Personal contact?

Steve Minnich

I've done business with supplyhouse.com but only on a limited basis so far. I love the inventory they have, the ease of ordering, and the speed of delivering. What keeps me from doing substantial business with them is the lack of a personal contact. A name, a face, a phone number, an email address? Has anyone established a contact with an outside sales person, inside sales person, or other? If so, can you share that information with me?

Robert O'Brien

You in NY, Stephen?

Abracadabra

Hatterasguy said:

Robert O'Brien said:

You in NY, Stephen?

NW of Chicago

SW suburbs i think

Robert O'Brien

Jersey City would be too far west!

Steve Minnich

Elk Grove Village, IL. 20 minutes northwest of Chicago.

bob eck

Question what makes you want to buy products online vs buying from local wholesalers who have the personal contact that you want from suplyhouse.com?
What are your local wholesalers not doing for you?

Robert O'Brien

bob eck said:

Question what makes you want to buy products online vs buying from local wholesalers who have the personal contact that you want from suplyhouse.com?

What are your local wholesalers not doing for you?

Needed a sensor for a mod/con. I have 2 choices, call wholesaler, he calls stocking rep to get price/ availability, he calls me back, I go to rep to pickup, where I stand at their shipping/receiving window being treated as a subhuman as they seem to treat the truck drivers who form the vast majority of people standing at that window. This is assuming this phone chain works rapidly and it doesn't quite often. Choice 2, go to supplyhouse.com, see price/availibility instantly, pay $4 more for a $48 sensor and pick it up within the hour. They always have it ready, no waiting and are pleasant to boot!
Want to try some different products? Webstone press mixing valves or Caleffi vents for example? Good luck getting from a wholesaler! All they want to sell is what they have in stock.

Robert O'Brien

Hatterasguy said:

Robert O'Brien said:

Jersey City would be too far west!

For you, Garden City would be too far west..............

Not at all!

Steve Minnich

I'm loyal to the local supply houses to a fault and have been forever. I can't say that I'd ever commit fully to buying online, especially when it comes to boilers, indirects, buffer tanks, and other equipment.

I've given more thought to buying online because of the other components I need for installations and service, the parts or brands that I really like to use, requires going to at least 3 different supply houses to get everything I need and/or want. That involves a lot of time and aggravation whereas I could get all these products I need and/or want delivered free of charge the very next day with a total of 10 minutes of time invested.

I've talked to local supply houses about carrying more of what I want and/or need but they apparently won't do it for a small contractor like myself. I know this because I've asked them to. At the end of the day, this is a business. If my business needs can't be satisfied locally without 3/4 of a day investment, then I have to, at least, consider what my options are.

njtommy

I 100% agree with Stephen. It can be a pain in the **** to find all the parts locally. I hate buying valves for jobs or even fittings for jobs that don't match. Don't give me 4 yellow handle ball valve and 1 red one. Along with buying reducing Tees. I don't want 1 reducing tee and 3 other tees then have to buy reduceing fittings or couplings.

Robert O'Brien

Stephen Minnich said:

I'm loyal to the local supply houses to a fault and have been forever. I can't say that I'd ever commit fully to buying online, especially when it comes to boilers, indirects, buffer tanks, and other equipment.

I've given more thought to buying online because of the other components I need for installations and service, the parts or brands that I really like to use, requires going to at least 3 different supply houses to get everything I need and/or want. That involves a lot of time and aggravation whereas I could get all these products I need and/or want delivered free of charge the very next day with a total of 10 minutes of time invested.

I've talked to local supply houses about carrying more of what I want and/or need but they apparently won't do it for a small contractor like myself. I know this because I've asked them to. At the end of the day, this is a business. If my business needs can't be satisfied locally without 3/4 of a day investment, then I have to, at least, consider what my options are.

You're absolutely right and they fill that niche quite well and having been in there a few times, they have a huge amount of inventory and a lot of stuff the conventional wholesalers don't stock, parts in particular

RJMCTAFO

Supplyhouse is the only place I can source Gorton vents. Started going there for that and then started poking around. I will purchase certain things from there that are small. Hyvents and relief valves are a few of those things. They are easily half the price for the same exact part shipped to my door.
When I walked into the local supply place and asked for an expansion tank holder they looked at me like I had three eyes. When I ordered 2 I showed their heating guy and he thought they were great. Started stocking them for me and now sells them all the time. I think in today's market there is a place for both.

ChrisJ

I've ordered a lot from them, piped my entire boiler and house from them though the boiler and water heater were bought from a local supply house. Several thousand $$ worth I'm sure by this point.

What has local done for me? Threaded pipe wrong constantly, enough I went and bought a Ridgid 65r-tc, a ridgid pipe cutter and a good pipe vice, not something the typical homeowner does. That's what they did for me, they being multiple places.

What else do they do? Most carry junk Chinese fittings, a few will get me US made cast iron if I ask but it's not the norm and the prices are often high. The only place that's 45 miles from me that has good US fittings and pipe on hand is the general plumbing supply. They also couldn't thread pipe, but they stock good stuff from what I can tell


What has supplyhouse done for me? Anytime there was an issue with an order they paid to ship the wrong parts back and got the correct ones in my hands ASAP. There were a few times they sent wrong sized fittings, but it was corrected within a day, before they received the wrong parts back.

Leon82

I have gotten fast email response from them when I had a cart issue. For some reason when I changed quantity it messed everything else up in the cart.

But if you are nearby and fast track stuff gets there next day

gennady

Huge majority of brick and mortar supply houses are impossible to do business with.
-endless lines.
-endless minutes on hold when call in.
-never deliver what promised.
-Forgetting everything.
-Have no idea what are they selling.
-Have no idea what is that you need.
-never have things in stock
-Never deliver complete order
-never deliver on time
-Never, and i mean it, returning your calls.
- rude
- Become upset if you not buying enough,
- Pretending they don't understand you (i have strong russian accent)

Since we started using supplyhouse.com it is all in the past.

Thank G-d there is supplyhouse.com

Paul S_3

Most supply houses do not carry the product i use....so i have to use supplyhouse.com. ....tekmar etc forget about a local supply house carrying it....and if they do its marked up 10 to 30 %....and if i need a part for a boiler i can just enter a part # and ill have it in a couple of days.....

LionA29

Right on @ChrisJ , I agree!!