I recently wrote this article for a sister publication of HVACRTrends, ElectricalTrends (and did you also know we publish Industrial Supply Trends and US Lighting Trends?) I’m sharing it because it is about contractors. And the reality is that contractor behavior across construction trades is very similar. The big difference for the HVAC industry, and it is similar in … [Read more...] about What Matters to HVAC Contractors and What Makes Them Loyal
customer satisfaction
7 Warehouse Tips to Improve Customer Satisfaction
Dick Friedman, a warehouse productivity improvement \"guru\" with much experience working with electrical distributors shares thoughts distributors should consider as there becomes the proverbial \"light at the end of the tunnel\" for COVID (due to pending vaccines), fierce competition and the potential for a resurgent market. Acting now can prepare distributors to support … [Read more...] about 7 Warehouse Tips to Improve Customer Satisfaction
Convenience Will Deliver Sales and Loyalty
Buyer behavior is changing. Convenience is now a differentiator. Customers expect it. It\'s the new definition of service. It started in the consumer world and is quickly transitioning to B2B buyer expectations, and it will become distributor reality (and is defined as \"ease of doing business\" by distributors in considering manufacturers.) While customers expect competitive … [Read more...] about Convenience Will Deliver Sales and Loyalty
What do your customers value the most from you?
Lately I’ve been thinking about “value”. Not necessarily from a financial / pricing / cost viewpoint but from a “what does your customer value THE MOST from you?” You may ask why I’m thinking about this? It relates to customer satisfaction, customer experience, value proposition, customer retention, lead generation, account penetration and potentially profitability … [Read more...] about What do your customers value the most from you?
Increasing Warehouse Accuracy in an Age of Employee Churn
In talking with senior management and HR managers of distributors, a continual challenge is personnel. While frequently these discussions relate to qualified (industry or skilled) personnel for sales, branch management and/or specialists, a frequent comment is the \"churn\" that they experience in their warehouse as well as with their drivers. Low unemployment and the reality … [Read more...] about Increasing Warehouse Accuracy in an Age of Employee Churn
When Service and Profit Counts
Last month Dick Friedman shared some ideas on how to ensure sales operations and customer satisfaction. Distributors know that operations is the key to profitability. This can relate to managing what sales is allowed to order to ensure they don\'t inadvertently decrease organizational margin on selected margins to making sure that pickers pick what they are supposed to and … [Read more...] about When Service and Profit Counts
Customer Satisfaction vs Inventory Management
There are three functional responsibilities that are critical to the survival, and growth, of all distributors. They are business development (need more sales!), effective inventory management and collections (inferring that credit is provided). To achieve this companies need to be responsive to customers. A happy / satisfied customer represents the potential to be a repeat … [Read more...] about Customer Satisfaction vs Inventory Management
