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PRO INSTALLER FEBRUARY 2016
TRADE COUNTERS
@proinstaller1
Staff go to exhibitions to keep
up to speed on products – they
had just come back from a roofing
show when we visited.
‘The trade counter has
a friendly atmosphere
as soon as you walk
in. There’s a well-used
coffee machine and,
much to customers’
pleasure, free bacon
sandwiches on Fridays’
COMPANY ETHOS
The trade counter has a friendly
atmosphere as soon as you walk
in. There’s a well-used coffee
machine and, much to customers’
pleasure, free bacon sandwiches
on Fridays. It’s a sociable trade
counter and there is plenty of
gossip but most installers do real
business when they visit.
Director Rob Smale is known
among staff as very down-to-earth
and personable but extremely
work driven.
The counter runs three vehicles
and does 20 to 40 free deliveries a
day. Staff make sure that customers can get what they want on site
and are often to be found stacking
something on one of the lads’ cars
or vans. On occasions customers
ring ten minutes before closing
time saying they’re stuck in traffic,
and staff wait for them to get to
the trade counter. It’s that kind of
attention to service that the trade
counter is most proud of. Staff
spend hours in the back showing
customers’ products and have a
fast turnaround time.
The trade counter has a low
turnover of employees and several
are related or family friends.
CUSTOMERS
During our visit, the trade
counter was const