Bob works at a machine building company, serving the agricultural industry. He is responsible for purchasing there. He has an important project under his belt and it must be taken care of properly and quickly.
The engineers provide him with a drawing package generated from the CAD system, STEP files and perhaps some PDFs. Content of work: mainly some set sheet metal work in various materials and types, various numbers and the like in post-processing.
He begins the search for a suitable supplier.
Through the central ERP, it automatically sends its RFQ to 5 parties.
After 2 business days, these are the responses:
- 1)… “Please fill out our Excel order list. Do you also have a DXF?… and side drawing in PDF?”
- 2)… “The price is about €15,000, delivery time by arrangement.”
- 3)… “Thanks for your email, we try to process it within 3-5 business days”
- 4)… (… no response)....
- 5).. “Here is a link to open your digital quote through the portal. Your account is already activated. The delivery time and price you choose in the portal is guaranteed.”
Which vendor do you think Bob would choose? And how much more would Bob be willing to pay for the same content of work? And how often do you think Bob will send requests to the other companies in the future?
The point is:
The easiest and most reliable choice is worth more in the eyes of a buyer. If you are considering investing in better customer service, remember that the payoff is not just in productivity improvement.
