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Case Studies
Hero Stories |
Case Studies
Our business was built on customer service. By providing exceptional service to our customers, we
help them build business and a solid reputation. We know we’re not the only option out there, so we
work to be the best option. |
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Hero Stories
"Last minute heroics keep assembly lines humming."
Recently we were put in touch with a client in need of shipping 10 containers of raw material to the Dominican Republic in 10 days to avoid a "shut down" situation with a client of their own. In short, they needed us to perform a small miracle. Due to a thriving export market, this new customer could not find any available space on a ship within three weeks, well past their 10-day timeline. We were up for the challenge.
Within 15 minutes, a Rogers & Brown employee named Mike had 10 trucks pointed at the port, ready to go. Shon, a member of our strategic accounts team quickly managed to carve out 10 last minute slots on a ship leaving Charleston at 11am the next morning. We were looking at a 12-hour window in which to load ten, 40' containers in Augusta, Georgia and get them to the port in Charleston.
Thirty minutes later we were back on the phone with the client to let them know we could have the cargo delivered within eight days, meeting their deadline. In order to do so, they would have to load the trucks in the middle of the night. They were thrilled and would do whatever they had to do to get the trucks loaded.
The goods were loaded on a ship and moving on schedule. In Panama, the ship ran into some heavy port congestion, causing a one-day delay. The client was notified immediately and reassured we were still one day ahead of their drop-dead date.
The ten containers made it to their destination on time, preventing a shut down at the plant. The client responded by saying, "I asked you to pull a rabbit out of the hat and you pulled a Lion." A few days later a huge box of edible treats arrived with a thank you note. Along with goody basket came a call with another challenge for us to tackle, which we proudly welcomed.
- April 2008
"A hero hits the books."
Lee German of Sylvan Dell Publishing was recently interviewed on National Public Radio. Sylvan Dell Publishing has a special focus on bringing science and math to children through quality literature. As part of the interview, Mr. German detailed how books are put together overseas and ultimately shipped back home to the US.
"There's a wonderful freight-forwarding operation called Rogers & Brown... located in Charleston. Because we live in Charleston and have Rogers & Brown, we're able to get a 21-day ocean-freight bridge straight from Hong Kong right to Charleston harbor. We get our books in, they head up to TransHold storage warehouse in Goose Creek, right near us."
Listen to the MP3 audio archive of NPR's interview with Lee German of Sylvan Dell Publishing.
- February 2008
"A hero makes smaller clients feel big."
When one of our key contacts, Mr. Noble, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at a large importer/exporter of fiber recently retired, we wished him all the luck in the world. A short time later Mr. Noble came to us seeking help with his hobby of importing Australian wines. He would become one of our smallest accounts. A long-time Rogers & Brown employee named Daniel was assigned to the account.
Mr. Noble was fully aware of how well Rogers & Brown took care of his former employer, who remains a very valued customer. Daniel proved that it's not only the large clients who receive exceptional service at Rogers & Brown.
In a letter to Daniel's manager, Mr. Noble said, "Today, I am probably your smallest customer. However, Daniel gives my company the same treatment that I received as part of a very large corporation."
He went on to say, "I have written few compliments like this in my 35 years in business, but felt you should be aware of what a great representative you have for your company. I've always believed that the most important part of any business is good people. Daniel's follow up, attention to detail, and communication skills are exemplary and hard to find. He handles all issues quickly, whether in his department or others and answers the phone like he enjoys life, likes people and likes working at Rogers & Brown. The key to business is good service, which we get from Daniel!!!"
Daniel has been steadily rising through the ranks. We have always believed he was a hero to clients. Letters like this certainly reinforce that fact.
- May 2007
"Moving a new yacht from ship to shore."
As a relatively new employee to Rogers & Brown, Gabe's initiation to the business came in the form of a 50-foot, brand new, custom-built racing yacht, along with its 80' mast. It was to be shipped from New Zealand to Rhode Island, and coordinating the move with the shipping terminals, steamship lines, trucking companies and clearing traffic regulations was a huge task, to say the least.
Prior to leaving New Zealand, Oceanbridge Shipping, our partner on this project, flawlessly prepared and planned the critically important and challenging first steps for the new vessel's journey to Philadelphia. The baton was passed from origin station to destination where it became our responsibility. We had to ensure a move that started with no hitches ended in the same manner.
The new yacht had to be at the Philadelphia terminal within a three-day period in order for the trucks to comply with "oversized load" highway restrictions in New Jersey and Connecticut. A late arrival would mean a week delay and additional storage costs for the owner of the yacht. That three-day window started to close when the steamship encountered unexpected delays.
Rather than panic, Gabe gained security clearance approval so the truckers delivering the yacht could sleep in their rigs at the Philadelphia terminal. The cargo ship arrived later that evening and new yacht's was unloaded at 1:00am. The truckers retired to their cabs. Ten hours later, the live-unload of the racing yacht was complete. The clock, however, was still ticking.
With mast and yacht loaded, the truckers headed north. The truckers called Gabe when the yacht crossed the Connecticut border into in Rhode Island. They made it with less than two hours to spare before highway regulations would force a delay. With that news, it was as if the new yacht was lifted off of Gabe’s shoulders. Gabe jumped right in and took control of orchestrating a massive and successful undertaking for a rookie. His initiation was complete. For the owner of the new yacht and Gabe's supervisors, it was indeed a heroic feat.
- March 2007
"Heroes never pass the buck."
One Tuesday evening in our Charleston office, long after most employees had left for the day,
the phone rang. A customer in the Wool industry was on the line, very upset over a critical shipment
that had not arrived. Rather than wait till the morning to alert the customer’s account representative,
Joe searched the office for the file in question.
The west coast freight forwarder responsible for the cargo could not find the container. Joe escalated
the situation with the forwarder and alerted the appropriate team members at Rogers & Brown as to
the situation. On Wednesday morning the container was found. At this point Joe could have stepped away
from the mess. Instead he chose to work with the customer and had arranged to truck the shipment from
Los Angeles to the East Coast. Easier said than done.
Thursday was spent canceling orders and creating new ones. Joe paid a personal visit to our customer to
assure them the shipment would arrive as fast as humanly possible. On Friday morning computer problems
at the forwarder prevented our order from posting. Truckers standing by were ready to pull out of the job.
Once again, Joe escalated the problem to the top-level managers at the forwarder. He pleaded with the
truckers for one more hour.
Thirty minutes later the trucks were being loaded and the customer had their goods 48 hours later. Our
client was more than pleased with Joe’s relentless efforts to execute the shipment. They continue to
rely on our services and the heroic efforts of our staff.
- June 2006
"Heroes turn problems into opportunities."
At ten minutes to five on a Friday, a customer in the watersports industry called in a panic. They had been
at an impasse with their Mexican supplier over a shipment. After ten days of arguing, the shipment was
finally released. Now it was up to us to get the goods to their plant before they had to shut down the
production line. A critical situation to say the least.
The shipment had been Customs cleared and was sitting in a San Diego warehouse. By the time the location and
availability was confirmed, it was well past 5:00pm in our Charleston office.
Hearing the crisis, a Rogers & Brown North American Logistics employee named JB dropped what he was
doing and contacted the warehouse, lined up the truck and helped plead with the warehouse over fees to have
the shipment released. At 8:00pm the shipment was on the truck and the driver was on his way to the East Coast.
With four more shipments on the horizon, our client turned over their LTL business to us, along with their
brokerage and forwarding on the international side. JB demonstrated the importance and rewards of superior
customer service.
- August 2006
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