Customer service is a priority at W2C. In the following interview, Carl Boivin, Business Development Representative, will explain what customer service means for W2C.
Carl, can you tell us about your career in business development at W2C?
In my case, my journey began in the operations department. I first learned how to clear customs so that I could learn the ins and outs of a customs procedure. I stayed in operations for over 4 years before making the leap to business development. The knowledge I have acquired in operations allows me today, when I’m standing in front of a client, to popularize the customs language and to easily bridge the gap between operations and what the client wants to know. I have been working at W2C in business development for 5 years now.
What kind of service do you think a customs broker offers you?
The first thing to know is that a client wants to understand what we do for him. He uses an external resource to do everything related to customs within his organization, but that does not mean that he doesn’t want to be made aware of the processes that are done for the good of his organization.
In my experience, many clients do not have a concrete idea of all the work a broker does for them. I think we need to take the time to explain the ramifications of his imports, the impacts and risks associated with his imports and the tasks he must take on to facilitate the broker’s work. We must also be as transparent as possible and inform the client of any changes in Canadian and American government legislation and procedures. I believe that keeping clients informed and answering their questions by proposing alternative solutions when government procedures change is a guarantee of success in terms of customer service.
What are the issues related to your work?
When meeting a client for the first time, it is essential to know how to properly probe their needs and their level of knowledge about customs to ensure that they have a better idea of the work to be done and the services that can be offered. You need to know the specific needs of the client to be able to bridge the gap with operations, which must understand why each client needs to proceed in a different way. I act as a mirror between the operations and the client and it is very important that the information is well understood on both sides to avoid misunderstandings.
Otherwise, with international markets moving around a lot and free trade agreements being signed constantly, we have to follow the evolution of legislation to see if it can affect the customer and, if it does, keep him informed so that he can react. Finally, an important aspect not to be neglected; the client must be informed of the latest customs opportunities related to his field in order to sometimes lead him into seeing things differently.