Putting an end to complacency in a frustrated marketplace
EDITOR ’ S CHOICE THE RIGHT SOLUTION
AXAIR FANS
Putting an end to complacency in a frustrated marketplace
Recognising that there ’ s a problem in an industry run by giants is the first step to ending customer complacency , but recognising that there are viable alternatives to these giants without the perceived hassle opens huge opportunities to change the way you do business . Andrew Jones , Technical Director at Axair Fans examines the benefits of stepping out of complacency .
As customers we often get so conditioned to an industry that we assume there is only one way of doing something . But as we all understand , there ’ s rarely one way . In an industry where there are a handful of excellent companies with a strong complete team , there are also small to medium businesses in the industry who don ’ t have the advantage of being completely autonomous in their component sourcing . They lack resource or confidence in their own technical selections , integration techniques , or have a fear of trusting unknown suppliers , creating barriers to future competitive advantage .
Fear is a huge driver of complacency . A procurement department tasked with finding components , may turn down a lesser-known company that in culture , value and service , is a better fit for their needs . The reason ? Fear , whether real or perceived , that their job would be on the line if something went wrong . This causes teams to ignore the express purpose of their job and even do something that was not in the company ’ s best interests .
Imagine approaching a new component sales organisation for technical assistance and having one single contact for technical
Reports show that 84 % of technical buyers prefer purchasing from a company that understands their goals , they clearly want to be understood .
and commercial questions , without getting passed around when you just need the answer that enables you to move onto the next step . Large companies struggle with this , especially as they ’ ve grown quickly and lost that attentive value . Customer requests are initially dealt with by customer service , escalated to senior levels , then passed to technical with weeks of delays and customer chasing before being brushed aside . The same message is rung around multiple industries . That larger companies often don ’ t have the time or care for customers spending below a certain threshold . Standards change if you allow them to , when companies start working more with larger customers . The cost of that choice falls on the value added for customers outside of these golden eggs . For small to medium company issues , this poor level of service continually creates complacency . These large companies can stop caring and begin to take customers for granted . That ’ s an indication that the industry itself has become complacent .
From my experience of working in the tech and engineering industries in my career , similar sized business clients have similar needs ; to work collaboratively , to be listened to , to have access to an attentive and focused contact , and to rely on the resourcefulness of the technical team in helping to integrate solutions . Focusing on our niche clients in the value-added customer centric approach we have at Axair leads to trust , quick decisions and everything just moves at a faster pace . Customers are individuals , they ’ re not companies they work in . We identified early on that our purpose was to help customers to build better systems , and almost 32 years on from our incorporation date , we continue to embed our values into the team , forming long lasting relationships and partnerships with key industry stakeholders .
If your business is coasting by working with existing suppliers who haven ’ t stepped up the mark , then it ’ s time to think about how you can end the complacency . Yes , its always tempting to go after the biggest fish in the pond , thinking it will clearly be the best , but if you ’ re falling short , then consideration should be given to better value-added smaller players who just might be the right fit for your needs .
For further information , please visit www . axair-fans . co . uk
34 PECM Issue 70