Moving Words – Ambassadors
Timothy Brady
“An ambassador is not simply an agent; he is also a spectacle.” – Walter Bagehot
In any retail store or car dealership, employees are the major point of contact for the customers who come in to purchase items from a particular business establishment. They’re the folks who spend the most amount of time with the customer, thus having the greatest influence on any consumer’s experience in that business.
The same holds true for the moving and storage business. In the moving business each shipper is worth their weight in gold to the success of your company. Your van operators and pack crews spend an extraordinary number of hours handling your customers’ most valued personal items. How your moving crews handle both the items to be moved and the shippers to whom these items belong will determine the perception each customer has of your moving company.
One concern you should have in how customers perceive your company is your moving crews and their consistency in the message and service provided. This is developed through branding your company. Just like in the old west when you knew which cattle belonged to what ranch by the brand on the rear flank of a steer. Cattle buyers knew other information immediately by identifying the brand; things like the quality of the meat that a particular steer would provide, through the reputation and previous experience dealing with the owner of that brand.
I’m not suggesting you take a hot branding iron to each one of your crews’ rear flanks, but what are some ways to utilize your employees and contractors as Brand Ambassadors for your operation?
Here are three ideas to help your crews become your company’s top ambassadors to your shippers, corporate clients and relocation companies.
- Consistency in dress. Establish a specific dress code for your drivers when they’re driving, loading or unloading, and any time they’ll be contacting customers or even potential customers. This need not be a “uniform” in the terms of what most of us think of; however, it needs to have a uniqueness that says ‘This is the company we represent.’ Example: one mover provided overalls that had all the buttons and zippers covered so there was no chance of a zipper or button scratching any furniture they carried. The overalls had the company logo on the breast pocket and on the back, along with the word MOVER. They also had reflective stripes sewn into the sleeves and legs. It was very easy for anyone to identify who were members of the moving crew on a job.
- Have a distinctive, easy to recognize logo placed on each tractor and trailer. You’re required by regulations to display the company name, domiciled city and DOT or MC number on each truck anyway, so incorporate your logo into that particular decal. Have your logos placed consistently in the same location on all tractors and trailers, including your lease operator’s tractors.
- Treat your employees and contractors courteously, the way you want them to treat your customers. You’ll never have to be concerned with how they’ll treat your shippers, receivers and brokers.
When current and potential customers think ‘high quality service’ and your moving company as synonymous, you’ve achieved brand recognition. By involving your moving crews directly in the branding process, they’ll have a personal investment in not only their success, but the success of your company.
“When employees are happy, they are your very best ambassadors.” – James Sinegal
