Keeping Up Customer Service Despite Industry Issues

I feel like a broken record discussing how COVID-19 has changed our entire reality, but the world has shifted. Last week we shared this tweet…

The buildup of container ships is affecting the entire transportation industry. Here, we see how blockage to one of the gears of the supply chain has an effect on the entire system. Import and domestic supply chains are feeling the severe impact of this disruption. #LAports https://t.co/aCfVzTDj1Q

— Kingsgate Logistics (@KingsgateLogstx) April 1, 2021

…sharing the build-up of cargo ships in Southern California and the ripple effect roadblocks in the transportation industry can cause. We saw the nation’s eyes turn to the blockage in the Suez Canal and the issues that transpired from one ship being stuck. According to this Freight Waves article, “carrier compliance levels drop below 75% while rates increase 6% in February.”

Across the supply chain, there have been major disruptions and issues that have appeared over the past year but the demand for supplies and product persists. “Truckload carriers have continued to struggle to provide consistent coverage through the first quarter of 2021, and in return costs have increased. This relationship seems counterintuitive at a base level — why would you spend more to get less? — but it is a common result of demand exceeding supply in just about any industry.”

Kingsgate has certainly felt the pressure building and has been working through each of these challenges as they’ve appeared since the pandemic hit. We’d be lying if we said we’ve been able to maintain the standard of efficiency and service we’re used to providing for our customers, but this is not the first time the industry has experienced turmoil, nor will it be the last. We can’t control the market and the surrounding factors that have caused this industry shift, but we can control how we handle it.

Our team at Kingsgate has continued our honest and up-front customer service with each of our clients. Putting our integrity and our relationships with our customers first has kept us going throughout this tough year. Every day we make a choice: to be honest with each other, with our customers and with ourselves. So, we share the truth about our customers' shipments; we’re communicative and honest about setbacks and challenges. We provide real-time data, tracking, and information so they can see what we see. Our team is committed to getting the job done despite the challenges that might entail because we want to ensure that every client can attest that we do what we say, and we say what we believe.

Our founders, my parents, instilled in Kingsgate that our integrity will always set us apart. We believe that a thriving business empowers us to take care of our customers and take care of each other, preparing us for a future where shipping never stops – no matter what roadblocks come in our way.

All the Best,

Jeff Beckham