Large acquirers need to cut costs and streamline operations. However, the continuing need to cut costs, restructure and streamline operations lends itself to uncertainty and other issues involving service and supply, and employee morale, says Merica. That activity eventually takes a toll on service. Often, their inability to provide adequate service levels literally drives sizable accounts to our front door. There s nothing magical about retaining customers, according to Merica.
Customers migrate when they can t obtain common welding products in a timely manner.
Our competition often runs out of stock and takes too long to fill backorders. Plus, when some of my competitors streamlined their operations, they became impersonal they routed calls away from their stores to remote consolidated centers. The service gap was one of the reasons Five Star was born. Two well-run independents in our area were sold in 1995. Their customers were accustomed to a high level of service, and were not open to change.