kaskey Kids, Inc.
"MAI conceived, designed and produced the Mohawk Tile Bottega within-a-store program. From creative through warehousing, fulfillment and installation, MAI acted as a single-source partner to make this concept materialize into reality."
- Mark Lorberbaum, Mohawk Industries
"MAI’s flexibility was a contributing factor to Mustela’s success in growing its business in the U.S. and Canada. Their active and forward thinking saved time and money while fostering great relationships with our retail customers."
- Amie Youngs, Senior Logistics Manager, Mustela US
"Excellence is the standard at Standard Coffee and we expected no less from our partnership with MAI. We’ve heard only positive feedback about them from the Standard Direct customer base – they truly handle our business as if it was their own."
- Stanley W. Eilers, Standard Coffee
"The lead qualification program MAI put together for Wilsonart Flooring helped our sales team enormously with time management. By prioritizing the leads, salespeople could focus on the strongest opportunities which, in turn, helped close more sales."
- Tammy Weadock, Wilsonart Flooring
