To all,

I would like to pose a couple of questions to the community:

What is the biggest issue you have with your distributor and/or distributor rep? Also, what do you like best about them?

I appreciate in advance all responses offered.

Food Sales Pro

I appreciate service and continuity.  Service that goes above and beyond simple order, delivery ensures the rep a client.

If you use the search function, you'll find numerous, albeit dated, discussions of the subject.

Welcome aboard and ciao,

I appreciate: • when reps have a meal at our place or order delivery, then give honest feed back on their meals & service .......... • when our reps bring us new food or packaging ideas to try......... • when reps are familiar with our menu............ • when they deliver on what they promise......... • when they tell us about new food trends........ • when they invite us to food shows......... • when they are aware of busy times and know when to come and when to go........ An issue I have is when reps sell us an item, we put it on the menu then the item goes down in quality over time, or becomes unavailable.

love, peace & fry grease

Price, quality and reliability.

All three.

It doesn't matter how great a price is if I don't receive the product or it's of poor quality.

Same with, if it's excellent quality, but doesn't get delivered, no one gets to enjoy how great it is, or how economical.

Likewise, if it is delivered when I need it, if the quality is poor or the price has gone up, not good.

Communication: Tell me about new products, but ones that I can use. Don't tell me about PSMO's if I run a burger shop. Tell me when the price is going up, or when you have an opportunity for me to buy long at a great savings.

Save the idle chit-chat until after you have met all of my needs. Interupting yourself to ask if I saw the big game is probably going to lead to mistakes.

1)  Keep a record of what I order on a coninual basis.  I think most all sales reps do this, but one rep I have continually sends me deffernt product all the time.  I send it back and ask just send me what you sent last time, "oh you mean that one", no sh** sherlock.

2)  If you don't have the item, let me know.  Do not send me out somthing close knowing I will probably have to use it, let me make that decision.

3)  Do not send me double on a few items on the order so you can make your sells quota- beer and alcohol sales reps are famous for this.

4)  If I make a mistake help me out.  Drive the product our yourself, this will go along way.  Our linen service rep is awsome!  He does us favors all the time and other linen company's have tride to bring in a competitive bid, but I will never get rid of our current sales rep!

The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.  -HST

I would say Ditto to Smilinsusans post.  Make sure the items you take in for a client to try are relative to his operation.  I would much rather deal with my sales rep who knows and understands my operation than deal with a broker who brings me items I could never use in my operation.  Also, in regards to ByronO's post - any sales rep who ever "padded" my order were not around my operation very long.  That's something I don't tolerate.

Good Luck!

Mark

The best reps, will look at my issues open minded and suggest the best choices for me, even if it means not selling their private label. It is not unheard of for a rep to sugegst another source when they believe it is really in my best interest.

The rep that really cares about me, will hold on to my business longer.

The biggest problem with food distributor reps is that they are many times commission based, incentivised to sell branded products to build more equity or "earned income" for the distributor, not many times honest about raising the prices of items I am not paying attention too lower the costs of products I am looking at regularly and more often than not, do not understand the distribution agreement I have with their company and do not know that there are multiple definitions of cost.

Good reps are honest.  Let's face it, not every distributor can have everything you need, when you need it, for the price you want to pay for it and have it that way all the time.  In my experience good reps help you to understand their needs so they can better accomodate your needs.  A good rep monitors their Accounts Receivable and aging, suggests products that fit your needs not theirs and are always upfront and honest if they cannot accomodate your needs, in lieu of forcing a situation to work that ends up hurting your business and their relationship with you.

 

wsm190

http://www.foodservice-friends.com/

 

Quote (original post by: Smilin'Susan)

 

I couldn't agree more with the last part.  When a rep does something that provides long term value to an establishment than they have themselves become long term value to the establishment. 

 

 

wsm190

http://www.foodservice-friends.com/

 

Hello all.  I was reading through some of the discussion regarding food vendors.  I have so many questions about this stuff but let me give you all some backround.  My dad has had a pizza shop since '83.  I played in some other types of jobs and finally came back to pizza by buying a pizza shop in a town about 15 minutes away from my Dad.  as a result i am not in competition but rather working with him.  i do his ordering and some other admin type duties.  currently my question is about prices with vendors.  it seems they play the market game and put prices up and down.  then when we watch the prices on some items and they put up the prices on other things and you dont notice til next week.  what can i do to get more consistent prices from these guys??

thanks    Yancy