The operational problem
White-glove delivery arrangements often involved days of back-and-forth emails. Deliveries still often failed, and Grainger usually absorbed additional charges. There was no standard process for handling these requests and passing the charges on to customers.
My contribution
I worked with Customer Experience and DCOE to turn complex delivery requirements into a consistent process for gathering information, requesting quotes, obtaining customer charge approval, and coordinating pickup and delivery.
Capture white-glove details for accurate quotes
White-glove calls go to the Help Phone, where customer facing TMs follow the intake script I formulated. The script captures the details providers need for an accurate quote, including the number of steps and the dimensions of the smallest threshold the item must cross.
The answers are entered into a form, logged, and used to generate an email to Shipping Support. Shipping Support makes the necessary edits and forwards the request to the appropriate white-glove provider for a quote.
When the quote is returned, it is logged alongside the original request details and sent back to Customer Experience. CE contacts the customer for approval of the charges, then adds the approved charges to the order and contacts the DC, which stages the freight and coordinates the pickup.
- Help Phone: scripted intake
- Form: log details and generate email
- Shipping Support: edit and request provider quote
- Quote: log with request and return to CE
- CE: customer approval and order charges
- CE contacts the DC; DC stages freight and coordinates pickup
The delivered change
Company-wide procedures established clearer expectations across teams and enabled charges for non-standard special requests to be passed on to customers. This allowed us to satisfy customer requests while maintaining profitability.
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