Interview with Neena Gupta, the Agent Coordinator Assistant of Globalia Logistics Network

“We always encourage members to refer their trustworthy agents in order to be able to obtain a discount on their membership under Globalia’s referral program.”

Neena is the main point of contact for Globalia members daily. Her work consists of assisting members with any questions or problems they might have and ensuring that the work of our Agent Coordination Team is of the highest standards. Before joining Globalia, Neena worked in the teaching sector as an English teacher for four years. She also worked as a part-time translator for a well-known enterprise, a job that provided her with immense experience in the communication sector.

In this interview Neena talks about her experiences with Globalia members, the benefits of GLB’s referral programme, the importance of FreightViewer and significant tips about how to avoid getting scammed online.

Q. How has been your experience working with the Globalia team so far?
best freight forwarders networkA.  It has been a really good experience. I am learning a lot from the members and I am looking forward to assisting them in the best way possible, whatever the issue.

Q. Why do you think attending the Annual Meeting is important for the agents?
A. Forging a collaborative and profitable relationship with the partners is one of the keys in our sector and the Annual Meetings are absolutely crucial in this regard. Most of the agents who have attended the Meetings say that they have increased their business volume and created a long-term business relationship with their partners.

Q. How can Globalia’s referral programme be beneficial for the agents?
A. Existing members who refer another agent, who eventually becomes a part of our network, have a lot of gain from our referral programme. We always encourage members to refer their trustworthy agents in order to be able to obtain a discount on their membership. To begin with, the referring agent gets a 25% discount on their upcoming annual membership fee. Moreover, when members refer more than one agent they get a maximum of 4 discounts (of 25%) applicable for each new agent meaning that they stand a chance of paying zero membership fees for the coming year!

Q. Which are the most common points of contention between agents and how can it be resolved?
A. The commonest point of contention among members is invariably related to ‘who’s responsible for paying the bank fees.’ This eventually leads to intense debates as both parties believe they are in the right. However, the answer to this is very precise. The Rules and Procedures that have been agreed to by all the network members clearly state that: “All invoice payments will be made by bank transfer. All bank fees will be paid by the member ordering the transfer.” This is undoubtedly the fairest solution that all members need to bear in mind.

Q. Do you get complaints from members regarding scam emails? How are you coping with this problem?
A. Yes, scam emails are a persistent threat in the age of digital communications. Members have notified us about receiving payment related email from another member in which they were asked to make the payment to the new bank details provided. It goes without saying that, such emails are sent by scammers and not by any member of our network. This is why we always urge our members to verify the bank details of their partner to whom they are supposed to make a payment by talking to them directly over the phone.

Q. Why do you think it’s important for the agents to interact on social media?
A. I would always suggest agents to add their fellow members on their social media pages and interact with their posts whenever possible. Liking and sharing your partner’s post will encourage them to do the same which will indeed have a positive impact on your visibility. Moreover, it also keeps you updated about the recent goings-on in your partner’s organization.

“Liking and sharing your partner’s post will encourage them to do the same which will indeed have a positive impact on your visibility. Moreover, it also keeps you updated about the recent goings-on in your partner’s organization.”  

Q. How’s the new tool FreightViewer helping the Globalia agents?
A. As attested by many of our members, the FreightViewer has helped to ease the workload of our agents by allowing them to digitize their businesses and offer accurate and personalized quotations to their partners and clients instantly. This game-changing tool is available for free for all our network members and the FreightViewer team is working round the clock to update and enhance the features of the software.

Q. Which is the most common question you get asked regarding the use of FreightViewer?
A. Agents often call us to find out who have access to their rates. It needs to be mentioned that we do not make available the rates of our agents to their competitors in their country. FreightViewer makes daily tasks of our agents easier without creating any discord between the network members. Moreover, members can also decide which of their customers will be able to access their FreightViewer webpage. The choice is always theirs!