Zenith for logistics
Where is my shipment, answered from the shipment.
Shippers, consignees, carriers and drivers all call the same office. Most want a status, a pickup or a dock time. Zenith answers status from your systems, books pickups and dock appointments, and routes rates, claims and exceptions to the people who handle them.
The calls
Four kinds of caller, one office line.
| Call | What Zenith does | Your team |
|---|---|---|
| Where is my shipment | Reads the shipment and its last status from your systems | Nothing, unless there is an exception |
| Schedule a pickup | Takes the details and books the pickup window | Dispatch sees it on the board |
| A dock appointment | Books a slot at the right warehouse and dock | The warehouse sees the appointment |
| A driver at the gate | Routes by warehouse and appointment to the dock office | The dock office takes it |
| A rate request | Takes lanes, weights and dates | Sales quotes it |
| Damage or a claim | Logs the shipment and the details and transfers | Claims decides |
Routing
Routed by the line, the time, the caller and the reason.
- The line
- A number per warehouse, per customer program or per service, so the dialed number says where the call belongs.
- The time
- Day shift, night shift and weekends route differently; after-hours exceptions page the on-call coordinator.
- The caller
- A known shipper, a consignee, a carrier or a new prospect, each with its own path.
- The reason
- Status, pickup, dock time, rates, a claim or a person.
Context
What the caller's account shows.
Open shipments
Status, last scan or event, and expected delivery.
Upcoming pickups and dock times
So a change request finds the right booking.
Invoices and balance
From the ERP, for billing questions.
Account owner
So rates and exceptions reach the right person.
On its own, and where it stops
Zenith handles the routine. Your people handle the rest.
Zenith gives shipment status and books pickups and dock appointments on its own. Rates, claims, detention charges and service failures go to a person.
Zenith answers, routes, books and handles routine questions on its own. Refunds, discounts, complaints, low reviews and campaigns wait for a person, and anyone on your team can take over a conversation at any time.
Your dataThe voice model carries the spoken conversation and nothing else. Your customer records stay in your own database, read only by your own agents.
Start here, keep the foundation
Start with one function. Add the rest without starting over.
Logistics companies usually start with status calls, which are the most frequent and are answered entirely from records you already keep. The same shipments and accounts then serve pickups, dock appointments and routing carriers to the right warehouse.
FAQ
Questions, answered plainly.
Which systems does Zenith read shipment status from?
Your transportation or warehouse system for shipments and appointments, and your ERP for customers and invoices. Each connection is set up for your company and checked against your own shipments before calls go live.
Can it book dock appointments?
Yes, into the dock schedule you keep, by warehouse, door and the rules you set for load type and time. It is read back before the caller is told the time.
Will it quote rates?
No. It takes the lanes, weights and dates and sends them to sales. A rate is a commitment, so a person makes it.
How are drivers handled?
A driver's call is routed by the warehouse and appointment to the dock office, with the appointment on screen. Drivers can also text a status or an arrival.
What happens with an exception at night?
By your rule. A late or missed pickup can page the on-call coordinator; a routine question can wait for a morning callback task.
Can each customer program have its own number?
Yes. Publish a separate Zenith number per program, warehouse or service, and the number dialed decides the routing.
Related in Zenith
- Call routingEvery call sent by the line dialed, the time, who is calling and why.View
- Caller contextThe caller's orders, bookings, balance and last conversation on screen before hello.View
- Appointment schedulingAppointments and visits booked into your real calendar or system, confirmed and reminded.View
- NetSuiteCustomers, open orders, ship dates, invoices and balances from NetSuite.View
- SAP Business OneBusiness partners, open orders, deliveries and A/R balances from SAP Business One.View
From Ferrata Labs
Start with Zenith, or talk it through first.
Thirty minutes with Ferrata Labs on how calls and messages reach you today. You leave with a view of where Zenith fits, and an honest answer if something else should come first.
Your menu, your policies, your routing and the way you talk to customers are yours. Zenith is configured to them. You are not fitting your front desk into a template.