Information platform provides instant feedback

The demand for lower rates has raised serious concerns in the Western Cape where it has become the overriding factor when deciding with whom to ship. According to Sean Petzer, Cape Town branch manager for CFR Sea Freight, while this may be a great short-term win for the client, there are concerns around doing things properly versus doing things more cheaply. “We would like to remain as competitive as realistically possible when it comes to rates, but we do provide additional and more sustainable benefits over the long term that have to be considered.” According to Petzer, these services for both imports and exports that include special warehousing services and LCL deliveries in the Western Cape could ultimately save clients money in the long term while at the same time providing a better and smoother service. “Being a neutral NVOCC, we are very focused on the forwarding and clearing agents’ requirements. We try to keep it simple and deliver on our promises,” he said. In this regard the company has developed an email on demand service that ensures its clients have a dynamic tool that provides information within seconds. “We have unfortunately all become slaves to email but this is the main tool we all use on a daily basis. Often going from one website to another for information can be tedious,” explained Petzer. “Our new information platform allows clients to use the platform they are used to and use the most. And the information is precise and instant. The additional benefit is that we can now concentrate on relationships, which is most important in the Western Cape.” CAPTION Sean Petzer