Dnata Makes Cargo Information A Quick Call Away

Dnata Cargo customers now have the advantage of a custom-built call centre which provides a 24-hour one-stop-shop for real time information on all aspects of cargo shipment such as export and import shipments, rates, storage, regulations and flight availability.

The Dnata Cargo Information Centre (DCIC) opened in the Dubai Cargo Village at the end of January and replaces a system in each department had its own information desks. Within three weeks, average daily calls had reached 2,000 and the call centre was drawing warm praise from customers.

The DCIC covers all areas of Dnata Cargo's operations - Dubai Cargo Village main terminal, the new Emirates SkyCargo Centre, Dubai Airport Freezone Logistics Centre, Jebel Ali Freezone Air Cargo Terminal and Road Feeder Services.

The new facility is manned by a team of nine with experience in import, export and tracing. Ongoing training will ensure that each staff member is able to handle any type of query.

The DCIC is equipped with the sophisticated Alcatel 4400 call centre system with 30 lines and has just one digital (as opposed to analog) number each for English and Arabic speakers. They are:

English: Tel. 2 111 111

Arabic: Tel. 2 111 222

Leonard Thyagarajan, Dnata Cargo's Customer Relations Manager, said: "A key feature of the new facility is the reduced and controlled "on hold" time. Our aim is that the caller reaches an agent within 20 seconds. I am pleased to say that our agents to date are achieving these service levels with 95 per cent of calls."

The call centre agents can access the Dubai Air Cargo System (DACS) which gives real-time information on every aspect of a shipment from the time it is received throughout to delivered to an importer or the export carrier.

Mr Thyagarajan added: "Advances in IT will enable us to constantly upgrade the quality, scope and accuracy of information available through the DCIC"

Statistics show that on day one the centre handled 468 calls in a 12 hour period; by the end of the first week calls averaged 1000 daily; and, in less than one month, had risen to an average of 2000 calls daily.

One customer, Mr.Anil of Gulf Agency commented: "The new call centre makes a lot of difference. Our calls get connected at the very first attempt. No more waiting. On an average we make 30 calls a day and they are being answered with all the informations we want."

Mr. Mohammed Sirajuddin of Royal Air Cargo, said: "The number of calls we make daily to Dnata Cargo goes well beyond a hundred, and they are mostly related to the flight details, status of shipments, arrivals and so on. The quick response we receive from the DCIC is highly commendable."

Service levels at the DCIC are closely monitored and evaluated. Specially-designed computer software keeps track of the centre's activity, such as the time taken to answer a call, call duration, number of calls, conversation time, etc. This information is crucial in enabling Dnata Cargo to measure performance levels and further improve their quality.

Dnata Cargo, winner of the Dubai Quality Award for Service for 1999, operates a Quality Management System in all its operations. The new call centre has been set up in response to customer requirements following an annual customer survey and is part of Dnata Cargo's policy of constantly enhancing products and services to maintain world class standards.