Professional Van Operator: You Mean Driver?

Dennie Lynn, Atlas Senior Vice President of Transportation Services, moderated a workshop featuring presentations by three of Atlas' top professional van operators.

Workshops approved by ERC for CRP™ Recertification Credits.

Moderator
Dennie Lynn
Senior Vice President,
Transportation Services
Atlas Van Lines, Inc.

Presenters
Frank M. Kawalski
Professional Van Operator
Atlas Van Lines, Inc.
Perry Schrecengost Jr.
Professional Van Operator
Atlas Van Lines, Inc.
Rob Kraner
Professional Van Operator
Atlas Van Lines, Inc.

Frank M. Kawalski joined Atlas in 1988. To date he has logged nearly one million consecutive safe driving miles and has earned a cumulative customer satisfaction rating of 4.93 (out of 5.0).

Frank spoke about managing a successful move from start to finish. His first objective is to win the customer's confidence. When the customer is relaxed, everything goes smoother. He stressed the importance of punctuality, appearance, honesty, sincerity, and commitment.

He explained that he arrives at the residence a half hour before his helpers do. He uses that time to build rapport with the customer. He assesses what needs to be done to prepare the house; when customers see the care taken with their home they gain confidence in how their belongings will be treated.

When help arrives, Frank makes sure workers are in uniform before he introduces them to the customer and assigns tasks. Frank said it's important to establish the primary line of communication between himself and the customer. Everyone knows that Frank is in charge and they are working with a professional.

Frank makes sure to cover floors and to pad banisters before packing material enters the house. He periodically checks on help, makes sure rooms are clean and organized and that boxes are positioned with labeling visible. Items are padded or shrink-wrapped inside the house; the customer can watch and feel comfortable with the procedure. Many customers decide to leave and come back later, which is a sign of how comfortable they are with the crew's professionalism.

Before loading, Frank shows the customer the truck and explains how it will be "loaded tight" and padded for the protection of their belongings. In a final walk-through of the house, Frank makes sure everything is out that is supposed to go. He discusses delivery services, such as unpacking, and access to the new home. He lets the customer know when delivery is likely and to expect a call the day before.

At destination, Frank tries to arrive before the help and make sure they are in uniform. One of the first things he does is set up the master bedroom, including the bed with bed skirt.

People don't want to feel rushed. Frank reviews everything he and the customer discussed and ensures it is done to their satisfaction. This takes time, but it is important.

Denny asked about potential problems and Frank noted it is helpful to make the customer aware ahead of time that assembly of stereo and computers is not normally the operator's responsibility. Also, it is a good idea to review with the customer what should be listed on the high-value inventory.

Perry Schrecengost Jr. has been an Atlas professional van operator since 1984 and has logged 1.141 million safe driving miles. He has earned the Atlas Customer Service Award for 17 of the last 18 years and owns a cumulative customer satisfaction rating of 4.91 (out of 5.0).

Perry spoke about dealing with unforeseen circumstances and handling difficult situations with high-maintenance customers. Perry starts with the premise that the customer is the most important person in any business, because today's customers impact tomorrow's sales. His "rule number one" is to always take care of the customer, regardless of whether the customer is difficult. He treats everybody the same.

Winning the customer's trust goes a long way toward taking the stress off of everyone. Perry does this by showing genuine care and professionalism. He listens and follows through on promises. He said the cell phone is a great asset for service. He makes sure the customer has his number and knows that he welcomes their calls.

Perry has found an authorization for extra labor can help satisfy difficult customers in some situations. He referenced an instance where he dedicated one helper as a personal assistant to a housewife.

For Perry, limiting exposure to a loss or claim starts with a competent crew, professional appearance, courtesy, and attention to a customer's concerns. A good, positive customer relationship is invaluable. If you take care of the small things, the big things will take care of themselves.

Professional Van Operator Rob Kraner has been with Atlas since 1994. He owns a cumulative customer satisfaction rating of 4.86 (out of 5.0) and he has achieved a perfect rating in 8 of the last 14 years.

Rob spoke about the challenges of securing and managing help. When he goes to the market for labor, his first choice is people he's worked with before. Getting to them in advance of the date they are needed helps them to commit. His next option is to contact a local Atlas agent. Again, advance notice is helpful. Another option is to contact other moving companies. However, this requires going through the background process to ensure the helpers meet Atlas standards. The last resource is a labor-ready service Atlas established some years back. This makes it a little tougher on Rob because the people are generally a little less experienced. As a last resort, Rob said it might be advisable to request one more day for delivery. "You don’t want to blow it, just because it's the last day."

Rob said that new customers might not understand their relocation policy. Even though they talk with customer service people over the phone, it's different when the operator is there in person. At origin, Rob takes time to go over the instruction sheet with the customer and make sure they agree. Unpacking and extra labor can be issues at destination. If there is a question, he goes back to the CSR and asks them to get in touch with the account manager, so the customer knows who is making the decision. Sometimes, the situation requires him to do something for the customer's satisfaction and just hope he gets reimbursed.