Having never had anything to do with freight forwarding, I had no idea what to expect once my job in the Sales and Marketing dept. at Spicer International began. I didn’t even know what ‘freight forwarding’ meant! What I did know from my interview with Stuart (Mr Spicer) is that this is a company not just literally on the move, but rapidly going places in other ways too. Freight forward-thinking, if you like. And this is what made me say “Yes” so readily when I was offered the job.
After a month of being here and getting used to the habits of Spicer HQ operatives (Jo: “Pour it right to the top.” Sam: “No tea. No coffee.” Stuart: “Maybe today I’ll get to eat lunch before teatime.”) I’m only a little wiser about the logistical aspects of the business but what’s very clear from dealing with the team here (and especially the clients that I’ve met and liaised with) is that this is a company respected and valued by staff and customers alike.
So what commands this attitude? From my perspective it looks like a thorough commitment to quality service and value from Stuart and the staff, where the team are prepared to go that extra little bit further to ensure client satisfaction. Now, before you think I’m painting an overly rosy picture just to create an impression on my handsome and charismatic new employer, let me tell you that as well as speaking to many clients (and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback in the process), I’ve also been out in the van to meet them. Travelling with the affable and reliant Robin, I could see that this is a man who really enjoys interacting with customers; taking pride in his work, enjoying his driving and having a laugh with whoever he meets on his way. It seems obvious that Spicer have forged trusted and easy-going relationships with their client base.
There’s also a novel and refreshing philosophy in action: Stuart likes to promote our clients where possible, e.g. in our ‘Regular Roundup’ newsletter. This has provoked some interesting responses from clients when I’ve mentioned it to them. Some have been very enthusiastic; after all, it’s a newsletter with a potential outreach of 600 small businesses! Others have been somewhat reticent; you can sense that they might be expecting a catch somewhere along the line, which is simply not the case. What it boils down to is that as small businesses we’re all in this together, and naturally our clients’ success fuels our own. So let’s help each other out as much as we can. Makes sense to me!
Another aspect of this approach that’s of great interest to me is the proposed creation of filmed content for certain clients. Currently we’re collaborating with the dynamic Heather Barrie of Harrie’s Coffee in producing a showcase for her brand and her exciting business developments. Here is a lady who’s going places, so it’s appropriate she’s forging creative links with a company like ours that specialises in freight movement and storage solutions. Watch this space!
There’s plenty more I could mention but I’ll save it for future posts. In the meantime, I’ll leave it for now by saying that I’ve had a great introduction to the company but naturally, like in every business, it’s not all been plain sailing. For instance, there was a worrying tendency for Heart FM to be listened to on a regular basis. I’m delighted to report that the celebrated flexible and inventive attitude that Spicer brings to logistical problems has also been applied here. From this week on, we’ll be rotating the radio stations on a daily basis to suit individual tastes. RESULT!
Spicer International: providing simple solutions of genuine value.
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