For a while now we have been looking for what exactly makes the perfect electrical distributor. We have had a lot of great ideas and opinions, however, there are still more ways to improve on this supposed perfect distributor.
As we continue our search for this perfect world, we turned to Chicagoland native D&G Electric Inc. D&G President Gary Dykstra was able to take a few moments to tell us how he envisions an ideal distributor. Dykstra had some basic points on the matter as well as some in-depth points. Plus, he seemed to have really good ideas that could be utilized by many different contractors, nothing too specific, therefore making his suggestions very possible.
One of his first points was “great pricing,” which is a must for any contractor. Big or small, people always love a good bargain. Beyond a good price, Dykstra pointed out he would prefer to have the product he needs on the shelf or at the very least, “have the ability to get 95% of what we need in 24 hours.” This also seems like a very reasonable and common trend amongst contractors. There is nothing worse than when a product you need at the last minute is supposed to be in stock and the distributor you use doesn’t have it.
More on the topic of product availability, Dykstra stated he would like a distributor with a “knowledgeable inside sales staff.” Dykstra also said that if a product is unavailable then he would like someone who could give him “good alternatives” to the product he needs. Should a more “cost-effective solution” exist he would want someone who could be knowledgeable enough to offer that alternative option. A distributor who could “deliver the material to a job site with a few hours notice” was also on his list of perfect distributor attributes. He would also like to be “provided with reliable support for lighting rebate paper work.”
Another side to the customer service point was on communications, another argument many contractors can get behind. “Don’t make me wait a long time on hold when I need to talk to someone.” This is one of Dykstra’s ideas that could be general practice for most companies; it is something that, from a customer’s perspective, can be extremely frustrating. Dykstra also stated he would like a distributor to have “state of the art” communication systems. This way he can receive “prompt electronic billing” and be “Provided with electronic pricing interfaces as necessary for my estimating software.” Along with the electronic communications Dykstra also pointed out he really preferred receiving email alerts on new products as opposed to a sales person dropping by to detail new products and leave samples. He said that it was a “more efficient use of my time.”
D&G Electric Inc. is a family owned business that has been serving the Chicagoland area for over 35 years. Gary Dykstra has been president of the company since its opening in 1978. Their website is easily accessed at www.dgelectric.com. The site explains all of their electrical services which run the gamut. Being very capable of dealing with large or small electrical upgrading or repair for commercial as well as industrial jobs, D&G Electric also excels at residential jobs. The family owned business strives to reach 100% customer satisfaction every day.
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