Manufacturer Support: A Give and Take Situation
Like the little girl with the curl, when it’s good it’s very good but...
November 2007 By Lorraine A. DarConte
Depending on whom you ask, manufacturer support of retailers is either up, down, or indifferent. Some retailers are very happy about the support they receive today, while others long for days gone by when they could pick up the phone and speak directly with a rep. “Sooner or later we will lose all contact with manufacturers,” laments Manny Park of Pro Image. “Support for retailers is way, way down, but I understand manufacturers have made changes because they need to survive. I can’t argue with that.” For Park, delivery and shipping costs are a huge issue. “Paper and chemicals are very heavy and they’re not something UPS or Fed Ex can handle. So it’s delivered by a special trucking company, which I’m sure was a step toward reducing costs. The local trucking company doesn’t prioritize deliveries and quite often items get delayed or lost in the channel. Only a few months ago, when I placed an order, I could request next day delivery at no extra charge. But those sweet days are gone.”
“Some companies have really gotten good while others have fallen by the wayside,” adds Bill Ferguson of Hokanson Camera. “I’m getting tremendous support from Olympus that is far and away better than anyone else. Their repair turnaround is amazing,” he states. “Although I don’t get too many Olympus products to repair, what I do send in I’m getting back in 7 to 10 days; I have to wait 3-6 weeks on other companies. Their customer support is also good. Just this morning I had a question and called the tech rep; he answered my question while I was with the customer in the store. It’s nice to have that quick access and not hear ‘I’ll get back to you.’”
Tony Miresse, President, Art’s Cameras Plus, says he relies heavily on support from key vendors to fund promotions throughout the year. “The biggest events are my June Tent Sale and my November Fall Expo. Both are huge events that center around a multi-rep demo. I spend a lot of money to promote these events,” states Miresse, “most of which I get from my vendor partners. I don’t just run an ad in Thursday’s newspaper and expect people to come in. I run an eight-page flyer in full color that shows it’s a true event. I use the support to really pound the market with advertising, whether it’s a flyer, an extensive radio campaign or getting my mug on TV programs.
“Some companies have really gotten good while others have fallen by the wayside,” adds Bill Ferguson of Hokanson Camera. “I’m getting tremendous support from Olympus that is far and away better than anyone else. Their repair turnaround is amazing,” he states. “Although I don’t get too many Olympus products to repair, what I do send in I’m getting back in 7 to 10 days; I have to wait 3-6 weeks on other companies. Their customer support is also good. Just this morning I had a question and called the tech rep; he answered my question while I was with the customer in the store. It’s nice to have that quick access and not hear ‘I’ll get back to you.’”
Tony Miresse, President, Art’s Cameras Plus, says he relies heavily on support from key vendors to fund promotions throughout the year. “The biggest events are my June Tent Sale and my November Fall Expo. Both are huge events that center around a multi-rep demo. I spend a lot of money to promote these events,” states Miresse, “most of which I get from my vendor partners. I don’t just run an ad in Thursday’s newspaper and expect people to come in. I run an eight-page flyer in full color that shows it’s a true event. I use the support to really pound the market with advertising, whether it’s a flyer, an extensive radio campaign or getting my mug on TV programs.
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