sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Question for installers...

Kinda doing a poll...
It seems as though a number of you sell equipment as well as doing installations.

Given the option, would you prefer to piggyback on a distribution network (ie customers who buy equipment would be referred to you for installation and service), or would you rather act as a full-service reseller that handles both equipment and services?

Curious to get your opinions on the benefits and headaches of each.

[This message has been edited by PaulPM (edited July 14, 2005).]

I would rather do it all. Referral work never pays on time and I think the middle man does not need to be there. If you want to email me I will sell your product too ;-)

You kidding me or what? Would I prefer that some cheap SOB buys God only knows what equipment off something like ebay then expects me to give them a "good" price on installation? What kind of money do you think I'm going to make on that deal?

They should all die of massive brain hemorrages!

-Hal

I was actually thinking that some vendors may not have installation capabilities, and so would refer customers (w/new equipment)to a local installer.

Just trying to figure out why some installers resell and some don't. Is it that some people just haven't selected one partner brand yet, or does it change the business since you have to do more sales?

Thanks



[This message has been edited by PaulPM (edited July 14, 2005).]

If they agree to my contracting prices and its a legimate company with good references and good payment history....I'm in my truck and ready to go.........

If they agree to my contracting prices...

I agree with you but my experience is that 9 times out of 10 if they are too cheap to buy the equipment from me they will think my installation price is too expensive also.

Funny thing is if they do buy the equipment from me I can give them a much better price for installation, sometimes we even run a "free installation" sale. An of course you get a 1 year warranty and service.

These guys think they are slick, but they are really shooting themselves in the foot. Sure they can get it cheaper and then find some trunk slammer to install it. But what happens when it craps out or they need instructions on how to program it?

Come to think of it they probably come here...

-Hal

OK, I am stepping up on my soap box again:

I'll stick with WRichey on this one.....Some slick Willie sells a brand-new system on e-bay, collects payment in advance, has it drop-shipped from his wholesaler and pockets the only profit that can be made on a sale like that.

Some poor schlep looking for work takes on the installation, knowing exactly how to do his job and does it well installing and programming it.

Then, a month later something goes wrong or the customer doesn't understand how to use it. Joe the e-bay seller isn't going to fix it; it's up to the end user to arrange for their local installer (or someone else) to fix it. They might even have to take a part out and send it in for factory repair under the "warranty" because the manufacturer isn't going to send replacements directly to the end-user.

Guess who ends up being the bad guy? The last person who touched the system.

This is a lose-lose situation for installers who think they can actually make money AND maintain a long-term relationship (where the real money is) with a customer. You have already been cut out of the up-front profit on equipment you would have made. Why settle for just covering your costs as the seller wipes their hands with regard to support, weekend emergency calls, etc. while they sit on a Carribean beach spending the profit they made? Seriously, it costs them a toll-free call to their supplier, which is nothing!

Installing for an end-user who bought their own hardware has NEVER resulted in a long-term relationship with a customer with us after 22 years in business. They bought it cheap and will continue to look for someone who's cheaper than you are. No loyalty whatsoever.

I personally like the customers who like us, but that's just my opinion.

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Ed
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How come there's always enough time to go back and fix it a second time?

I simply won't touch it. If some guy working out of the trunk of his car wants to make a buck then so be it. I have too many other legitimate customers to take care of to take time out for a nothing deal. Life is too short to worry about people like that IMHO.

Customers come and go as well as businesses, most start ups are looking for price, the larger ones are more than likely not always looking for price but service too (you guys bread and butter) but you never know what companies are destine to be one of these. The key is figuring out which kind these customers are for billing purposes. The buy it off Ebay real cheap ones get that "good price" Mitch was talking about. (it's all in how you interpret the word good )
As far as the Installation industry goes you take the job if you need it and not if ya don't and if ya take it...bill the customers accordingly. One thing I think works well and that's in any business is to get the customer in the door, first and foremost. I wouldn't let the part of where they got the equipment upset ya, the Ebay people and ones like Sundance aren't going away. If your good at what you do and you show that customer that, you take care of them when they call and as soon as possible. You'll be able to keep that customer and charge them what ever your worth...they won't let you go.
Many companies are using their IT people to take care of their phones stuff. When these guys call...don't turn them away, charge them for consultation and programming help or what ever the customer asks for...and charge them accordingly, ya might want to get it up front too, you never know who's going to be a good customer. When ya find the bad ones who want everything free, their always going to be around too, it don't take long to see who's who.
I think the poll is asking the wrong question. I think everyone would want them both, I personally don't want anything to do with the service...hence why this board was created.

I dont believe this is going in the right direction. The poll was for what would you rather do, i.e if the inventor of a product was going to market with it, would the inventor be better going with wholesale to us or selling it to an other format like networkers and let them make the money while we install it. Kind of like sbc does with dish.

I hope this was clear enough and in the right vein as to what the poller wanted to get at