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Whenever a customer places an additional demand on you, you will need to review the demand in terms of cost, liability, and compliance.
Scope
All companies should consider customer demands in light of the company’s business plan or vision statement to determine whether the company can or should meet those demands.
Regulatory citations
- None
Key definitions
- None
Summary of requirements
If the customer’s demand places liability on the company, or places the company in a position where fines for noncompliance are possible, you may need to negotiate with the customer, adjust your liability protection, or change your operational methods to become compliant (use of teams, buying lighter equipment, returning units empty to save drivers’ hours, etc.).
As with any other change in operations, the Fleet Manager should perform a cost analysis before agreeing to demands.
If you cannot meet the customer’s demands and remain profitable, or are going to put the company in a situation where it will be bearing unnecessary risk, and the customer refuses to negotiate, you may be forced to give up the customer.
A company that jumps at every request of every customer, trying to be all things to all people is not seen as a solid business, but more as a desperate company scratching for any business it can get. This type of approach does not usually follow any business plan or vision statement.