The world is full of questionable services, misleading advertising, and ever-shortening attention spans. It can be hard to suss out the credible partners from the unreliable, untrustworthy, and too good to be true transportation and vendor services from the many entities that you deal with on a day to day basis.
At the same time, none of us wants to waste our time or money–especially in the middle of a global pandemic, when trucks are tight and you need your product to get to your customers at lightning speed, in perfect condition, and on time. When we’re exchanging our hard-earned resources for goods and services, we want to know we’re supporting people and companies who are well-deserving and who will serve us well. Credibility is the understanding that a business can be counted on to deliver on their promises.
When it comes to determining a company or client’s credibility, where do you begin?
- Check reviews. Sites like Internet Truckstop, DAT, Yelp, and even Facebook might have helpful information for you. Keep in mind, of course, that disgruntled people sometimes use these venues to vent, so don’t base your entire decision on one extreme negative (or positive) review. Instead, look for overall trends. You can check out some of Jameson Logistics’ reviews on our website or ask your Jameson Logistics rep for a list of satisfied customers that you can call.
- Do a quick Google search. Find anywhere the company has established an online presence, as well as any news stories in which they’ve been mentioned (which could be good or bad). Check out Jameson Logistics online presence here.
- Ask for references. Obviously, this applies for job applicants but can apply to logistics services too. (If you’re a business owner, consider creating a list of happy customers who would be willing to serve as references.)
- Familiarize yourself with industry standards. This is important in any industry, but especially in one as nuanced as transportation. Having a working knowledge means you’ll know what questions your 3PL should be asking. That way, you can determine if they’re the real deal, or if they’ll be leaving you with headaches. We at Jameson Logistics are happy to walk our customers through the process from start to finish so that you know what to expect.
- Think about the company’s history. How long have they been in business? Have they weathered a financial crisis, an industry shake-up, or a change in leadership? If the company survived a variety of challenges, that indicates a strength of leadership and clarity of vision that will serve you well as their customer. We are so proud to be able to say that Jameson Logistics has thrived for over 30 years and weathered every storm that has hit the industry.
No company is immune from mistakes or occasional disappointments. But credibility is about something more than that. Credibility is about integrity, delivering on commitments, and follow-through.
We’ve been fortunate enough to work with many credible companies and customers throughout the years, and we hope and trust that when you think about Jameson Logistics, “credible” is a word that comes to mind!