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Executive Report: Choosing good suppliers Hirers tell EHN some of the reasons why certain suppliers win and maintain their business, rather than others. Carl Banks, Managing Director, P.E.T Hire, Crewe "In addition to hire, sales play a very big part in our business. We deal direct with a number of power tool manufacturers including Makita, DeWalt, Hitachi and Metabo to try and ensure that our prices are competitive. One thing that surprises us is the fact that, in some cases, we can actually purchase power tools from a wholesaler at a more competitive price than we can direct from the manufacturer. Birchwood is one of our regular suppliers, offering excellent service and support. The company will take items back if they have not sold within a reasonable period of time, which has encouraged us to try a broader range of its products. This is one of the reasons why we purchased 200 pairs of safety boots from them at the Executive Hire Show in February."
"In addition to hire, sales represents a very important aspect of our business. We strive to ensure that we carry sufficient and relevant stocks across our entire depot network. Strong point of sale support from suppliers is vital to help us increase business, and this is one of the reasons we purchase our diamond products exclusively from DTAS. In addition to having an excellent product range, its packaging, sales literature and display stands really attract customers’ attention. The company backs up its products with frequent sales promotions, regular visits to our depots and on-site support."
"We started our company in 1982 and have seen massive changes in many of the companies supplying the tool hire industry during this time. The old adage that ‘people buy people’ is very true, and we tend to deal with suppliers that we trust and respect. We rely on our suppliers, and excellent levels of service and backup are a necessity. It is always pleasing to find suppliers who value and act on our opinions, and a good example is Higher Concept Software. It welcomes suggestions from hirers, and is constantly striving to make improvements."
"We
have
been
in
business
since
1987
and
during
this
time
have
built
up
a
number
of
regular
suppliers,
with
whom
we
have
worked
very
closely.
Whilst
some
manufacturers
seem
to
be
putting
up
barriers
in
their
efforts
to
supply
independent
hirers,
it
is
great
to
see
that
others
are
still
striving
to
offer
the
highest
standards
of
customer
service.
One
of
our
suppliers
that
has
offered
consistently
high
standards
of
service
and
support
for
many
years
is
Belle.
It
has
got
the
balance
just
right
between
being
supportive
and
not
too
pushy."
"We choose our suppliers very carefully and constantly evaluate the service and support that they offer. Sometimes, something as simple as the courier a supplier uses can have a major impact. To give an example, we are very committed to Bosch machines for our hire fleet, and on their tools and consumables for sales to our customers. The company offers a great product and excellent service, but it recently changed its courier, which has resulted in problems such as late or split deliveries. This has a knock-on effect as it can inconvenience our customers." John Jennings, Chairman, Clements Plant, Coventry "There are some excellent suppliers with whom we build strong business relationships. Others, however, have reduced their staff levels and replaced long-serving, knowledgeable people with ‘gophers’, who have little or no product experience and are simply order takers. We need people who can make quick decisions on availability and pricing, without having to constantly refer higher up the management chain. Some suppliers, both large and small, treat independents as an irritant, both in person and over the phone. They will give you a brochure and tell you the price with a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude, because they would rather talk to the nationals. It is a short-sighted policy, as this influences our buying decisions, and those of other good independents." Ian Stevenson, Director, Merseyside Plant Hire, Eastham and Liverpool "In general, most of our suppliers offer good levels of service and support. The simple truth is that if a supplier consistently lets us down, it will no longer remain a supplier! We recently opened a new depot in Liverpool, which represents a significant investment for us. It is at times like this when we really rely on our suppliers, as we need to keep our promises to new customers to help win their future business. Sometimes it appears that certain manufacturers have set out their stalls to primarily supply the major hire groups, and that small independent hirers like ourselves are some way down the pecking order." Jason Leeney, Director, Hirelink, Birmingham "As a young and growing business, it has been interesting to see how different suppliers have treated us since we started trading nearly three years ago. To give an example, the Hire Supply Company has bent over backwards to support us. More recently, we were amazed by the fact that some major manufacturers made us feel rather unwelcome on their stands at the Executive Hire Show, preferring to focus on national hirers. We were there to spend money, and we found alternative suppliers at the Show who were very keen to do business with us!" Rob Cox, Director, 1st Choice Tool & Plant Hire, Hanwell "For us, the quality of a product is the key factor in most of our purchasing decisions. We have dealt with suppliers in the past that have provided us with great levels of service and support, but the product has been unreliable and has ultimately caused inconvenience to our customers. We have recently started purchasing our Belle compaction plates from the Hire Supply Company’s London operation. Our customers love the products and the backup service is excellent. Another company that offers us good all-round service is Worksafe, which provides most of our personal protective equipment and consumables." Executive Hire News › Archives › July 2008 › Executive Report › Choosing good suppliers
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