'Owning' the customer's delivery chain is the focus

Ray Smuts BARBARA VAN Rensburg is gearing up for overdrive mode as new Western Cape area executive for Safmarine. Previously trade manager for Safmarine's Samba service, (Middle East, Southern Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay & Indian Ocean Islands) launched in January this year, Van Rensburg succeeded Tony Nicholas, the company's new operations manager who in turn replaced Bob Terry, new Samba trade manager. Hers is one of the most senior posts within Safmarine South Africa and she readily admits that making it that far was due to ability - not her gender. A fair deal for the fairer sex is apparent at Safmarine. Senior executives, Van Rensburg aside, include managing director Gail Kelly, human resources executive Annette Pead, risk management executive Clare Nel and East London branch manager Jenny Ahlschlager, amongst others. Van Rensburg's first priority is to embark on a regional model focusing on customer intimacy, (part of a country-wide initiative under the direction of md Gail Kelly) emanating from an encouraging recent customer survey, a planned follow-up after the previous survey some three years ago. "Customer intimacy goes beyond customer care to determine what a customer's needs are and how we can fulfil them from A to Z. The relationship has to be such that the customer will entrust us to own his full delivery chain." Also evident from the same survey is that customers detect a shift for the better in the Safmarine style of doing business. "We are now seen as flexible and innovative, but, of course, there is always room for improvement." "Customers are also impressed with our technology but it is a matter of our having to master that and take it into this partnership which is currently my main focus."