I have always been curious about the motives that direct a contractor to choose which supplier wholesaler they decide to drive to on a regular basis. It’s like a morning ritual. I find it fascinating to drive past six different suppliers and see a group of service vans parked outside each of them, as if it’s a scheduled event.
I had my suspicions based on my own experience, but decided to conduct a survey at a recent contractor event. One of the many things I like about contractors is that they don’t sugarcoat their responses.
I want to share some common themes and learnings from this exercise. You should train your counter sales team to appreciate customers’ motivations and remind them that they have choices. Today, they chose you. Maximize the experience and validate that they made the best choice for today and tomorrow.
1. Why do customers come to your counter?
Confidence. Contractors assume you have the material, pricing and answers they need.
Recognition. Your customers feel as if they are important to you, like the old TV show, “Cheers”: “Where everybody knows your name.” They want this; they will go wherever to get this daily dose of sincere validation.
Appreciation. Show customers that they matter with a big welcome every time. Often, the only place where they feel like the boss is with their supplier!
Familiarity. This is where your customers feel comfortable. If you are a multibranch company, make sure a VIP at one location is treated like a VIP when they stop at another.
Habit. This reinforces contractors’ comfort level. They know the layout of your location, saving time. Your counter is usually their first social event of the day. Use their name a lot; make it a personal habit, too!
Meeting place. Contractors know their buddies will be there; their breakfast club with free coffee, donuts and conversation! This social need is real and important.
Safe place. Your customers know they can share info and learn from others.
Relaxing atmosphere. Customers will go out of their way to buy where they feel comfortable. Create a reason to come back: Offer a counter customer raffle with a weekly drawing. Write a personal thank-you note on their receipts. Reinforce that they personally matter to you.
Conversation. Contractors can be honest and candid about lessons learned, sometimes the hard way.
What’s new? This is where contractors can get caught up on manufacturers, products, technology and people (new hires/retirements).
Loyalty rewards. Contractors love free stuff, such as shirts, hats, coffee mugs and tools.
Training opportunities. Offer contractors learning opportunities on products, installation, safety or how to bid and quote jobs profitably.
Problem-solving. Your contractor customers are not perfect. Mistakes are made. Some jobs don’t go as planned. They need help. Be their partner. It will be remembered.
Make them stay
2. Counter salespeople should be perceived as “the offensive line.” They are also the first line of defense, able to diagnose customers’ issues before sending them to sales or management.
3. You must understand and relate to the customer’s problems and situations. Listen, get the facts and don’t make judgments — get a win-win result.
4. Make the distinction between the owner/customer and the employee/customer experiences. They have different needs and authority, and different tactics should be used for each.
5. Know who has the authority to buy and direct other service trucks to you. Ask for the order!
6. Remember that outside sales create customers; counter and inside sales grow customers.
7. Focus on target accounts within seven miles of your branch. Who’s missing? Where are they going in the morning?
8. Gear the counter displays and inventory toward your actual customers’ needs.
9. Counter customers are the front-line people. They will tell you what they like and what they don’t. This is raw marketing; don’t overreact to the info. Listen and thank them for the input. Share the information with your sales and marketing team.
10. Never forget that the customer’s time is somebody’s money.
11. Never let customers go away ignored, angry or empty-handed.
12. Great counters look busy, even when customers are not in the store. That means manning the counter, cleaning, restocking, etc. — not hiding out in the back warehouse.
13. Keep your eyes open for anyone new. Show them around, introduce them to inside sales, product experts and managers.
14. Daily counter visits trump call center phone calls, texts, faxes and emails that lack the personal touch. These are necessary and transactional but lack humanity. Customers can feel as if they are being taken for granted and that your customer service has become depersonalized, assuming they won’t notice.
Little things count, too
Great companies pay attention to the little things that define customer service: a friendly greeting, a welcoming smile and a positive attitude. Make the customer feel important and appreciated, listen and help resolve their issues, ask their opinion, keep your promises, let them know what’s new and thank them for choosing you.
They already get more AI-generated attention than they want. Companies pretend that they really like them, whoever they are.
When customers jump into their trucks and vans in the morning, drive daily to your building and step up to your counter, you should celebrate this. Show them your gratitude for this privilege and remember that you need to earn it daily.
Like McDonald’s, companies promise their customers through mission statements and marketing campaigns that they will produce “Happy Meals.” The difference between a Happy Meal and soggy french fries lies in an individual’s attitude. Don’t be the soggy french fry!
Fun fact: In 2016, my wife and I attended Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday celebration at Windsor Castle. Incredibly special. Not far from the castle is Queen Charlotte’s Pub. Diane and I had lunch there.
I noticed a plumber’s truck parked outside. The sign on it read: “Lou’s Plumbing, everybody needs a Loo! Royal thrones … no extra charge!”
