I don't mean to be sensitive, but based on my previous experience with
you guys, and with the larger distributors in general, assigning a
delivery day to your customer based on what is convenient for you sounds
like the same misunderstanding of the difference between sales and
logistics that was expressed in your company's previous poor handling of
our account, which resulted in us not carrying beers from two of our
favorite local breweries. When Fullsteam, who self-distribute, say that they
are only going to deliver on Wednesday and Friday, they are making a
business decision based upon their capacity to provide service. When a
large distributor says that they are unable to deliver on a day, they
are flexing the muscle granted them by the monopolistic three tier
system to make their lives easier. Their accounts have to carry the
brands to which they alone can grant access, so what was a sales
relationship becomes a logistics relationship. But even UPS gives better customer service.
Not that a complaint or
even a complete lack of business from a small account that does small
volume really makes a difference to your bottom line. We are a small
business, independently-owned, not a part of a restaurant group or
chain. Our success depends upon our relationships with other small
businesses and upon our attention to service, detail, and quality. Your
business seems to be focused on the unthinking acceptance of the
dictates of multinational soap/cereal/beer/industrial chemicals
companies and the presumption that your customers' customers will
uncritically swill whatever re-branded glop you foist on them. And it is
a good business model, because you will succeed and you will vacation
and send your kids to private school and my kids will share a room and drive
used cars.
No comments:
Post a Comment