Examining the Issue: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Customs Inspection
As the ETA of your freight approaches, your palms start to sweat, you begin to pace your office, hit the refresh button on the tracking website, and start calling your professional Customs broker every hour on the hour. The underlying fears…will your freight be snagged for examination?! Cue dramatic music. Importers have come to know […]
Continue Reading »Why Importers Should Hire a Licensed Broker
I recently found out that I won a scholarship through the Atlanta International Forwarders and Brokers Association (AIFBA) to take a class that will prepare me for the Customs Broker Exam in October. While I was applying for this scholarship, I was asked to write about why an importer should hire a to clear their freight […]
Continue Reading »Welcome to the New Shapiro
Many of you know us for who we are– a serious and, admittedly, quirky group of people that pride itself in climbing mountains for our customers. Some of you may also say that we are a company that is committed to the old-fashioned values of personalized customer service and integrity that were instilled in us by Samuel, and that we also embrace modern technology and innovative solutions with flexibility at its core.
Continue Reading »Math is Our Friend: A Guide to Cargo Calculations for Logistics Professionals
While she would likely poison my dinner or make a chubby “Rob Doll” for her voodoo pins if she knew I was writing this in a public forum, my wife is lousy at math. I mean lousy. This woman is a great teacher for our children; she is impossible to beat at Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit; she is at least three times smarter than I am… and, she has a panic attack if you mention “square root” or “divisible” or (God forbid) “numerator.”
Continue Reading »7 Tips for Building Meaningful Relationships with your Customers
What sets your company apart? If you are like us, you will say “service.” Great, consistent service builds trust, which is the foundation of any relationship. A nurtured relationship builds loyalty and that loyalty generates repeat and referral business. And, if we are not talking money, that feeling you get when you make your customer’s day is pretty darn good, too. (It’s kind of the thing we live for, actually.) So how can you build stronger, more meaningful relationships with your customers?
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