What makes a good wholesaler?

Don_44

What are the most important things that a wholesaler can do for you. There are many items I can think of. Is it just price. Is it availability. Knowledgeable sales force is always nice.

Do you want the best price with the best service, delivery, technical support and availability?

Do you need your supplier to get involved with your jobs when they get complex such as multiple boiler systems, outdoor reset, unusual hot water demand or radiant? Are you willing to pay a premium for that within reason? I am.

Sometimes I just want someone to get back to me and they will get the order regardless of price.

Are there any strengths that a wholesaler may have that would make you not look at their weaknesses.

What do you look for in a wholesaler?

Ken_8

Top \"10\" - in order of importance:

1) Get me in and out in under 10 minutes.

2) Be the same or lower in price than anyone within 50 miles.

3) Deliveries should be plus or minus 1/2 hr. promised time


4) If I need a part at 4 PM on a Saturday, give me a number to call and I'll pay any premium to meet someone at the warehouse at the appointed time.

5) Offer me a 2% 10 net 30 terms.


6) Stop saying that's your best price and then underwrite trips to Cancun for my peers and competitors.

7) Don't ever give my tech a bushing to make a 1x3/4 reducing tee out of a 1x1.

8) Don't ever tell me you ran out of 40-gallon gas water heaters or 3/4" copper tubing

9) Run a few real training classes instead of thinly veiled sales promotions.

10) Stop jerking my chain on obvious warranty issues. Your excuse, "When did you return it"? six months after we did, and never got the credit, is unacceptable.

How's that for openers?

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Don_44

I Like That

Ken,
You have many valid points, I am not sure what you are shooting at with the warranty comment.

What area are you in? Are there suppliers there that satisfy your needs?

Ken_8

There is no supplier on this planet

that could be all things to all people; especially me (as Dan puts it), a "purist."

Believe it or not, the three supply houses we do the vast majority of our business with, make the grade and then some - which is why we do business with each one!

FYI, we are located in north Jersey

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

J.C.A._3

Ken,

The only thing I could add is to...

Have a SECOND counter for DIY/homeowners,with a HUGE sign over it stating that our trade customers COME FIRST.

I understand the H.O. need to DIY, but the "trade counters" are just for that.Our suppliers HAVE to know this. Chris

Ken_8

That was # 11

I just didn't want to go too far over the edge (:-o)

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Don Walsh

Be aware of my time constraints too!

When I send you a material order by fax at noon for a 7AM pick-up the following day, don't let my 20 year old nitwit truck driver go on a do-nuts and B.S. mini vacation while your 20 year old nitwit counterman tries to find the fax. Have it ready to be loaded on my truck. Oh and if you can't fill the order in it's entirety, that's fine but at least fax me back the items that you are short. Saves manpower hours on the job while Mario Andretti hauls butt to another supply house.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Don Walsh

One more thing!

When you are going to quote all the materials for a job I am bidding, please try to have it ready a little earlier. When the bid is being opened at 11AM, getting your price at 10:50 isn't going to cut it. What is wrong with the day before???

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Ken_8

Hit a nerve!

Bid and spec work is hell.

If you are a wholesaler who happens to be the vendor for bid and spec. materials don't wait until the 11th hour to provide competing contractors with the bid numbers.

If I am awarded the contract, I will do everything in my power to make sure NONE of the specified materials are bought at your supply house. You want to jerk my chain? It is amazing how easily some "garage" located ouside your franchise territory - can accept delivery of a burner you thought you had a exclusive on! I just did that to a wholesaler who would not quote materials until the day before the bid opening.

He lost a $100,000+ order, and still can't believe we got the materials delivered around him and his "territorial" nonsense.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

ernie_3

nitwits?

I'm surprised at the condecending tone. The suppliers I deal w' have quality counter men. Their timely on quotes, delivery and make the day light w' a little humor. Those
"nitwits" help my day run smoothly.

hr

A top notch wholesaler should

be able to get a higher margin than the knuckleheads, in my opinion. Just as a top notch contractor should expect to be paid more than the station wagon contractors.

I like and deal with wholesalers that have Saturday hours. A great day to avoid the crowds and spend some quality time with the counter personal.

Build a repore and after hour and Sunday needs are handled with a smile.

I actually tip my inside sales, and counter guys for a job well done with dinner gift certificate from time to time. Same with the truck drivers that go out of their way to make a delivery early or after hours. Often in their own vehicles.

They go the extra mile with referals, scratch and dent offers and quicker than normal service when rewarded for a job well done.

Plenty of contractors want more, more, more, cheaper, cheaper, cheaper, often without even a thank you. You reap what you sow.

And my customers pick up the tab for the dinner certificates anyways Just another cost of doing business.

Lack of money is the root of all evil

hot rod

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Darin Cook_3

Very Simple

They should be able to put the right parts I order in the same box and get it to me. The ones that we deal with do just that 99% of the time. We do not ask anyone to design or troubleshoot any of our work. Just give us what we ask for. Sometimes when we ask for the high tech goodies we want, they look at us and say "only you guys". Of course when we walk through the door they always want answers for other jobs. The suppliers face the same problems we do, how do you get knowlegable people to work here?





Darin

Justin Gavin

My 2 Cents

I like the wholesalers that protect dealers. I deal with a few different wholesalers and the one that gets my orders is the one that builds the business relationship.

On the lighter side of things my top 10 goes something like this.

1. Popcorn. Unburnt and large bags

2. Vending Machine selection, gotta eat on the run

3. Jokes on the wall, You know right above the counter the shippers use.

4. Free Memo Pads. Can never have enough of those

5. And last but not least FREE LUNCH Week. Gotta love those.


If a wholesaler can offer all that and get my order right 90% of the time, I'm sold.

PS Wholesalers, Invest some money, recruit and train some nice young cute ladies from the tech colleges and watch your sales grow!

tommyoil

Try Bergen

Norty Jersey??? Try my friends over at Bergen Industrial in Elmwood Park. Great prices,complete orders ALL THE TIME, they ask you FIRST before they bush down fittings they may not have. These guys are PROS from top to bottom. All around great supplier. They have EVERY fitting, pipe and valve you could possibly imagine. No boilers, but all my pipe, valves, and fittings come out of there.And best of all, EVERYTHING sold says U.S.A. on it. Theres NOTHING worse to me than when something on the job says China, or Taiwan, or Phillipines, or Italy ect.ect ect. I worry about THAT before I worry if a little teflon is showing on my fittings.To me, imported junk more is more of a sin.

ScottMP

first of all , Justin ..

You must work for someone else because those friggin FREE lumches cost me time and money. " Oh I needed a bib screw so I got a free burger while I was there ".

My beef with suppliers ' ANSWER the G%$D*&^ Phone !!!

Dont, give me a voice machine !!

Don't give me a mail box !!

Don't tell me everyones busy !!

DON"T leave me on hold !!

I have a question, I need an answer .... NOW !

Suppliers who don't answer the phone .. Don't get my business.

Scott

Boilerpro_3

Too bad you're not near Chicago...

This is the kind of service I get at Munch's Supply. Excellent service at the Aurora branch....Ken always manages my oddball requests. Bill and Marv at the commercial department are great, they'll do whatever they can for you and, especially importantly, when they don't know they say so and direct you to someone who does. Also, high praise for Plainwell Brass out of Sterling,IL.... same quality service.

Boilerpro

Rudy

suppliers

A supplier gets my vote when he is not my competition. I can't tell you how many times I've seen customers off the street get the same price as me. Or getting calls from a past customer to set up his new oil hwt & furnace that he purchased & installed from the same wholesaler I purchase from. Stop the greed & realize where the bulk of your $ comes from!!!!