BNSF Resources
CS staying one step ahead
The BNSF Customer Support( CS) team is ready, willing and able to help BNSF’ s shortline connections and their customers answer questions and solve issues day or night. Just dial 888-428-2673 and select option 3, then option 4.
“ We can be the shortline’ s point of contact for either car, train or interchange issues,” says Mike Arita, BNSF CS assistant vice president.“ We’ re the one point of contact for any kind of customer issue. We’ re the place to start.”
BNSF has a dedicated team of CS analysts comprising a diverse group of segment-focused professionals who specialize in various commodity shipments. Based in the Fort Worth, Texas, office, the team is divided into three groups: Domestic Intermodal, International Intermodal and Carload.
CS has designed the service experience so that customers and shortlines can get fast answers and assistance on a broad range of topics, from billing and waybill questions to how long it will take to interchange cars at a specific location. CS handles calls with little delay after customers make a selection from the main menu.
“ We respond quickly: 99 percent of our calls are answered within 20 seconds,” Arita said.“ I think that eliminates the frustration factor with our customers. They’ re not waiting for two to four minutes listening to music or being told that their wait times will be 20 minutes.”
BNSF CS is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days a week, 365 days a year so that customers always have the option of speaking with a representative at any time. Intense training prepares representatives to handle an array of inquiries and ensure that the freight of shortlines and their customers moves efficiently throughout the network.
CS representatives go through four weeks of one-on-one training to hone problem-solving and communication skills. Representatives possess a thorough understanding of the segment they service, while also using advanced tools and technologies to efficiently and correctly handle requests. BNSF customers also have access to a secure Web portal at BNSF. com. The portal offers tools to help customers manage their business, including tracking and tracing shipments in real time, submitting bills of lading, and reviewing and disputing demurrage charges.
Customers must have a personal identification number( PIN) to access the secure portal. The PIN is designed not only to be a quick identifier but also to provide security. To receive a BNSF PIN, simply send an email from your company email address to PIN @ bnsf. com. Please provide your name, job title, company name, company address and work telephone number.
“ Every customer, whether it’ s the shortline or shippers, needs to have a PIN,” Arita said.“ Our CS system routes the person to the right group based on their PIN and the type of business – either intermodal, international, domestic or carload.”
CS receives an average of 800 inquiries a day, tracking customer histories using advanced telephone technology. Telephone call quality between CS representatives and its customers is monitored. The CS group reviews 100 calls weekly to ensure correct processes and procedures are followed.
Along with self-auditing, CS regularly surveys BNSF customers to ensure satisfaction.“ We get about a 26 percent response rate,” Arita said.“ We ask customers a series of eight to
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11 questions, depending on how they answer. If we receive negative feedback, that’ s what we call a trigger.”
If a trigger occurs, a senior manager is notified and the complaint is addressed within 24 hours. The interaction is reviewed and appropriate actions are taken.
“ It’ s a pretty good process for us and our customers,” Arita said.“ It greatly helped us improve the quality of service we provide.”
The center’ s efforts have paid dividends in more ways than one. The BNSF Customer Support Center is the only railroad customer service group to earn recognition as a Certified Call Center of Excellence from BenchmarkPortal. Only 25 percent of companies attain repeat certification,
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“ We respond quickly: 99 percent of our calls are answered within 20 seconds. I think that eliminates the frustration factor with our customers.”
- Mike Arita, BNSF CS Assistant Vice President