I recently needed to buy new appliances, and as part of a diligent search, compared several brands and their features. Though I was soon overwhelmed by the data I collected, I sorted out a list of brands and model numbers that met my needs. Thinking that my task was nearly complete, I proudly moved on to pricing and sourcing the items.
I began with the internet, as this is where I had done all of my research, and kept in mind that price would not be the only decision maker. After shipping, online prices were on par with those at the big box stores. Shopping at the box stores, however, led me to salesmen with knowledge levels that were patchy at best, and when asked about service, the answer was always “service is offered through the manufacturer.”
Department store staffs were more knowledgeable and the store provided service, both pluses, but brand selections were limited and though knowledgeable, salespeople would make claims that I knew not to be true to try and make a sale. I appreciated their loyalty to the store and its brands, but they allowed for little flexibility. They would all tell stories of happy customers while at the same time internet review sites had lists of repair problems. Also, as with the box stores, they wanted to deliver the appliances immediately, something for which I was not ready.
Doing further research revealed a consumer report that many people were happiest when they shopped at a small, locally-owned appliance dealer. The good news was that I had one near me! I walked in and met Steve, showed him my list, and began to discuss the pros and cons. He mentioned that taking one feature out of my refrigerator – a door ice dispenser – would likely reduce future problems. Steve could have the appliances delivered anytime I wanted (turned out to be six months later) and said that his store would be the only number to call if I had any problems with any of the five brands I had selected. This was important because I was buying eight appliances; I knew I would have a problem sooner or later.
Steve then took me to the appliances he had in his small showroom. He could only show me a few examples, but this mattered little because I had seen all of them in my previous searches. When he showed me the oven I wanted, he had to apologize because the door was missing. He explained to me that a customer had recently installed one and found the controls were faulty. The replacement was going to take two weeks, so Steve had removed the door from the show room model to keep the customer operating. It was then that knew I had my supplier.
Since then, the appliances were delivered on time and Steve has twice made arrangements for a manufacturer repair. I made one call, he made many. I can only imagine the number of calls I would have had to make if I had used another supplier.
This is what small business does best, and when it does it well, it easily exceeds any other competitor. A small business may not have the advertising budget and may not offer the gift cards and fancy showrooms, but making their customer happy is their focus because happy customers keep them in business. Long may they thrive!