Carrier earns accolade for speedy booking response

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has topped the ratings in speed of response for container bookings from the United States, according to shipping portal INTTRA's Ocean Carrier Booking Responsiveness Analysis.

The analysis measures the amount of time it takes to make a booking for container shipments with ocean carriers and highlights an important element of automated shipping -- the speed with which a carrier responds to an electronic booking request made by a shipper, says INTTRA.

“MSC achieved a response time for goods shipping from the US that is 32 percent faster than the industry average in this region.

“Even though e-shipping offers the most efficient, customer service-enhancing alternative to manual processes (ie, phone, fax), many ocean carriers still take longer to respond to electronic booking requests when compared to manual methods. As a result, those who offer e- booking with the greatest responsiveness can gain a significant advantage for themselves and their customers in efficiencies, cost-savings and customer service overall. INTTRA launched its Ocean Carrier Booking Responsiveness Analysis in October 2014, providing the first benchmark of carrier responsiveness across global trade lanes.”