Maritime
A.P. Møller -
Mærsk A/S
first container
shipping
company to
launch instant
booking
confirmation
C
ustomer experience improves significantly as
booking a container with Maersk becomes as easy as
booking a flight ticket.
With the introduction of instant booking
confirmation, Maersk customers can now complete
their bookings within seconds compared to previous
waiting times of up to two hours.
Eliminating this delay, as the first in the industry, is a top priority
for Maersk as the delay triggers uncertainty and extra workloads in
managing supply chains for the customers.
"We are now making it as easy for our customers to book a
container as booking a flight ticket. Instant booking confirmation
makes it faster, easier and simpler for our customers to interact
with Maersk. It is a milestone for the entire industry and a concrete
example of how we are bringing our strategy to life when we
improve the customer experience through seamless digital
offerings," says Vincent Clerc, Chief Commercial Officer, A.P.
Moller - Maersk.
With the new solution, customers get visibility of sailing options
with available vessel space, a list of depots with empty containers
to choose from and a choice of relevant value adding services. More
importantly - they get certainty that a booking will not be cancelled
at a later stage.
Due to e.g. lack of vessel space or equipment availability, around
10% of bookings placed in Maersk's systems were previously either
rejected or confirmed for an alternative sailing, often spurring
customers to follow up with questions and requests for changes.
Such follow-up inquiries have accounted for 15% of all Maersk
customer service calls and chats - and close to 200.000 emails every
month.
Instant bookings on-the-go
With the release of instant booking confirmation, Maersk is also
introducing online booking via the Maersk App. Enabling instant
bookings directly from the mobile phone is another functionality
that has long been high on Maersk customers' wish-lists, especially
in emerging markets
"Maersk operates in several markets where mobile phones
make up the primary working tool for the workforce. Here, Instant
Booking Confirmation straight from the mobile phone will be a
huge improvement for our customers' supply chain managers - it
will further enable trade in these markets," said Sonny Dahl, Global
Head of Customer Experience & Service, A.P. Moller - Maersk.
Instant booking confirmation is available in beta for all customers
through the online booking modules of the Maersk Line, SeaLand
and Safmarine brands. The functionality currently covers dry cargo
shipments. Refrigerated cargo, dangerous cargo (IMDG) and inland
container yards are expected to be added during 2019.
"We are now making it as easy for our customers to book a container as booking a flight ticket.
Instant booking confirmation makes it faster, easier and simpler for our customers to interact with
Maersk. It is a milestone for the entire industry and a concrete example of how we are bringing our
strategy to life when we improve the customer experience through seamless digital offerings," says
Vincent Clerc, Chief Commercial Officer, A.P. Moller - Maersk.
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