Steve Jordan interviews Morgana Somers from IAM, as she works to employ the IAM’s new Issue Resolution System, and break the scourge of slow payment in the industry.
Morgana Somers has worked with IAM (International Association of Movers) for two years. A large part of her job is to handle disputes between members and complaints from customers. It’s a tough job, but Morgana has some aces up her sleeve.
Firstly, she has plenty of industry experience to guide her having worked for seven years with Hilldrup and a further 11 years with Paxton, both excellent Washington, DC companies. Morgana also has the new IAM Issue Resolution System (IIRS) that helps provide a structure to resolving disputes between members. But despite her experience, and the addition of new IAM systems, it’s still a tricky job.
The IIRS has been added onto existing IAM programs such as the Receivable Protection Program (RPP) and the Code of Ethics so that the Association can provide a more responsive service. The RPP helps members collect payments from delinquent agents but it has a flaw. IAM does not take action on unpaid debts between members until they are 120 days old. “By that time, it can be too late,” Morgana explained. Although IAM still has its RPP program, the IIRS takes it a step further to allow IAM to be more proactive and identify issues earlier.
The problem was highlighted when a large US forwarding agent, handling US government work, went bust, giving Morgana and the team at IAM plenty of headaches as they did what they could to reduce the pain for members. “That inspired the concept of the IIRS system,” said Morgana. “How can we get companies to report more quickly and get a quicker resolution rather than having them pile up on their desk waiting until it's too late.”
Morgana explained how the IIRS system works ...
Photo: Morgana Somers.