True Crime | How a Simple Car Shipping Mistake Turned to Tragedy.
I know some of you might conclude that the post title sounds a bit extreme but when it comes down to clients, nothing is extreme in my eyes. Nothing pisses me off more than an uneducated client that goes through a very bad experience because their broker FAILED TO EDUCATE them on the shipping process. It’s not a complicated concept to grasp, all it takes is a little time and commitment.
On average, I spend about 35-45 minutes on the phone with my potential clients, explaining the process and answering their questions. At the end of it all, they can walk away feeling very knowledgeable and in charge of their shipping process opposed to feeling weakened by their lack of knowledge.
As many of you already know by now, I’m big on EDUCATION. I strongly believe that your job as an auto transport broker is to educate a potential client. Most of us get caught up in the time is money phase and just want to sadly take your credit card information, make you commit to a contract in which you probably won’t read the terms and conditions and at that point, they care less whether your car moves or not. After all you just signed that contract!
Okay so here’s a real clients testimonial for the night of the event. {WARNING: for privacy reasons, and because I hate to bad mouth anyone especially when I can’t back it with facts- I’ve altered the said companies names and changed the shipping location. All else if verbatim and doesn’t reflect the views of myself or ACG}
“ABC Transport shipped my car from Dallas to Los Angeles using XYZ Auto Carriers as the carrier. When the car arrived over $300 of personal items were stolen, I had filled up the car in Dallas with gas hours before loading on the truck and it was out of gas (warning light on) and there were 475 miles driven on the odometer since it was loaded. ABC Transport has done nothing to resolve my claim and XYZ Auto Carriers won’t answer the phone. WARNING IF YOU USE ABC Transport be prepared for losses.”
So now we have a very bad situation- a rightfully upset client, a bad review posted for the broker and a bad review for the carrier. Had the client been properly educated, this could have been prevented. A simple mistake on the part of the auto transport broker turned tragedy.
So of course I can not leave you without leaving you with these two tips:
Car Shipping Tip #1: Only leave 1/4 tank of gas in your vehicle. For one, more gas=more weight and the transporter can be fined or shut down for being overweight which can lead to delays in not only your transport, but everyone else. 1/4 tank is more than enough gas needed when transporting your vehicle.
Car Shipping Tip #2:Carriers are not licensed to carry household goods and can get fines for doing so if caught by the Department of Transportation. Even though some carriers allow you to pack up to 50lbs in the car, I tell all my clients DO NOT do it! Carriers are not responsible for items that are lost or stolen so is it really worth the risk of losing something valuable to you just to save a few dollars. You’re better off packing it in a box and mailing it to your new location.
So that’s it for this weeks post. Check back next week for some more juicy tips.
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2 Responses
Ashley- Just discovered your blog tonight. Would like to discuss the possibility of becoming one your carriers. We’ve hauled personal autos for several active military folks. Please check out our website, and let us know what you think. We are located in N. Florida, and transport over the southeast and midwest, and have a very good reputation. Hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely, Joe Joyce
850-661-1117
Crawfordville, FL
Thanks!