Shipper discovers quality carrier

Negative consequences come from blind adherence to the adage, “The customer is always right.” Usually, they involve a shrug of the shoulders and the statement: “It’s not my fault.”

Consider the carrier who regularly delivered unbanded steel bars. The bundles were banded when the carrier picked them up, but they would always break during transport, scattering steel bars throughout the trailer. “It’s not my fault,” the carrier would say upon delivery, “I didn’t bundle it; I just deliver the stuff.”

That’s exactly what was happening to a precision tool company.

The company, a producer of precision metal components for commercial, military, and aerospace applications, has a culture driven by strong attention to detail and the pursuit of perfection. So, you can imagine how disconcerting it was to receive busted bundles of steel bars.

Naturally, the company sought the root cause of the problem. Suspecting an inattention to detail by the carrier, it requested that a different carrier be used for a single test shipment.

ABF was chosen for this blind test.

An ABF dockworker immediately noticed that the banding on the steel bars looked inadequate and would likely break in transit. The solution was simple. He used blocks to stabilize the bundles and prevent movement that could stress the bands.

The test shipment arrived intact. Now, ABF is the company's carrier of choice.

Attention to detail, a commitment to quality, and a sense of responsibility are the attributes that set ABF people apart. Our adage is: “The customer is always treated right.”

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Do you have a similar situation? Or perhaps you'd like to give us some feedback. We'd love to hear from you! E-mail us at marketing@abf.com.