Dear Mr. Local Distibutor...

Dear Mr. Local Distributor,

I'm writing to you to address some concerns and suggestions that, if implemented may entice me to bring my business your way again.

Mr. Distributor, It would be so convenient if I could drive down to your shop and buy parts and accessories that I need on a regular basis. But when I drive all the way to your shop for a handful of tips and a couple of unloaders I'm told you don't have any tips larger than 5.5 and you only have one unloader in the whole shop. But you'd be glad to offer me the service of ordering them from the internet, having me wait 10 days then drive all the way across town again to pick them up. (But this is only after you've had them sit on your shelf for 5 or 6 days because you "forgot" to call me and let me know they were in.)

Thanks for that. Your hard work has saved me from the 15 seconds it takes to order it online myself for half the price and have it arrive at my doorstep in two days.

I just want to be able to go get what I need when I need it. Is that so difficult?

And thank you also for explaining that my 7 year Landa pump warranty covers the pump if it explodes from the inside and destroys the case. (But if the head is damaged, I'm out of luck because nothing other than an actual explosion of the case is covered.

Thank you for keeping my pump for 2 weeks and giving it a place to live without charging me a storage fee. I know you were just trying to make it feel at home by putting it there with the other dust covered pumps for days. Things like pump repair take time and apparently there is a "cooling off" period of a few days before work can commence. Each repair takes at least a few days of smoking cigarettes, 3 hr lunches and a sick day or two before work can commence. It must be a state law.

And thank you for giving me a chance to support our local economy. I'm glad to see all your 2012 trucks you are so proud of. Charging 100% markup for everything must be profitable. Did the Chevy dealership charge you $50k for that work truck? Maybe you should explain the theory of "double your money or nothing" pricing to the car dealership.

And thank you for all the time and effort you spend making sure that my pricing is correct. You are so accurate in your pricing that you can't quote me a $9.85 tip without looking it up on your computer to make sure I am paying my fair share. It must be difficult to keep up with all those levels of pricing because God knows the value of a tip varies greatly depending on who's buying it.

And thank you too for that $60 filter. I know I could buy the same exact filter at Home Depot for $11.00, but home depot is so impersonal.

In conclusion, Thank you for being there for me. I will see you again next year and if you are still in business I'll try to buy something again just to see if anything has changed.

Thank you.

Guys,
Another lesson in sustainable relationships..
example of the day is clearly NOT..
service centers need to understand multi-level pricing,
they need to understand spontaneous service,
service dept.s need to be trained in actual "troubleshooting".
and their entire customer service force needs to be trained in actual customer service.

"Superficial business" is NOT sustainable
especially in the 3rd year of a recession.

Manufacturers MUST deliver quality, AND customer service too.

Workmanship is almost a "lost art"
..in the age of entitlement"
THINK about it.

You would not believe how hard it has been to give (for free) training to service centers..
almost impossible.
Good people are out there, you just have to find'em,
and BE ONE YOURSELF.

Tony, I feel your frustration,
quit beating your head on that guy's door,
he doesn't understand protecting the environment either.

Guys,
in all fairness..
give the local dealer a chance, but play it cool..
bring a print-out of on-line pricing, ask the guy to give you the same price plus freight approximately,
and customer service keeps his inventory flowing,
..and maybe you'll give him some work in his service dept.
reasonable value is a resonable request.
..just NEVER ask him to work for free..
inventory is expensive.
convenience is expensive.
Aim for a "Sustainable Relationship".

You have to Pay more from a Store, If I need hose because inventory goes down i have to Buy it from Granberry.

I asked for internet pricing plus 30% and they only will match that on a few items and look at me like I am crazy.

I guess I don't understand the inventory thing. I keep a fairly decent inventory of filters I need for my customers. Of course it's expensive but it's a vital part of serving customers. Sure, everybody would like to wait till a customer needs a part and then order it. There are books and college courses on how to regulate inventory. Who needs a distributor if all they are going to do is order it on the internet? We can do that ourselves.

Jerry, you have never failed to amaze me. If you don't have what I need you send me another alternative, usually a better one. Russ and Paul always come through too. But sometimes you just want to run by and pick up some misc parts NOW. I just bought some crappy couplers from HD yesterday because they were THERE when I needed them.

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Met a guy who does mobile repairs today at the hose shop.

I asked him, "How much for a TS2021, just a straight buy and I install it?"

"$750-$800" was the reply.

I said, "They usually run $450-$500 online"

He answers back, kindof like he's trying to one-up me and says "I get them for $395."

Duh. Thanks dude. I just threw your business card in the trash.

Tony Shelton said:

Met a guy who does mobile repairs today at the hose shop.

I asked him, "How much for a TS2021, just a straight buy and I install it?"

"$750-$800" was the reply.

I said, "They usually run $450-$500 online"

He answers back, kindof like he's trying to one-up me and says "I get them for $395."

Duh. Thanks dude. I just threw your business card in the trash.

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http://www.pressurewasherauthority.com/item--pressure-washer-pumps--general-pump-ts2021.html

I cant stand the distributors in Phoenix! They rip you off so hard... the only time I go into them is when I have no other option. Otherwise it is Russ or Bob for me.

I don't even deal with local distributors in my area. One closed down.....geez I wonder why lol. And another one wanted $89 for a dual wand that Bob sells for $40. I'll just order online and pay the shipping. Especially if I don't need it right away. I can get a brand new TS2021 for $350 online plus $25 shipping.

That is kind of like the Air Conditioning repair guys, they get the 3 ton outside unit for about $600 to $900 and sell it to your for about $2000 to $3000 installed.

I like having a local place to repair stuff but I hate the high prices but I guess keeping that inventory cost them money also.

Vince Wood said:

I don't even deal with local distributors in my area. One closed down.....geez I wonder why lol. And another one wanted $89 for a dual wand that Bob sells for $40. I'll just order online and pay the shipping. Especially if I don't need it right away. I can get a brand new TS2021 for $350 online plus $25 shipping.

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Vince, where do u get it for $350 plus $25 shipping? Curious...

AZ PowerWash Pros said:

Vince, where do u get it for $350 plus $25 shipping? Curious...

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Nothing wrong with making a profit. But making an obscene profit for doing nothing more than keying in an order is pathetic. Especially if they require instant payment while they order in 30 day terms.

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I drive the local distributors nuts. One of them I offended because I did not buy machines from him. It would have been simple enough, all he had to do was tell me when they would be in. By the time he got around to letting me know, I had a machine on the truck out working. Another said he would give me a 10% discount if i bought parts from him. Of course his sales price is 50% over msrp. Uhm no. I will pas
The guy that tries hardest is $65 an hour, but I buy parts cheaper then he gets them. So, a oacking kit that I can buy for $60, costs $135, and a reseal costs a total of $260, with labor. Very frustrating.

I think many of us are in the same boat here. Up here in Canada a TS2021 costs $800 ish at just about any dealer. Engines are the same way, unloaders, ect. There are a few things that are pretty close, but many of the special items as I like calling them are double if not more. Another example I was building my bigger truck, went around to a few places looking for a burner that could handle 12 gpm. In town it was going to cost me $8000-8500, I had one shipped from Envirospec to my shop for $3500 including the duties, taxes, customs, and extra shipping charges. I understand needing to make a profit, and even the what if stuff breaks and needs replacement costs, but that much coin is a lot of replacement parts. Plus they are typically not open or won't fix it fast enough, so I will probably have to do something that will void any warranty to finish the job and keep the customer happy. For $800 I can have all new parts for the burner waiting (Except the coil) and install it myself in less then an hour.

One of my local dist I have even told that I won't buy pumps from him as they are double plus more the price. He understands and still treats me well which is why I buy other things that he can be close on.

I figured this crazy price local dist thing was a Canadian thing, guess I didn't think you guys would have the same issue's down south. At least you have options that don't require crazy expensive shipping down there. UPS likes to rip us a new hole when things cross the border, their Customs fee's are notorious and one of the other reasons I look for things local.

For those that are up in Canada, if you were down in the states and bought some equipment and supplies, do they hit you hard on taxes and other fees when taking it across the border? Just curious to how this works.

Christopher said:

For those that are up in Canada, if you were down in the states and bought some equipment and supplies, do they hit you hard on taxes and other fees when taking it across the border? Just curious to how this works.

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You have to pay the GST/HST at the border along with any other fees they can think of. Basically save the shipping cost if you go down yourself. If you are down there for a certain amount of time you can bring stuff back free of charge as long as it isn't business related. Businesses get the GST/HST back as a rebate so it isn't really relevent anyways. You guys get Tornadoes, huricanes, earthquakes......... we get border fees! Not sure what is worse!

As a long time distributor I can understand your post. It is why when we set up our local shop, we made sure to have the "essentials" stocked for the customer who "needs it" when-they-need-it. After years in the biz, there are just some items that stand out as "must haves" to keep on hand. That being said, once in a while, an item is "out" just when you need it. Murphy's law always seems to pop-up at the worse times! I know as a distributor nothing makes me more happy than to help a customer and be the "hero" when the customer needs me. Of course in the economy of today keeping large stock on hand is not how most retailers are doing business. Look at any industry and you will see that this has changed for most. So keep in mind, that while your distributor wants to have what you need always...sometimes it may be best for you to keep some of your "essentials" on hand to be prepared for your emergencies. That way you are not relying on another for the success of your business. But ask you supplier how you can improve your relationship. Let them know what needs you may have or how they could better handle your business needs. Rememeber they have a large cross-refrence of customers. The more they know about your specific needs, the better prepared they can be for you. I have one that has a hard time storing quantities of certian products. We worked a deal that allows them to buy larger quantities and get a discounted price, and I hold the stock for them to get as they need it. We both win. So TALK to your suppliers and nicely lay out your issues. I know I want to hear how I can better serve my customers and would expect other will want to do the same. Any problem is fixable with communication. If both parties can't agree, then it's time to move on. I see a lot who get tunnel vision about their own troubles and then just get mad when the trouble are not fixed by the local distributor because they don't have what they needed or are made to wait because it has to be ordered in. A little planning to be prepared on your end and a little mention to your supplier about what would be nice to be kept availbe should help strengthen a relationship and provide you both with many years of quality business between you. Money is being watched by everone right now, so please remember that your suppliers are running their business just like you are - lean and mean. If they care at all, they will listen and try to find ways to improve what they do for you. If they don't care, you will know....

AZ PowerWash Pros said:

Vince, where do u get it for $350 plus $25 shipping? Curious...

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I saw them online for that price about 2 months ago. I'll have to look for it and get back to you later today Ty.

Call me crazy but I have a one price philosophy, it may be a bit more expensive to run a shop but thats what labor charges on repairs are for. What I charge online is what I charge in person, why should I punish you for coming to my shop to save me shipping charges? We also stock all the popular parts or have enough inventory to make sure we can get you up and running right away. Oh well I guess thats what happens when you have a background as a contractor you understand how important it is to keep a business going to allow them to meet their commitments and make money.

I thought I'd give them one more try just to see if anything has changed.

So I went in to buy just a few little items to see if the economy had taught them a lesson or not.

I guess not.

General pump QC nozzles - $9.62 each
1/4 screw in nozzles $8.06

I didn't try to haggle with them. It isn't worth it anymore. I called for the owner after I left and found out it has changed hands again since last year. This is the third new leadership in two years.

Maybe I'll try to buy something from them again in another year or two, if they are still in business.

maybe ya should start selling parts Tony, I know theyres got to be plenty of contractors in the Vegas area.