MOL to launch new local website

Dedicated customer service staff offer one-stop contact ED RICHARDSON TAKING OVER a share of SAECS has seen Mitsui OSK Lines set a new course which is guided by the needs of the customers, says John Lawlor, MOL branch manager in Port Elizabeth. “In February we took over the P&O Nedlloyd share of the SAECS business. This has made a big difference as we can now offer a strong and stable service along South Africa’s economic artery to and from Europe. “With MOL’s strong network in Europe, we are in an even better position to service the needs of our clients,” he says. MOL in Port Elizabeth has moved into new offices and has increased its staff in order to maintain service levels. Staff has also undergone additional training on the SAECS service. The additional service and capacity has also led to a fresh wave of creativity at MOL. “We are now able to be more innovative and to look at the entire logistical package we can offer our clients. Logistics is definitely the key to the future growth of MOL. “We are changing our way of doing things by triangulating the three factors which count from the customer’s perspective – people, relationship and service,” he says. Service is a “given” and does little to differentiate companies – unless they do it badly. But in order to deliver world-class service one needs top people, and MOL has been recruiting some of the best in the industry – training them thoroughly and rewarding them for the superior work they do, says Lawlor. “Most of the staff is being multi-skilled in order to ensure that they can perform and understand several functions,” says Lawlor. “The third corner of the triangle – relationships – is relatively new. Here the focus is on providing customers with a one stop service whereby the staff member speaking to them has all the information needed to answer a string of queries – instead of being shunted around between various departments. “Dedicated customer service staff is also concentrating on gaining a thorough understanding of their client’s business in order to provide innovative solutions,” he says. “MOL South Africa is also set to launch its new local website [www.molsaf.co.za] from early October. This will provide fast access for our clients with local requirements such as daily schedule updates, stack date updates as well as a whole host of other features and benefits which will assist customers in obtaining quick information,” he added.