Your view on Plumbers' Merchants

[Benchmark213]

We are a supplier of trade counter software to plumbers' merchants and would be interested to hear from any members about what makes your life easier when you go into a plumbers' merchant or what drives you nuts! What should they be doing or not doing that as a plumber would make a real difference to how you work? Thanks! Simon

 

[Rickster123]

Free, quality coffee! Can't even think without it.

 

[SimonG]

Software systems dont make good merchants. Good people do.

You can have the flashest system in the world, but if its operated by donuts youll get cack out of it.

Service and price are my big 2. Look no further than Williams

 

[IDCHAPPY]

They are all robbing bas... lovely people honest

 

[Toxic Ted]

Software systems dont make good merchants. Good people do.

You can have the flashest system in the world, but if its operated by donuts youll get cack out of it.

Service and price are my big 2. Look no further than Williams

As Simon says......no not THAT Simon says........the one above.

 

[Ermintrude]

Good staff make a merchants and ignorant ones fail.

 

[Alpha man]

A decent amount of stock!

 

[bright spark]

What about access to their stock list while your in the queue. It'll crack you up waiting 20 mins to find out the part ye require is not in stock. Like in Argos where you put in a part number, and they tell you about availability.
i know people will say ring 'em but sometimes ye can't get them on phone!!!

 

[Ermintrude]

Screwfix website allows you to. But it's about 2 hours behind . Some busy merchants.... Longest I've waited ever is 10 mins? For spares you shouldn't be using a merchant..... Use hot on heating spares and have them delivered super quick to the job

 

[Ray Stafford]

Just this.

 

[Ermintrude]

Succinct

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

We are a supplier of trade counter software to plumbers' merchants and would be interested to hear from any members about what makes your life easier when you go into a plumbers' merchant or what drives you nuts! What should they be doing or not doing that as a plumber would make a real difference to how you work? Thanks! Simon

dealing with Williams,proper professional,caring merchants who look after there customers,they are the benchmark that all merchants should aspire too,but cant

 

[AWheating]

local merchant by me still uses paper trail. It dont really matter as they provide good customer service and the guys behind the desk know there stuff.

Software is the concern of the merchant tbh, i dont really care unless it means the demise of decent guys serving you.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Pie Friday and knowledgable staff, I hate reading out a list then having to check the bag because the guy either gets confused or doesn't want to ask what I mean!

 

[Nostrum]

Christ, don't tell me self service checkouts are coming to merchants as well.

 

[brum]

dealing with Williams,proper professional,caring merchants who look after there customers,they are the benchmark that all merchants should aspire too,but cant[/Q

That's all well and good on mainland went to order a 210 litre unvented cylinder from Williams was quoted £180 delivery ordered same cylinder elsewhere £20 cheaper and free delivery potential saving of £200.
Keep the merchants on their toes otherwise they,you or both will become complascent..brum

 

[Ray Stafford]

dealing with Williams,proper professional,caring merchants who look after there customers,they are the benchmark that all merchants should aspire too,but cant[/Q

That's all well and good on mainland went to order a 210 litre unvented cylinder from Williams was quoted £180 delivery ordered same cylinder elsewhere £20 cheaper and free delivery potential saving of £200.
Keep the merchants on their toes otherwise they,you or both will become complascent..brum

Aye, sorry Brum. Our carrier doesn't do the scottish islands, and subs it to someone else, so the charges rocket up.

To be honest, much as it pains me to say it, I don't think we are the right merchant for anyone off the UK mainland - or indeed in the highlands.

Strangly however, we seem to have a lot of business on the falklands. Im not sure why, unless its a Portsmouth/navy thing.

 

[bright spark]

Christ, don't tell me self service checkouts are coming to merchants as well.

It there was self service in some of suppliers I go to you'd want to weigh or X-ray the customers on the way out haha!!

 

[Benchmark213]

I just wanted to say thank-you to everyone who took the time to post responses to my thread. We will be using the information to pass on to plumbers' merchants along. We will also look at developing some elements of our software to fit in with your comments, particularly the idea of a product look-up option as suggestion by "bright spark". The key piece of feedback certainly seems to be the quality of staff. I will post a link to the summary when we have uploaded it. Thanks again and enjoy the Bank Holiday. Simon

 

[Barry98]

Seems to a trend for us , get a price put quote in get job go back to merchants and price has gone up some times massively this week I've lost a job at a school because of it and subsequently will have to pay a fine

hey ho it's a bank holiday

 

[Benchmark213]

Do merchant's tend to hold prices for a period of time? Seems a bit harsh that you were quoted and then the price jumped up, though I guess some prices fluctuate a lot such as copper?? I'll include this point in my summary. What is a normal or reasonable period of time you would expect prices to be held? Do other trades get prices held?

 

[Ray Stafford]

Do merchant's tend to hold prices for a period of time? Seems a bit harsh that you were quoted and then the price jumped up, though I guess some prices fluctuate a lot such as copper?? I'll include this point in my summary. What is a normal or reasonable period of time you would expect prices to be held? Do other trades get prices held?

Depends on the product. We publish a book which is good for 4 months, but we can't put copper tube in there, because you can't fix the price of copper for any longer than you either have physical stock, or a futures contract. And anyone taking a futures contract for 4 months worth of copper tube is a professional gambler, not a merchant.

I think Bod is having a little dig at me here, since I quoted him something via an exchange of texts with only half the story...

 

[SimonG]

Normally 30 days. Last line on my estimate is price valid for 30 days from date of estimate.

 

[Millsy 82]

Seems to a trend for us , get a price put quote in get job go back to merchants and price has gone up some times massively this week I've lost a job at a school because of it and subsequently will have to pay a fine

hey ho it's a bank holiday

I thought most places gave a price for 30 days? after that it could change.

 

[bright spark]

I just wanted to say thank-you to everyone who took the time to post responses to my thread. We will be using the information to pass on to plumbers' merchants along. We will also look at developing some elements of our software to fit in with your comments, particularly the idea of a product look-up option as suggestion by "bright spark". The key piece of feedback certainly seems to be the quality of staff. I will post a link to the summary when we have uploaded it. Thanks again and enjoy the Bank Holiday. Simon

Don't forget to remember me in your will!!!!

 

[Barry98]

Depends on the product. We publish a book which is good for 4 months, but we can't put copper tube in there, because you can't fix the price of copper for any longer than you either have physical stock, or a futures contract. And anyone taking a futures contract for 4 months worth of copper tube is a professional gambler, not a merchant.

I think Bod is having a little dig at me here, since I quoted him something via an exchange of texts with only half the story...

2 thins 1 I thought you knew me better

2 if you only had half the story surely that's what you would of passed to Martin and both your prices would of been same ?

X

 

[IDCHAPPY]

I love dealing with Williams, i get the feeling that there's not baboons on the end of the phone.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Can we help you?

 

[kris]

Can we help you?
View attachment 19592

Selfies are on another thread Ray lol

 

[mache]

Regarding validity, a few years ago I was quoted some inconel 625 material. The quote was valid for 1 day only and delivery was quoted at 26 weeks. OK it wasn't plumbing related but an example of when demand outstrips supply then often all bets are off.

 

[R.Oak]

Good levels of stock and a system that allows quick transactions. nothing worse that losing half an hour out of a busy day just for a few fittings

 

[Benchmark213]

Baboons???? Following R.Oak's comments, is barcoding generally seen as a good thing i.e. something that speeds up the sales process? What about electronically signing for accounts? Would it be useful to have a screen showing what is currently on your order (minus prices of course)? Any other technology-related things that would make life easier for you?

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

any intergration with iphone or similar i love, i have an app for almost everything

 

[oz-plumber]

Not sure how you guys operate, but I have just done orders for jobs next week online.

We can login to some suppliers and order the necessary materials for jobs and either have them delivered to an address or available for pick up at any branch.

Of course this has some glitches, due to items that are not generally held in stock, but if that happens I will get a phonecall letting me know if the item(s) will not be available at the requested date / time.

At least now I don't have to waste time at the suppliers placing orders tomorrow for things that need doing next week.

 

[Anton]

Just this.

View attachment 19562

All respect to Dick Turpin, at least he had the decency to wear a mask.

 

[Benchmark213]

We can do this easily as an order import from a customer's Web site. We normally do it as a 'back office' function behind a customer's own e-commerce system. For example with National Shower Spares. It would be easy to create a generic Web page as a part of our software for each merchant but it then may conflict with their own ecommerce pages. We can pass this information on to merchants. It tends to be more down to the individual business.