Ever wonder how the service you get from your favorite electrical distributor compares to other providers in the market? All distributors like to say they offer the best service in the market and are easiest to do business with. But best-in-class electrical distributors stand out because they offer unique packages of value-added services that go above and beyond the basic service package of competitive prices, local availability, and quick delivery. Have you ever taken a step back and really thought about how the services your supplier is delivering compares with other distributors in your local market or other online sources of supply?
Following is a checklist of 50 different services that best-in-class electrical distributors offer their customers. You can use it to quickly evaluate and compare your sources of supply. Here’s how to use it.
Grab a pen or pencil and check off the services that your distributor now offers. Score one point for each check. Add “bonus” points if you think the distributor provides that service in an exceptional manner; deduct points if the distributor really needs to improve in an area. After you’ve made your way through the entire list, go back through and add up those check marks and add or subtract any bonus or deduction points. Then, use this scoring guide to evaluate the distributor.
A score of 40 or more
The electrical distributor is ahead of the pack, and is doing a lot of the right things when it comes to offering your company value-added services.
A score of 30 to 39
The electrical distributor provides some decent services, but there’s room for improvement. Set up a meeting with the service manager and discuss some ways in which they could serve you better.
A score of 29 or less
This distributor is probably lagging other sources of product sourcing and supply in your market area. You should spend some time looking for another electrical distributor.
Okay, time to start checking.
1. Has the right inventory in stock when I need it.
2. Regularly provides my company with information on new products.
3. Is familiar with the latest changes in the National Electrical Code (NEC) and knows which products and applications are affected by these changes.
4. Offers my company a line of credit.
5. Delivers products directly to my job sites and other facilities.
6. Provides accurate, timely pricing information.
7. Conducts business in an ethical, professional manner.
8. Makes emergency deliveries.
9. Offers after-hours access to salespeople via personal cellphone, text, and/or email.
10. Holds counter days, in-house training sessions, or trade shows so my employees can meet with manufacturers’ reps.
11. Is open on Saturdays.
12. Accepts credit cards for small orders and other special situations.
13. Handles returns and defective products in a professional manner with no hassles.
14. Stages orders on big projects so deliveries show up on-site the day they’re needed — not too early and never too late.
15. Trains my employees on new products.
16. Employs salespeople who are knowledgeable on products and calls on me at my place of business or job site.
17. Offers access to products from dozens of manufacturers. If they don’t have it in stock, they will order it.
18. Offers advice on bookkeeping, marketing, and other business best practices.
19. Understands the importance of stocking each product in a system and offering complete packages of products that work together.
20. Stocks preassembled electrical products and/or systems to save my company time on the job site.
21. Has someone on staff who can help my company with problem-solving and troubleshooting applications.
22. Knows local building codes and practices.
23. Stands behind the products they sell.
24. Provides substitutions for brands that may be out of stock.
25. Does take-offs for some projects.
26. Provides detailed, accurate quotations for bids.
27. Demonstrates product features and applications when requested.
28. On industrial-type projects, coordinates just-in-time deliveries to manufacturing facilities.
29. Keeps my company competitive on bids with fair market pricing.
30. Provides product information online and, when necessary, in print.
31. Has capable in-house salespeople to handle questions and expedite orders, as well as in-house product specialists to answer technical questions.
32. Offers special incentives, such as dating, special delivery, training, etc., if we use their company as our main source of electrical supply.
33. Sends manufacturers’ reps or field salespeople to job sites to help with product-related problems.
34. Offers custom cable cutting, bundling, and paralleling services.
35. Has conveniently located branches in my company’s areas of service.
36. Services my company’s employees quickly when they stop by the branch.
37. Goes the extra mile to deliver products in emergency situations (e.g., floods, major power outages, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.).
38. Regularly asks for feedback on their service, either through surveys or regular face-to-face meetings with salespeople.
39. Supports local electrical associations and industry events.
40. Installs new LED lighting systems in their branches’ offices, counter areas, warehouses, and reception areas so my company’s employees can see how they perform in actual work environments, and how the light they emit compares with other lighting systems.
41. Stocks non-electrical supplies, such as water coolers, ladders, foul-weather gear, shovels, etc.
42. Offers a tool-rental program for more expensive power equipment, such as power benders and generators.
43. Provides on-site tool crib stocking services for large jobs.
44. Provides demonstration models of tools or samples of new supplies so my company can test and evaluate the products under job-site conditions.
45. Offers online billing, and other time-saving features to cut down on paper work.
46. Has an online storefront where my company can check inventory levels, monitor order progress, pricing, etc.
47. Provides prompt response to texts, emails, and other communications.
48. Maintains a website with updated contact information for key personnel, branch locations, etc.
49. Offers a “clean and simple” website with easy navigation so my company’s employees don’t have to waste valuable time looking for product specs, order status, or information on other company services, etc.
50. Offers a mobile app that provides easy access to order status, key contact information, pricing, etc.
Does this company offer any other services not listed here that differentiate it from other distributors in the market? If so, add it to the list. Don’t forget to add these extra items into your final point total.
Lucy is the director of content for Electrical Wholesaling.
