Peter Tirshwell's Nov. 13-19 column, "Seeds of shippers' dissatisfaction," touched some nerves among those who purchase ocean services. Ocean carriers do one thing well - move ships pier to pier. Forget anything else. Steamship liner attitudes and customer service can be compared to that of a public utility, government agency, or phone company, but not a commercial endeavor requiring patronage from customers.

The article did not discover these problems, but only reminded us all of the stress, frustration and wasted time associated with the purchase of ocean services. Thank you for your attention to this matter; it is an issue that needs more.

All but three and a half years of my professional life was on the "carrier" side of the fence. Now I find myself purchasing ocean services daily, and constantly asking myself, "How could it be this bad?"

My observations:
Carriers must think their customers are stupid. Why else would they try to "spin" their centralization and 800 numbers as a "benefit" to shippers? Yes, cost-cutting might require such action - but conventional accountant mentality doesn't understand the commercial consequences. It is no secret that local representation for customer service and sales works.

Buyouts, mergers, and consolidations create redundant positions. Someone has to go. But at the expense of replacing seasoned industry professionals who process the knowledge and skills (not to mention the working history of their company) with young, well-intentioned neophytes? Carriers don't understand that one good knowledgeable company industry professional is better than three kinds, two weeks of training and a computer.

There was a time when international transportation was a career. Lower Manhattan was full of such professionals. They could assist shippers with any problem, and they started and retired from the business (many from freight forwarding).

Today, one can justifiably be suspect of those entering steamship sales/customer service. What would attract anyone to a field with poor pay, no clearly visible career path, and exposure to the downside of mergers, buyouts, and consolidations, plus starting salaries half to a third of those in other industries?

Good talent does enter the business but soon gets discouraged and disenchanted. Veterans have also been displaced to retirement, other industries, or self-employment. What a wasted resource! A final note about steamship liner sales: in most normal businesses, salespeople in a sense are in business for themselves. Sales is motivated by commissions, a piece of the action. Do you know of one carrier today that links compensation with productivity?

Who would want to enter an industry under these conditions? Again, we see executives with accountant mentalities that do not simply understand simple commercial motivations. These scenarios lean any reasonable person to believe that top management is clueless about understanding this people-to-people business.

When our company needs ocean services or a service contract, we support those lines where we know key people. It's safe to say that forwarders or non-vessel-operating common carriers will tell you there might be one or two people in an office who can answer an important question or take a problem to the next level.

Would anyone put a ship into a pier empty of cargo? All investment seems to be in bigger and bigger vessels with out regard for those in a position to fill them. Management classifies employees as a "payroll expense", not an investment. Better people would show a return on investment.

Shouldn't we revisit the independent agent- agents who work on commissions? The motivation for customer service/sales is built in, a degree of regional control and territorial responsibility is established, and personnel turnover is less.

With agencies, the competition component has shifte toward the steamship agents and away from the carrier itself. A regional market is more defined by competing agencies and the service quality each offers.

In the late '80's and '90's independent agents fell out of favor by the carriers after hundreds of years because of corporate egos and the contest between carriers to establish their own local presence.

Independent agents can always do it cheaper, and NVOCCs have now become de-facto sales departments.