6 Takeaways from the IWLA Convention & Expo
At the IWLA Convention & Expo, one message came through clearly: for 3PLs, long-term success depends on balancing performance, partnership, and economics.
In a panel moderated by Made4net’s Errol Gonzales, Director of Sales, John McKenna, President at McKenna Logistics Centres, Lisa Diaz, VP Business Development at Total Distribution, Inc. and Chipper Farley, President of 3PL Solutions at Made4net—discussed what actually drives long-term loyalty in today’s 3PL environment.
The key insight: Execution gets you hired. Partnership keeps the business.
So what does that look like in practice?
Here are six takeaways from the session that show how leading 3PLs are turning customer service into long-term loyalty.
#1. SLAs Are Expected—But They Don’t Build Loyalty
Hitting KPIs is table stakes. But as the panel made clear, you can meet every SLA and still lose the customer.
“We can have SLAs and meet those SLAs—and still have people unhappy.”
—Chipper Farley, President of 3PL Solutions at Made4net
Why? Because performance alone doesn’t create trust. Relationships do.
#2. Employee Retention Is a Customer Strategy
One of the most practical insights from the session was also one of the most overlooked:
“You can’t keep long-term relationships if you don’t have long-term people.”
—Chipper Farley, President of 3PL Solutions at Made4net
Customer-facing roles—especially CSRs—carry institutional knowledge, anticipate needs, and create continuity. When those roles turn over, relationships reset.
For 3PLs, investing in people isn’t just an HR priority—it’s a customer retention strategy.
#3. The Best 3PLs Solve Problems—Even When They’re Not Theirs
A standout story from the panel highlighted a common trap: focusing only on your piece of the operation.
In one case, a customer was experiencing ongoing production issues. The 3PL initially treated it as a transactional problem—expedites, rush orders, added fees. The real shift came when they stepped back and addressed the root cause inside the customer’s operation.
“Let’s not just think about what we’re doing. Let’s think about what’s happening to our customer—and be part of their solution.”
—Lisa Diaz, VP Business Development at Total Distribution, Inc.
That shift—from vendor to partner—is where loyalty is built.
#4. Communication Is What Customers Remember
When something goes wrong—and it will—communication becomes the defining moment.
The panel emphasized three things that matter most:
- Timeliness
- Transparency
- Confidence
“The best way to get through something like that is timely, expert-level communication.”
—Chipper Farley, President of 3PL Solutions at Made4net
Customers don’t expect perfection. They expect clarity.
#5. Margin Pressure Is Rising—And It Requires Discipline
Cost pressures are real—and growing. But how 3PLs respond makes all the difference.
The panel shared practical approaches:
- Give customers early notice on pricing changes (months, not weeks)
- Align increases with customer budgeting cycles
- Always pair pricing conversations with solutions
And importantly:
“Nobody wants to fire a customer—but sometimes you have to.”
John McKenna, President at McKenna Logistics Centres
The key is handling these moments with transparency and respect—so the relationship can endure, even if the business doesn’t.
#6. Technology Should Reflect What Your Customer Cares About
Technology came up repeatedly—but with an important nuance.
It’s not about what you deploy. It’s about what your customer values.
“Ask your customer: what do you want to see?”
—Lisa Diaz, VP Business Development at Total Distribution, Inc.
Leading 3PLs are aligning systems and reporting to customer-defined KPIs—not internal metrics—and in some cases, co-investing in solutions to solve shared challenges.
The Bottom Line
The 3PL landscape is shifting.
Customers aren’t just looking for providers who can execute—they’re looking for partners who can:
- Communicate openly
- Solve problems proactively
- Adapt as their business evolves
Because in today’s environment, loyalty isn’t driven by performance alone.
It’s built through partnership—day in and day out.
Need help turning customer service into customer loyalty? Talk to one of our 3PL Experts.
