PeppermintPatty

I want to know without company names, rep names and identifying information what your distributors do for you that is just above and beyond customer service.
What do you as a salon owner recemend we do to let you know we are interested in your buisness.
Once you have an established account with a distributor how do you best communicate with your representative? Like for instance a monthly phone call.
What is the single most important thing your distributor does to make you happy?
I hate negative but what about salon owner pet peeves?

I just want this feedback to adjust what I do to be more salon owner friendly. If you reply to the post I promise no sales calls from me!!

NJTANMAN

Peppermint

I Like to first and formost be respected. I hate when people come up with these crazy idea to seel somethning that is not moving for them... dont try and push onto me what you havent been able to sell. I like to get a good deal. wich means not necierily having the best price but having better service. ex having my rep email me the traking information for my order.. I dont mind phone calls, in fact I like to take a couple of minutes from time to time and talk to my rep and some ideas.

The worst thing you could do is never have time to take my order.. belleave it or not some people actually play that game... and another is to say you could do something then not come through with your word. sorry about the grammer and spelling i am really tired today..

dan

wyldekat1

My distributor is great, lotion orders arrive the next day. They give free samples and help get products for tanner apprecation days, etc. They are allways willing to listen and give advice when needed. If they call me, they call during non-peak hours.

MJ

NJ, Does make a point if you have his decoder book..I will email it to you.
I know you said no name were necessary..
However, I like My distie Paila/Exotic tans...she calls me ever so often to tell me of local training programs offered by the various MFG's. Occasionally seminars even thru Exoctic themselves.
She will call me to let me know of specialls.(Of lotion that she knows I carry)also because she knows me...I get caught up in my life..and look up and say ohh poopoo I need to order goo.!!

I never refuse her call. I never get calls from other sales staff from Exoctic Tan.
When the occasional shipping mishap happens..She fixes it right away.

Always returns my calls ASAP.
And last but not least she is friendly personalble, respectful and I know that she is genuinely interested in keeping me happy. And Fullifilling all on my salons needs. Not every conversations pertians to tanning....it is not all about getting a order out of me. I trust her and her judgement. When I am looking to replace ..she is one of the few people I ask "what is their professional opinion about _______"

If you have not been on line long then you do not know me or of me. I am well known to trust no one and labeled "Jaded"...therefore it goes without saying, that are very few people I trust in this industry(on the MGFs/Distie side) and she is one of them.
I am not sure who you are..a sales rep If you are strive to be like her. Or if you are the owner of a dist. center.. Then hire people like her. And you will have loyal customers.
JMHO

boss

Patty,

That was a great post and thanks for helping other distributors learn what can be said or done to not aggraviate the customer. We are also a dist. out of NC and like to keep up with our customers needs. One thing we have found is that of course your best advertising is word of mouth not some ad and definitly not calling every salon in the phone book.
However, in order to increase customer base sometimes you do have to just go out on a limb and try to reach new customers. As for me I dont want to call and steal your business away from the competior as some have tried to do to me, but I just want to offer someone what I can do for them and what I have that may help there business as well as mine. I would rather have 10 loyal repeat customers than 100 one time buyers that never call back. So my answer to this topic is: don't over exert yourself trying to get new customers, Just take care of the ones you have and the rest will come around eventually. Thank you for reading and God Bless all of you.

MJ

Boss,
I think You missed the point of my post. I have by word of mounth gave Paula new clients. And I do not sway from her because some distie calls me and offers to beat her discounts. Some salon owners are not tan whores nor are they distie jumpers...always on the look out for bigger and better deals. I know that is hard to believe.
"I would rather have 10 loyal repeat customers than 100 one time buyers that never call back."
I admire your professionalism and hope things go well for you this season.

frantannie

I hate it also when they try to keep selling you the stuff that just doesn't move and you've told them about 6 times already that you don't want it. Then they keep trying to practically give it away! I just tell em if it's so good, why is it so cheap and I have switched disties in the past year bc of that same problem. Also hate to constantly call and get their voice mail... it's so much better with theone I have now who always is available to take my calls and talk to me like I'm more than just a number.

imageplus

I agree a distributor is more like a friendship I call clients on a weekly basis early so they are not busy just to say Hi not to push a product on them. Just to let them know that I care about them other than saling them something. I have made tons of friends that I have made by not being pushy and realizing the busiest parts of the day and leaving them alone at those times and not to call everyday or every other day but once a week or two just to chat. My sales have increased 40% since I stopped all that cold calling B/S and started listening to what they actually want and that is to feel secure about there distributor as well as knowing he/she cares other than selling some product.Being honest about products as well not just telling them any thing to get them to buy it if I don't like it then I tell them not push something on them that I would'nt use. O and yes always answering the phone when called is very important even if it is to say hi can I call you back not sit on hold for an hour and I will get back to you or let some machine do it for you