Customer churn from delivery delays and customs‑related surprises

$50,000–$200,000 per year in lost margin from cancelled or partially cancelled export orders when goods miss customer-required ship dates, unplanned expedited transport to recover service levels after customs holds are cleared, and loss of repeat business from foreign buyers burned by delivery delays or last‑minute price changes driven by unexpected duties or taxes. • $50,000–$200,000 per year in lost margin from cancelled or penalized government contracts, waived LC discrepancy fees, expedited freight to compensate for bonded delays, and long-term churn as agencies switch to more reliable suppliers. • $50,000–$200,000 per year in lost margin from government orders cancelled or re-negotiated after delivery delays, premium freight to meet contract delivery windows once holds are cleared, write-downs when late deliveries miss project timelines, and churn of procurement agencies who switch to more reliable suppliers.

Inspector pauses physical release and chases clarifications manually using email threads, Excel checklists, shared folders, and WhatsApp/phone with customs brokers and internal compliance to reconcile paperwork and decide how to declare the goods. • Teams scramble across email and WhatsApp with the customs broker to clarify entries, resend documents, and negotiate treatment while the Import/Export Manager tracks impacted POs and ETAs in ad-hoc Excel sheets; the Customs Broker Liaison relies on personal relationships, phone calls, and manual notes to push customs and update sales/customer service. • The LC specialist manually cross-checks LC terms, invoices, packing lists, HS codes, and customs entries using Excel trackers, email threads, and shared folders, then coordinates ad hoc with customs brokers and the bonded warehouse by phone and WhatsApp to resolve discrepancies and reprioritize urgent shipments.