ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Supply house experiences

The supply house I used to frequent had a good combination of things going for them IMO. They carried the brands I personally liked (P&S, Hubbell, Siemens, Bridgeport, etc..) They had no complaints about me heading into the back and loading up a cart with what I needed, (And I'd usually come across something else I needed while I was back there) I'd jot down quanity and part # on a counter pad while I was back there and they'd type it in the system from that. Now I realize this kind of trust can't just be given right from the start.. But people that do excessive amounts of over-the-counter business with you will certainly appreciate it
As far as weekends, I had phone #'s for 2 of the counter guys and I could usually get one of them to open up for me if I needed. Otherwise I'd have to call KNS in LA where one of the counter guys live above the supply house in a loft, and would open the door if I was spending enough But weekends WILL be lucrative if you get a good service co to open an account to you.

If the "Caper" was here (Harold Endean) he would want canolis

The first time I visited my supply house in my own city, they weren't too happy with me. I went there at 4:45. They close at 5, but they closed their warehouse down at 4:30. I went in at 4:45 to get sone #2 THHN. It was a very dramatic scene, as everyone was complaining that i came when the warehouse whas closed and they had to wait for the lights to warm up and turn on. The salesman who chewed me out behind my back apologized to me and even waited with me until my ride came back (I wasn't driving at the time, so I had to wait for my brother). I told the salesman it's okay, and I was trying to get there earlier anyways. I have always gone back there for things I need. Had he not apologized, I probably would have never gone back and gone to the big box store instead.

The moral of the story: Sometimes salespeople make mistakes. However, if they apologize and offer something at the personal level, then there's a great chance that the customer will come back. Had they offered me a discount and no apology, I probably would never have come back. Sure, a discount saves money, but an apology is priceless, and accepting an apology is priceless.

Of course, when it comes to liability reasons, if you apologize, never admit fault. For example: It's snowing, and you just shoveled the walk in front of your supply house. Someone slips. You can say "I'm sorry that happened" but not "I'm sorry you slipped. James was supposed to shovel, but he probably missed a spot." I know this sounds cruel hearted of me, but admitting guilt in a liability situation is like jumping into the tiger cage at the zoo and yelling "Hey big cats, I'm standing right here! Please don't eat me."

win, to sum it up:

be open 24/7, let us pick our own material and tell you what we took, and give us free stuff (from coffee to sporting tickets)

In return, we'll beat you over the head to give us your "best" price, we'll call and complain (loudly) anytime an order is wrong. We'll shop your prices around like mad when we screw up the bid and need to really save money.

Did I miss anything?

Mahlere, you've hit the nail on the head!

[This message has been edited by Winlectric (edited 10-30-2006).]

That will be $10,000 for the consultation. We take MC/Visa/Disc/Amex/Cash or Wampum. No checks though.

Pretty accurate?

Where abouts in the northeast are you opening ? I would be interested in a good supply house im from ct?

I am located in Shelton Connecticut. Right now we are in a small building and will be moving to a larger space the first of the year.

Do you have a website or tel number.

Have a set of lockers outside, or a customer accessable cage area, so you can leave orders for established customers for after-hours pickup.. either a sesame lock with the freshly set combo given to the customer, or a customer provided lock, or a masterkeyed lock assigned to the customer. (Best locks would work well for this)

advertising wall for customers.. enough space for a 8.5x11 flyer, and a stack of business cards.. randomized weekly so nobody can complain about favoritism..