The Challenge
Ben Richardson, Director at FreestyleXtreme.com said: We recognised early on that we needed to offer a completely customised international service if we were going to be able to go toe-to-toe with the local retailers. This strategy worked as we faced little or no online competition for around 5-6 years. Back then, retailers weren't really interested in the international markets. Particularly not for niche areas such as ours.
Initially FreestyleXtreme used a different international delivery service. However, they quickly realised that an untracked mail solution wasn't consistent with their desire to offer good customer service and sought alternative options.
Ben continued: From the outset we recognised that good customer service had to be a cornerstone to our brand. Generally motor cross / extreme sports enthusiasts received pretty poor customer service. We aspired to behave more like a premium retailer. If there is a problem we work hard to resolve it. However, using an untracked mail service meant we often didn't know about any issues until the customer informed us.
One of FreestyleXtreme's biggest challenges in the early days was the fact they were ahead of their time. They were aspiring to provide a high quality, customer focussed eCommerce solution long before eCommerce was as we know it today.
Ben said: We were looking for an alternative distribution solution which didn't really exist and were very restricted in terms of the logistics partners who could support us. The services they offered were quite rigid. So we were delighted when Asendia came along.
The Solution
Asendia offers flexible and fully customisable solutions. The emphasis is on good customer service, transparency and flexibility from beginning to end.
Good customer service is heavily dependent upon the final mile. If carriers let us down, we let our customers down. The customer doesn't differentiate; they just remember that the experience with us was bad. We know that a good customer experience is at the very heart of the Asendia service, and are confident in their selection of local carrier partners.
Getting to know your customers and what drives them is an integral part of a long-lasting relationship. Asendia works hard from the outset to achieve this, ensuring the onboarding process is not only efficient but also valuable to both parties.
Another challenge echoed by many start-up businesses is the difficulty in finding logistics partners keen to work with them before they have significant volumes. Asendia is different offering SMEs competitive rates by utilising their total volumes.
