Saia’s Custom Solutions Team is Saia’s “Yes Team!”

Let’s talk about our “Yes team!” — or Custom Solutions team — for a second. As you may know, Saia has a group of experts who work to fill our customers’ unique and out-of-the-ordinary requests beyond our standard LTL service.

I like to call them the “Yes” team as their job is tell the customer “Yes, of course we can do that!” — when it comes to any request they might have. What kind of requests you ask?  These are the most common solutions our team is asked to provide:

• Reduced transit times/expedited delivery
• Delivery during non-business hours, including Saturdays
• Guaranteed pickups/deliveries
• Precise day and time deliveries
• Retail must-arrive-by or on date deliveries
• And, much more

They are able to offer these types of solutions by working closely with the customer starting by providing quotes to secure the shipment then coordinating its movement by communicating with our origin, break, and destination terminals as well as our linehaul operations. In fact, they track and monitor all custom solution shipments from start to finish until they notify the customer of a successful delivery.

Frankly, I believe we have just scratched the surface of what this group can do. That’s why I am asking that all of us help grow this important segment of Saia business by remembering or doing the following:  

1. Over 60 percent of quotes from this group turn into a custom solutions shipment that has revenue that is three times our standard LTL shipment! 
2. Encourage customers to obtain a quote. They just need to call or email the solutions team or talk to their salesperson about their unique needs.
3. Our professional drivers, customer service teams, dock and operational team, along with our sales group, can all help the “Yes” team secure more shipments and revenue for Saia.  All we have to do is ask our customers the right questions.

Here are some examples that might help identify an opportunity:

• How does the customer handle shipments that require a more aggressive transit time?
• How do they handle shipments that require an after-hours or Saturday delivery?
• How do they handle shipments that must deliver on a specific day or at a specific time?
• How do you handle shipments delayed in a regular LTL environment?

Remember, engage our “Yes” team, our Custom Solutions team, via a phone call, email or at saia.com. Use our resources to assist and educate the customer. Share our sell sheets, capabilities presentation or custom solutions quote form. The group is just a call or email away at 1-888-999-7242 or solutions@saia.com.