In November 2023, the M6T team was approached by a potential new client based in Centurion with a request for customs clearance and ocean freight services. Their requirement was straightforward: to transport goods from China to Gauteng via ocean freight, a departure from their usual preference for air freight solutions.
The client’s shipment challenge
Upon receiving the request, we promptly provided a quote, pending the submission of supplier documents post shipment dispatch. Despite some delays, the necessary documents were received around December 10th, with the shipment anticipated to reach Durban by January 16th. However, the client expressed concern due to ongoing reports of delays and congestion at the Durban port, with vessel backlogs expected to persist until March or mid-April of the following year.
The M6T solution
To alleviate the client’s apprehension, we initiated a proactive approach, offering them daily updates on port performance and progress in backlog clearance. Fortunately, the delay in vessel berthing was minimal, shifting the expected arrival from January 16th to the 18th.
Results
Our proactive customs pre-clearance strategy, despite encountering minor issues such as incorrect HS codes on the bill of lading, proved effective. The container was swiftly retrieved from the port over a weekend and unpacked on Monday, with shipments bound for Johannesburg dispatched the following day. Final delivery was successfully accomplished by January 25th, much to the satisfaction of the customer, who commended our service experience.
The client expressed their satisfaction by writing the following statement on the POD, “Thank you for everything, the service was absolutely awesome. Keep up the excellent work.”
At M6T, we place customer experience at the heart of all our activities, to ensure a happy client at the end of each project. You can experience the quality in our customs clearing and freight forwarding services today, by contact our Johannesburg or Durban branch today for all of your B2B transportation and logistics needs.
