AMI opened its Spot Rate desk – specialising in live market quotes – in 2007. The Spot Rate team originally comprised three members and has now grown to ten, based in both London and Manchester; it now handles 60% of AMI’s total airfreight business in the UK. The success of the concept has led to the establishment of similar operations within AMI’s USA and Australian operations.
The one millionth UK spot rate quote was requested by AMI agent customer Darielle Moynes, of PSS International Removals.
Says AMI’s VP Europe, Sharon Wright: “This is a real milestone for AMI. The Spot Rate team has become a vitally important aspect of our total operation and has played a major role in our continuing strong growth in recent years.
“The profile of spot-rated shipments is very diversified: we recently quoted for, and shipped, 15 tonnes of printed copies of the President of Nigeria’s autobiography to Abuja, and a 45 kilo consignment of Class 1 explosives to Jakarta. Increasingly, we are our customers’ total physical presence, offering packing, collections, screening, palletisation, documentation, Customs processing, and delivery at destination.”
The volume of Spot Rate quote requests is constantly increasing; to help cope with demand, AMI encourages clients with smaller shipments to log onto its new and improved Q&B (Quote and Book) website, where they can obtain an instant, highly-competitive price along with costs of ancillary services such as pick-up, documentation and delivery to door. This enables agents to provide their customers with instant ‘all in’ prices, helping them to secure more business.
Continues Sharon: “AMI has changed dramatically from its original model. Once, over 70 percent of our business was consolidation, but nowadays much more is moved on non-consol services. Value added services have also become a key differentiator for AMI; many customers use us to screen their cargo and build pallets.”
She concludes: “Increasingly, we have facilitated online transactions to provide speed and flexibility; this is just one illustration of our 41-year tradition of innovation, and we will continue to seek new ways to increase our customers’ competitiveness.”
