The value of customer service representatives in the buyer-supplier relationship
This can’t be!
According to this article Purchasing’s September issue, results of distributor survey conducted by Industrial Distribution Magazine show just 10% of survey respondents say customer service relationships are the major reasons for doing business with a distributor.
According to the survey, the following areas are more important to purchasing professionals in selecting a distributor:
• Product Availability: (73%)
• Technical Support: (69%)
• On-Time Delivery: (58%)
• Price: (48%)
I have worked with customer service representatives (CSRs) for years. Usually they are assigned to accounts. Most of the CSRs know their customers. They know their needs, their prices and anything else special it takes to get the product to their customers in a timely manner.
How can services like this be discounted to a 10% priority level? The CSR that handles your account does not have to ask 10 questions to take your order. They know the needed information in getting the order entered and on it’s way to you.
The CSRs work closely with purchasing to insure needed products are in stock for their customers. They work to bring new items in that the customer needs in a hurry. They do what it takes to maintain the business, to offer you all of the things mentioned above that are critical to meet your needs.
Most buyers I know ask for the CSR that handles their account. They don’t want a different person each time they call. Let’s give the CSRs credit for all the work they do. I think this is important to you as a purchasing professional. Am I wrong?
Share a story about your favorite CSR by posting a response to this blog post.
Mary commented:
I am the hero. Some CSR's read my blog and think I am wonderderful. It is no longer an environment of sales vs purchasing or the other way around. We are finally learning to work together.
Bob commented:
Your comment about the same rep everytime is true, but from the operations side I like to cross-train the CSR's to make vacations etc. less of a business disruption. If the order process is robust enough, you should still be able to avoid the "10 questions" and get the order entered correctly.
Charles Dominick, SPSM commented:
I agree, Mary. While having positive executive-to-executive relationships is important for putting the best deal together and to identify strategic collaboration opportunities, it is often the CSR that bails the buyer out of the toughest jams by knowing what to do to make something out-of-the-ordinary happen in the course of day-to-day business.
Jennifer commented:
The reason that it is not as important is that Customer Service is now expected. In our business, if you don't give great customer service, we simply do not use you again. Service is an expected pre-requisite in business today. everyone has to do it. Period. If you don't give good service, you can't compete. Service is not a luxury anymore. It is a requirement.
Cathy commented:
I agree with your article we need to give the CSRs credit. Being a buyer, I like dealing with the CSR that was appointed to my account. When I have a problem, I contact them it is taken care of. When I need something in a rush, I contact them and they take care of it. To me they are definitely an asset in me performing my job.
