How to offer effective customer communications in shipping

This article was first published in Spring/Summer 2018 issue of the International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.

What are the key missions of Saifee Ship Spare Parts & Ship Chandlers, and what services does the company provide?

We have a focus on delivering quality products and providing an effective service to our customers. With an inventory of more than 45,000 marine store items, we are able to offer what we believe to be performance service levels which are market-leading.

As a chandlery, we aim to communicate clearly with our customers and offer a complete range of supplies to help them meet the needs they have. This covers everything from technical stores to provision stores for cruise vessels.

What were the highlights of 2017?

In the past year, we’ve been fortunate enough to secure supply chain contracts for large regional and global private fleets, which is hugely pleasing for us.

We’ve also invested in our company logistics. This is in order to streamline large supplies with fewer vehicles and ultimately lower our expenses. We’ve also enjoyed an organic increase in market share, and we see this as reward for our hard work.

How is the company aiming to stay ahead of the competition?

We carry out programmes aimed at securing competitive, volume-based procurement. This is possible due to our large storage and inventory systems. These inventory systems allow for cost-effective, urgent supplies to those who need it. We are also particularly quality-conscious when it comes to our supplies. This is especially true with the fresh produce we provide.

We also have a large focus on carrying out clear, transparent communication with our clients. That way there’s no surprises, and companies come back time and again to us because they get the service they require.

Saifee Ship Spare Parts & Ship Chandlers has the facilities, infrastructure and procurement capacity to effectively manage the requirements for large vessels carrying more than 3,000 passengers, and we do this efficiently throughout the season.

What does the company hope to achieve in 2018?

Our key aims in 2018 centre around assisting more cruise vessels, using the UAE as a hub for our work. We want to have more effective supply chain processes for quicker response times, and we want to deliver more competitive pricing for our customers.