Categories: Customer Service
By Mark Tomalonis
Principal, WarehouseTWO, LLC
Need a favor from your supplier? A better cost? Faster delivery? Waiving of fees? Who at your suppliers can break the rules to help you out? Also, who at your company should be asking your suppliers to break which rules?
Take our quiz!
This is not really a quiz. Rather, it is intended to be a training tool or catalyst for reflection and conversation within your company. Use the top half of the form shown below as a training/brainstorming exercise for your customer service and salespeople. Discuss the process, politics and consequences of asking your supplier to override its policies in your favor. Consider each of the “rule-breaking” favors listed that you might ask your supplier for. Which of the job titles at your suppliers, listed to the right, are most likely to be able, and willing, to override their companies' policies to help you out?
Using the bottom half of the form, consider each of the “rule-breaking” favors listed that you might ask your suppliers for. Which of the job titles in your company, listed to the right, are the most appropriate ones to approach your suppliers for each of these favors?
About the Author
After a successful career in sales and operations management in the wholesale-distribution industry, Mark Tomalonis is now principal of WarehouseTWO, LLC. He amuses himself by writing articles, such as this one, to help wholesaler-distributors execute their operations better. Mark’s articles and tips are published in WarehouseTWO’s monthly e-newsletters. Click here to subscribe.
About WarehouseTWO
WarehouseTWO, LLC is an independent “inventory-sharing” service created exclusively for durable goods manufacturers and their authorized distributors, and for any group of durable goods “peer” wholesaler-distributors, such as members of a buying/marketing group or cooperative. To learn how inventory-sharing with WarehouseTWO can help your business, visit the WarehouseTWO website, or email info@warehousetwo.com.