The Independent Wholesaler Advantage | Time Is Money

In a previous article I covered the importance of value – the customer’s perceived worth of a particular good or service. This can take many forms, depending on the type of customer and their own hierarchy of priorities. To the homeowner, value might reside in the quality and serviceability of the purchased product. To the professional, be it a plumber, remodeler, or home builder, value rests in the high level of service a professional wholesaler can provide. In particular, a small, highly focused, private business, generally provides an environment where longstanding industry professionals work side by side with coworkers to foster a body of highly specific knowledge that far outweighs the limited experience typically found when working with a corporate retail outfit’s employees.

Professional expertise is built upon repeated, immersive experience within a respective occupation. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, all of these professionals are (legally) dependent on a high level of accreditation to perform their jobs. Imagine seeking the help of a doctor who lacked intensive medical training? How comfortable would you be with their assessment? Fortunately, our society has evolved measures to protect us and allows for an advanced level of guidance in the most important areas of our life; guaranteeing a person receives a respectable “standard” of opinion. No such protective measures (relatively speaking) exist in the remodeling realm – the onus of responsibility falls squarely on the business, the business owner, and his employees. While training and industry education help to build a solid platform, it’s a small business’s unique culture that serves to enhance this with an exchange of individual knowledge between highly experienced coworkers. It’s just not possible to know everything, and the efficiency gains when multiple perspectives are brought to bear is incalculable.

Time is money. How often have you heard that? To those intimately involved in business, nothing speaks more truth than this simple aphorism. Time lost is an opportunity cost to those who value it; a forfeiture of possible profit from seeking business opportunity elsewhere. Time is also our most valuable asset. It’s no wonder why professional outfits like some of the area’s most esteemed homebuilders and remodelers choose to do business with Central Plumbing and Heating. We strive to keep focus on the “big picture” and understand that your time is extremely valuable. As is ours. Entering a business relationship entails an implicit agreement that “I won’t waste your time, as long as you don’t waste mine.”

While the competitive nature of selling “commodities” keeps the focus on price, there are many seemingly intangible costs that that add up, eroding your bottom line. No other wholesaler is more aware of this silent enemy and hence the reason why we strive to fulfill our business obligations with efficiency and professionalism. I’d like to illustrate the salient points of interest which ultimately save you time and money:

~ Tight control of product quality through our manufacturer vetting process; we only deal with reputable companies who bring to the table a well-established support network

~ Our staff has on average 30 years of experience – meaning you interact with people who harbor deep, contextual knowledge of the products and industry

~ Substantial warehousing ability and delivery services to ensure product is handled in a professional and efficient manner. Keeping the product out of your hair until the time is right allows you to focus on other aspects of the job

~ The area’s largest and most comprehensive kitchen and bath showroom – the customer sees firsthand what they’re buying and eliminates any surprises which is often the case with internet purchases. Surprises are only good on birthdays, and when a complicated remodeling job is at stake, they’re an unwelcome visitor to the party

~ Direct communication with the manufacturer and it’s representatives – allows us to accurately forecast changing conditions in the supply chain and guide our customers accordingly (especially important in this post COVID economic environment)

~ A negotiation avenue for those costumers undertaking projects of scale; we frequently supply large projects like multi-unit housing and single-family home developments

So what does this all mean? In a nutshell – predictability. When you can accurately predict the outcome, better business decisions can be made. Knowing your customer is purchasing a well-supported, quality product; knowing the salesman sold the proper items to complete the install; knowing that the material will be stored and delivered in a timely manner; knowing that when you start a job, you won’t be wasting time tying up loose ends. Time is money, let’s not waste it.

~ Mark Sennett