Martin Brower Customer Service — Expert Guide for Operators, Suppliers and Partners
Executive overview
Martin Brower is a global supply chain partner to quick-service restaurant brands; its customer service function is designed to support restaurant operations, logistics partners, and suppliers with order management, delivery issues, claims and continuous improvement activities. In an environment where restaurants require high predictability, the customer service organization focuses on measurable performance: order accuracy, on-time delivery and rapid resolution of shortages and quality exceptions.
This guide describes practical details of how modern Martin Brower customer service works in practice: channels and response expectations, key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs), common issue workflows, digital tools for reporting, and best-practice steps restaurant operators and suppliers should take to optimize outcomes.
How customer service is organized
Martin Brower structures customer service by customer type (restaurant/retail operator vs. supplier), by geography (regional centers and local depots), and by function (order management, claims, quality, and emergency/exception handling). Typical teams include a first-line contact center for routine order questions and a dedicated logistics operations team for OTIF (On-Time-In-Full) and delivery exceptions. For major accounts, account managers coordinate monthly business reviews and continuous improvement plans.
Response expectations are usually tiered. Industry practice—and what Martin Brower aligns to for QSR partners—is an acknowledgement within 2–4 business hours for operational incidents, an initial investigation within 24 hours for most delivery/quantity disputes, and target resolution windows of 48–72 hours for simple shortages or incorrect deliveries. Complex quality or contract disputes may require 2–4 weeks including supplier traceability and lab analysis.
Primary customer service channels
Customer service access typically includes: a regional phone line and dedicated local depot numbers for immediate delivery issues; an online customer portal (order status, invoice queries, claims submissions); EDI links for automated order processing and acknowledgements (e.g., 850/855 order messages and 997/824 technical acknowledgements); and email for non-urgent correspondence. For emergencies (food safety, critical stockouts), many depots maintain 24/7 on-call escalation.
To find the correct local contact, visit the corporate site (https://www.martinbrower.com) and select your country or region. For enterprise partners, account teams provide direct phone numbers and SLAs in written service agreements.
Service levels, KPIs and financials
Key KPIs that Martin Brower tracks and reports to customers include OTIF (On-Time In-Full), order accuracy, fill rate (cases shipped vs. cases ordered), invoice accuracy, and claims ratio. Typical targets in quick-service markets are OTIF ≥95% and order accuracy ≥99%; fill rates above 98% are common for high-performing depots. These numeric targets are frequently codified in monthly scorecards and reviewed in quarterly business reviews.
Financial handling of claims and credits follows contractual terms. For operational shortages and mis-shipments, credit processing windows typically range from 14 to 30 calendar days once a validated claim is approved. Food-safety related claims (requiring traceability or lab testing) may have longer timelines—expect 2–6 weeks depending on investigation complexity.
Common issues and resolution workflows
Common customer service incidents include: short shipments, over-deliveries, damaged product, incorrect product or lot, temperature excursions, and invoicing discrepancies. The effective resolution workflow combines immediate mitigation at the depot level, creation of a formal claim record, and root-cause analysis to prevent recurrence.
To maximize speed and accuracy when contacting customer service, prepare precise information: order number, delivery date/time, SKU and lot numbers, quantity discrepancies, photographed evidence for damaged or temperature-compromised product, and your contact name. Clear, complete tickets shorten investigation times and reduce the need for phone follow-ups.
- Essential information to include in any service ticket: Purchase Order/Delivery Number, Depot ID or carrier, SKU/UPC, exact quantities received vs. expected, timestamps, temperature readings (if perishable), photos, and preferred resolution (credit, replacement, urgent reship).
Digital tools and reporting
Martin Brower uses digital portals and EDI to automate routine processes. For customers using EDI, common message sets are 850 (purchase order), 856 (advance ship notice), 810/818 (invoices), and 997 (functional acknowledgements). These integrations reduce manual errors and give real-time visibility into order status and expected delivery windows.
Portals often include dashboards for weekly and monthly KPI reporting, downloadable ASN (Advance Shipping Notice) PDFs, and historical claim records. For large partners, custom APIs or secure SFTP reporting can deliver line-level deliveries and temperature-monitoring telemetry for traceability and compliance auditing.
Escalation paths and dispute resolution
If initial customer service interactions do not resolve the issue, escalation normally follows a predefined path: local depot operations → regional customer service supervisor → national account manager → corporate operations/quality team. Each step should have documented response time targets in your service agreement to avoid unnecessary delays.
- Typical escalation timeline: Acknowledgement within 4 hours at depot level; supervisor involvement within 24 hours if unresolved; national account review within 72 hours; formal dispute or credit decision within 14–30 days depending on evidence required.
For food safety incidents, escalate immediately and request quarantine instructions, traceability reports (lot, supplier, production date) and the depot’s corrective action plan. Maintain chain-of-custody documentation and photograph evidence for regulatory and audit purposes.
Best practices for partners
To work effectively with Martin Brower customer service: standardize how you capture delivery exceptions (photo, timestamped notes), use EDI or portal ordering to reduce manual entry errors, and include SKU/lot data on returns or claims. Conduct regular joint business reviews (monthly or quarterly) using shared scorecards to align on OTIF, fill rate trends, and continuous improvement projects.
Finally, keep escalation contacts current and document SLA expectations in contract attachments. If you need local contact information, use the corporate website (https://www.martinbrower.com) to locate regional office numbers and depot addresses; account managers will provide phone and email details specific to your geography and contract.
