By Vicki Rulli and Tom Heaphey
A good rep is one of your store’s most valuable resources.
Tom: For those of you who may not know, Vicki and I are both pilots, and we used to own a 1940 Cessna 170A. We hangared it at a small family-owned airport where the owner provided insurance and maintenance for new as well as vintage aircraft.
So, what does this have to do with a furniture store? As we used to hang out there a lot, we noticed there was a steady flow of reps coming to call on the airport. They provided a continuous source of industry information, services, tools and products. We could see just how much Packer (the airport owner) valued and benefited from these reps.
Vicki: Fast forward a bunch of years and we are now store owners. In addition to always looking for products that fit our store brand, we also value the relationships we have with our current manufacturers and reps. There is no way we can have the same level of knowledge (both industry and brand specific) that a great rep brings to the table. This is especially true with the furniture side of things, where there are so many specific details to each manufacturer.
In January a multi-line rep, Steve, dropped by the store. He told me his wife was reading our column in Home Accents Today and asked him if he has ever visited our store. He had not, so he stopped by a few days later when he was in our area. He came in and I happened to be at the front desk. He said he was a rep and asked if I had a minute. Of course I did! Steve was doing my work for me by presenting a handful of lines that I could be interested in. I gave him my quick “Duo Brand” story and let him know our guidelines for what we carry. We talked for a minute and set up an appointment for a few weeks later.
During our next meeting, Steve provided us with detailed info on a couple of great companies that fit not only Duo’s brand, but items we were looking to add. We set up a meeting with him in High Point at the relevant showrooms and came away impressed. I can’t overstate how much time this saved us.
Tom: During one of our meetings with Steve, he shared with Vicki and I how nice it was that Vicki was welcoming and spent a little time talking with him. He elaborated that cold calls do not typically go that way. Most often he is told they are not interested without even knowing what he has to offer. He wasn’t complaining as he knows how busy a store owner or manager is. However, spending a few minutes of time talking with a rep can determine if they may be able to help you. If you are not available, make sure that your staff knows to at least get the rep’s info and whatever brochures they have to offer.
One of the tasks a good rep will do is screen potential suppliers for you. As you may recall, we have our “four goods” store model, so if a company does not meet that test, we do not need to invest our time on them. I see how much time Vicki and Jack will spend trying to source a single product — it’s exhausting! As a smaller independent store, we are looking for the new or perhaps smaller manufacturer that has a great unique product. By definition this type of company and product may not be mainstream or well known. So how do you find these companies? One way is through these reps that contact us.
Vicki: As I walk the trade shows and visit showrooms, I always make time to talk with the reps. I have found that factory or multiline reps typically have a great deal of industry and market knowledge, not to mention a very clear understanding of how to work with the companies they represent. One of the furniture companies we buy from has two of the best reps we have ever worked with. They helped me navigate situations that otherwise could have wasted my time and theirs. They act as a second set of eyes reviewing orders to ensure nothing is overlooked or unclear. When we placed our first order with their company, they provided invaluable guidance on styles, fabric and store merchandising. All these bits of knowledge and information save me time and costly missteps.
If a problem does arise somewhere in the process from placing the order all the way until it arrives on our dock, I reach out to my reps to assist with snags. I recall an instance where a shipment seemed to be delayed at every point in the process from placing the order, production and even shipping. This was a very discouraging experience because it is a great company with a fantastic product. I was frustrated and concerned about placing future orders with them. In stepped our rep! He was not able to solve the problem outright, but he helped us convey our issues to the people responsible within the company and gain valuable insight into minimizing the potential for having issues in the future.
Tom: The above situation was very stressful because the folks who bought this furniture from us are very good customers and you don’t want to come off as not knowing what is going on with an order.
So, what does all this boil down to? We are a small business with large well-funded competition not only in brick-and-mortar stores but also vast choices on the internet. The key to our success is service! We may not have the lowest price or the largest selection, but we do have the best value and service. Our reps provide so much assistance in so many ways they feel like part of Duo Home, and more importantly allow Vicki, Jack and I time to run and grow the business.
Note: While we have focused this article on furniture reps, we also value our reps from smaller home accessories — from dinnerware and kitchen items to linens and stationery. For the very small makers, we know a rep isn’t feasible, but their superpower is that it is often easy to talk to someone directly at the company.
Vicki Rulli and Tom Heaphey are the owners of Duo Home in Springfield, Ohio.
