I’ve been on lots of great field trips. Oldsmobile. Kelloggs. Commodities Exchange. CNN. NY Stock Exchange. I’ve been on a dozen University tours looking at receiving docks, cold storage rooms, student centers and computer labs. Field trips open my eyes to the fact that people everywhere use the knowledge and tools they have to provide not just good, but great customer service.
The most inspiring field trip I ever took was years ago to the Wando Plant, part of the Port Authority of Charleston, SC. You read that right, a shipping port full of containers, cranes and ships – and inspired employees.
I was standing on the dock tower watching a container being loaded onto a ship at the Wando Plant. I could see acres of rows of containers, 2 high. The grounds were immaculate. Our guide proudly told us that each container was trackable by content, date of departure, and location on the ground. That the Port of Charleston is one of the most automated ports in the U.S. with its computer system being the key to allowing accurate information exchange while controlling freight movements and speeding up cargo flows.
Today, the Charleston port continues to be ranked in the top 5 shipping ports in the world because of their efficiency and accuracy, and use of advanced EDI technology. At the same time, the World Trade magazine reports they rank first in customer satisfaction across North America.
The Charleston Port Authority’s website includes a weekly press release. Plans for future growth are made public along with customer satisfaction surveys. Attention is given to their leadership team, and to the fact that success during rapid growth has been possible because of this team’s response.
Customer satisfaction surveys. Leadership teams. Efficiency, productivity, accuracy. Advanced technology. Pride evident in employees actions and words. The Charleston Port Authority’s legacy.
What is your legacy? Are you using your knowledge and the tools you have to provide not just good, but great customer service? Are you researching new technologies and investing in the future? If someone needed inspiration, would they take a field trip to see you?
