Insights - May/June 2018 - 32

PERSONALIZATION
complicated for intermodal with so many touches from a factory
in China to a [distribution center] in the U.S."
Using a sports reference to describe quick decision changes,
McDuffie said, "There is a lot of information available, but if you
have to call an audible, the shipper doesn't want to
call that audible. They want the 3PL to do that. That is more than
a tactical, operational choice. It is on a strategic level as well. It
is about coming up with a solution the customer does not think
of."
"Relationships still count as much as they ever have," said
industry veteran Richard Metzler, CEO of LSO Shipping Services.
"However, technology has changed the way we interact. It [interaction] is much more fact-based, more often and in some ways
makes the fewer personal interactions better."
"People still want to work with people they like, can relate
to and can count on," said Metzler, whose career has included
executive positions at XPO Logistics, uShip and Xpress Global
Systems.
Chris Spears, chief marketing technology officer at Arke,
a business consulting firm, explained another facet of how
customer relationships are changing - their growing complexity.
"Today the customer's end-to-end experience involves
multiple touchpoints that blur the physical and digital worlds.
That involves thoughtful alignment of all your touchpoints -
channels, devices, applications and more - to make the overall

Trucking Software

experience as seamless and frictionless as possible."
It is especially important, he said, to maintain personalization
with customers, citing the finding in a 2017 study by consultant
Accenture that found 41 percent of U.S. consumers ditched companies because of "poor personalization and lack of trust."

Personalization Matters
Effective personalization helps to keep customers and attract
new ones, said Spears. Personalization can be achieved by
aggregating data across multiple attributes such as a business
contact's role, location, purchase history and browsing history. A
transportation management system, as well as mobile apps, can
be important tools to aid in collecting that information.
"Personalization builds a foundation for success in today's
multi-touchpoint, multichannel, hypercompetitive markets," he
said, by converting that information into data that can be tailored
to a more individualized approach without a substantial financial
investment.
Van Kirk believes several other factors are at work to change
customer relationships, which he believes have weakened in
recent decades. In the past, seasoned managers explained the
value of building meaningful relationships to younger workers.
The result was a reputation for trustworthiness that served a
worker well.
"I've always coached the sales teams that have worked for
me that it is important to physically meet with our customers in
order to develop a relationship," Van Kirk said.

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32 Intermodal Insights | May/June 2018

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