At Twill we believe in having a strong relationship with our customers, based on communication and honesty. A big part of that relationship is built on us keeping customers informed as pro-actively as possible so that they’re able to plan, book and receive their cargo in good time. Planning around holidays, especially this time of the year, is extremely important and across all of the regions we have customer care teams in place ready to help our customers.
Just around the corner, on 5th February 2019, is one of the biggest holidays in the global logistics calendar – Chinese New Year – and we are encouraging our customers to get their cargo booked well in advance to avoid costly delays.
The Chinese New Year sees almost all factories and manufacturers in the country closing down for at least a week – and when they do open again it is usually a gradual process, with some factories not back to full operations for up to a month. The holiday impacts all other Asia, and so there are further implications in countries across the region.
What does it mean for you?
Millie Wen Gao, a member of our Customer Care team in China, spoke about the effect of Chinese New Year on Twill customers, and shared her advice for those looking to avoid delays: “Everyone is familiar with Chinese New Year, it’s one of the biggest dates in the yearly calendar – but people don’t always fully understand the potential implications of the holiday for their business. The impact of Chinese New Year on logistics is wide-ranging – from a lack of capacity; slow production and processing to changes in shipping schedules – almost every aspect of a cargo’s journey is disrupted.
“Because of the potential length of the holiday, if you don’t manage to get your cargo shipped around these changes to schedule, then you could be looking at weeks of delays – which for any business is a big risk; not just in terms of costs but also a potential lack of stock. When things do start to get back to normal, you’ll be playing catch-up, which is never ideal!
“These scenarios can be avoided, however. With good planning today, you can ensure your business is well stocked and in the best position to avoid delays during Chinese New Year. At Twill we help you do that, by informing you of our own schedule and timeline changes during the period and working with you to process orders ahead of schedule.
“Ultimately, carriers play a big part in defining the schedules available; so if any issues arise we will work hard with our local contacts as well as you, the customer, at destination to find the best solution with the least delay.
“With Twill’s intuitive platform and new features there are tools at your disposal to help in planning, such as our pre-booking feature. Our milestones too will keep you updated at all stages of the booking process; and our customer care staff are available 24/7 to answer queries or help in planning.”
Plan before it’s too late
Asked about her key piece of advice for any customers now thinking about planning for Chinese New Year, Millie concluded: “Our advice is to check your schedules and book early. At this moment, it may feel like over-compensating, but the delays will come thick and fast once the Chinese New Year period begins. It’s always better to stay ahead of schedule than to fall behind – and don’t hesitate to talk to us at Twill about the ways we can help.”
Book your cargo with Twill today – www.twill.net.
