Why Good Customer Service Is Important For Cleaning Equipment Sales
The cleaning equipment industry is comprised of many different areas. When selling cleaning equipment a good reseller must be extremely knowledgeable about all the pieces of equipment they sell. To compete with other distributors the seller must not only have the lowest price but must able to provide the best customer service for the types of equipment sold. There are many aspects to customer service when selling cleaning equipment such as, technical knowledge about the machine, a close relationship with the manufacturer, and excellent customer satisfaction standards. When outfitting large facilities or commercial cleaning clients, shipping time, downtime, and inexpensive professional repairs are a deciding factor in the overall purchase.
The traditional way a piece of cleaning equipment is sold, would be by a local distributor. In current times the sale and purchase of cleaning equipment has changed with more sources popping up rapidly. Commercial internet cleaning equipment sites and manufacturer direct outlets have made buying a machine more competitive, driving equipment prices down. This key factor in cleaning equipment sales has leveled the playing field making customer service a key factor in these types of purchases.
Local distributors have an advantage over online cleaning equipment resellers and manufacturers. Local distributors meet face to face with the client and can offer equipment demonstrations, in person sales, and onsite repair. These three key factors in unison create the ultimate customer service scenario that most customers appreciate. In-house demonstrations can easily win the customer over by providing an up close and in person look at the benefits the equipment can provide. Onsite repair is imperative to the uptime of the machine and ease in getting the machine fixed. Some types of cleaning equipment such as auto scrubbers and floor machines can be complex in design utilizing circuitry and computers making them almost impossible for the average handyman.
It is imperative that online cleaning equipment resellers provide good customer service. A good online distributor will make ordering easy and use knowledgeable technicians to answer customer questions about all types of equipment. Online customer service technicians should know technical specifications, repair answers and have used the cleaning equipment they are giving advice about. Online customer service staff should provide pricing answers and be able to quickly transfer the customer to relevant support staff regarding questions about the machine. By providing outstanding support in these areas, a good online reseller can competently compete with local distributors.
In recent years it has become more common for the Manufacturer of cleaning equipment to sell directly to the end user. By doing this the manufacturer can cut out the middleman and make more profit. The disadvantage of Manufacturer direct sales is the lack of onsite technical support from local dealers. Manufacturer direct equipment companies have had to compensate by providing over the top support for the customer in everyway. By employing roaming technicians the customer can get onsite support but sometimes have to wait days if not weeks for a technician to be in their area.
Ryan