| What are surveyor services? They were much talked about during the first round of the SSE MBA programme. At that time I was working as a surveyor, then started my own company and now I have been using the knowledge acquired at the School in practice for more than four years. But what does this foreign term “survey services” actually mean?
I failed to find a comprehensive definition of survey services in any dictionary or guide. Thus, I will use my own definition, which has penetrated from my company’s website to the pages of my partners and competitors. So, “surveyor services” are an independent quantitative or qualitative examination of goods, vehicles, stowage and fastening goods, including normal commissioner work, auxiliary works, and consulting. Such services are used both in cases of disputes between stakeholders and in order to avoid such disputes. Having been formed from merchant marine survey services, they are expanding to other areas of the carrier business, following the transformation of economy into market. Having firmly rooted “on land”, the survey services continue to open up to new markets.
Five levels of a productAnalyzing the identified consumer value of the surveyor services I turned to the “Five levels of a product” model from the famous marketing specialist P. Kotler. According to this model, the basic value of a product (the first, or Internal Level) is what a customer actually purchases. A customer of such service will first of all buy the information about the cargo status. The efficiency and reliability of the information is the main value of the surveyor company’s services, which is then used by the customer to gain compensation or prevent cargo damage. In this regard surveyor and insurance services are similar: a customer pays a relatively small sum of money in order to prevent future losses. The main customers of the surveyor services are all companies which need reliable information on their cargo at every stage of its transportation. The form of presenting the information on cargo condition is the Main Product (the second level). Usually it is a survey report either presented on paper or electronically. This level determines the quality of the surveyor services. Timeliness and completeness of information, absence of mistakes, correct appearance and good photos are factors that show the customer the quality of the services that were provided. Presenting a report to a customer confirms that the service has been provided.
The third level (an Expected Product) is the set of conditions and indicators, which the customer expects to receive. On the forth level an Extended Product is placed, this is an additional service which is not expected by a customer when they buy the ordinary service. My company, for instance, provides delivery reports free of charge and gives a free pen with each report. It also provides operational information. Nowadays the most common competition usually takes place at the third and forth levels.
The fifth level is the Potential Product, i.e. all the possible additions and adjustments to previous levels that may be implemented in the future. Surveyor services are provided on a B2B basis, but the trend of developing B2G and B2C has already been outlined clearly. These are all the prerequisites for developing cooperation between surveyor companies and customs, Gosvetnadzor and executive authorities. Natural persons sometimes order surveyor services too, e.g. when transporting personal possessions or for investigation of insured accident circumstances.
Thus, on the first, internal level the principal consumer of surveyor services is defined, and on the final level there are identified the potential customers. The fact that the survey service is present at all levels of this model shows that the industry in general is stable and well-promoted.Obviously it will be developing further. |
en.jpg)
