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FEATURES
Venturing into the
challenging territory of
selling to the end user
Plumbers and plumbing companies are essentially the
solder of the joints between manufacturers and the end
user, but it’s not as clean cut as changing a washer.
By Benjamin Brits
Selling to consumers or the end user is a scenario
that involves two crucial relationships: that of the
manufacturer with the plumber, and the plumber with
the consumer. Suppliers want their products to reach
the end user, and plumbers need to choose the right
products for the application, while being exposed to
multiple brands, options, and desires of the consumer.
Now while some manufacturers and suppliers venture
into selling directly to the end user, the question one
really has to ask is, is this best practice for the plumbing
industry? Most end users lack the understanding and the
experience required to perform their own plumbing work
and have a limited knowledge of products. On the other
hand, as a country we have seen very slow development
of service delivery, water shortages, a financially
constrained economy, and the overall level of trust
decreasing. This leads to the end user becoming much
more involved in decisions such as brand choice.
“It is common nowadays that the end users are spending
more time educating themselves on what products they
want and what other people’s reviews on these products
are. Based on their research they then have a leaning
towards certain brands,” says Mark Moyce, national
sales and marketing director of Kwikot. Specifically, with
the rise of social media as a vehicle to voice an opinion
or dissatisfaction as we have seen in other industries,
bad reviews can devastate a brand’s reputation.
WORKING THE SOLUTIONS
One thing not to be benched or taken lightly with regard
to selling to the end user, is the fact that plumbers
spend a significant amount of time in qualifying for their
trade. A three-year apprenticeship after basic theory
has been covered, shows the importance of developing
the right knowledge through experience. As we are all
March 2019 Volume 25 I Number 1
aware, plumbing does not just mean connecting two
pipes together — it involves pressures, flow rates, pipe
sizing, correct fall levels, understanding of electrical
components, and so on — all aspects that the end user
has neither an understanding of, or real concern over.
Despite this, in some countries around the world, the
end user is choosing to DIY in vastly more sectors,
including plumbing. This is happening for a variety of
reasons, such as financial challenges and a lack of
service delivery — especially in low-income areas.
If you look at the state of informal settlements, the
residents lack basic services such as water and toilets,
but more than this: funds to invest in any sort of
significant plumbing and sanitation. They are therefore
often left with no choice but to go it alone, selecting
products based on limited information that they hope
best suits their need. It is not a case of quality and how
long the product is going to last, but rather finding a
functional solution.
End users at these levels are doing everything
from installing pipes, taps, and toilet mechanisms
to harvesting and using rainwater and grey water
resources. This is perhaps one of the strongest reasons
why trained professionals should be executing these
types of installations, and access to the related products
should possibly be limited to plumbers alone.
“People always want to cut costs and the reality is that
the general population, without the correct knowledge and
understanding of health and risks, are coming up with their
own solutions. Harvesting of rainwater and use of grey
water have been in effect for years now in areas like Cape
Town. The drought problem is not going away, and in fact
it is spreading to other provinces, so people are coming up
with their own solutions anyway,” Moyce notes.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za