Their customer service reps have no understanding of anything that is not in their "script." When calling several times on an issue, only to repeat the same questions over and over again is infuriating. I tell them, "Just let me talk to the people who are clearing the load, I can tell there is a problem and this is my fourth call! I have already told you my phone number (on the cover sheet), how many pages and port of entry the last few times I have called!" Usually the reply is in a monotone voice, "Sir, I can't help you until you confirm how many pages."
Go through the process again and again, then go on hold for half an hour while they "try" to talk to the team only for them to then to tell us they won't transfer us to a team because they are not picking up so they are going to send an email. I need to call back in 45 minutes if no new updates on the web page.
Sadly, these situations cost operations so much time and money just to clear a shipment that it is getting to a point where it is worth doing anymore. With customs brokers working from home, it seems to only get worse. One time, I even had a shipper call me to tell me he would not use our carrier anymore when all I did was to get people involved to get the load across without putting it in bond. He would not accept my reasoning and hung up on the excuses his customs broker gave him despite my truck sitting at the border for 2 hours as reason for our escalation. Spending 3-4 hours of company time on the phone with these brokers, driver's time being used up costing them time, losing dispatch productivity due to constantly sitting on hold and not getting any compensation for that time is getting tiresome. Especially, when in these cases it should be - was there an adequate ETA given on paperwork? any issues with the paperwork, and if so, was the carrier advised to get some answers to get the load cleared if there were issues? If the answer is customs broker negligence, then the load should just go in bond - maybe if this would happen more, customs broker may actually become accountable from their clients and start doing their job. Take the pressure off the carrier, and the driver and have no ability to do anything and redirect that pressure back to the customs broker.
9 out of 10 times, we don't really have issues but when they arise for some reason they are doozies. Livingston is responsible for many of them, but they are not the only ones.
rant over.