Providing great service is increasingly important to differentiating dealer from Big Box competitors, and while most dealers beat the boxes in this category, other independents fall short, a leading authority on LBM service says.
Jim Robisch, senior partner at The Farnsworth Group, told dealers from Indiana and Michigan at a conference Jan. 27 that his spot-checks of pro customers at locations across the country in recent years finds that the scores pros give dealers for service tend to top out higher than they do for home improvement warehouses. But it's also common that big boxes' best scores beat the lowest ratings that dealers get.
For instance, Robisch said, when he asks contractors to rate dealers and big boxes on a 1-to-10 point scale for complete and accurate orders, dealers top out at 9.3 while big boxes don't exceed 8.1. On the other hand, that 8.1 is better than the 7.6 score Robisch has seen some dealers get for that service factor. That's one reason why it's vital to study best of class companies nationwide for qualities to emulate and not just focus on local competitors.
What differentiates a company today? Robisch listed six qualities:
- Convenient location
- Mobile friendly technology
- Online account access
- Consumer-friendly product showroom
- Being locally owned
- Easy returns policy
Meanwhile, other services qualities are necessary to success, Robisch said. They include complete/accurate orders, on-time delivery, knowledgeable employees, accurate billing, consistent quality, easily accessible staff, good inside sales staff, and an easy-to-navigate website.
