[Question] Sales or support

[Isetech]

Do you buy a product from a company because they have the best sales team or because they have the best support?

I am not talking once off sales, I am talking about products you use on a daily/weekly or monthly basis.

[Justloadit]

I inquire about after sales service, more importantly, turn around time for a repair. If its less than a week, then chances are there is a local repair centre with spares.
The other question I usually throw in innocently is how often items fail. I do not make it a direct question, or else they will always say hardly ever. It must be asked in between the conversation, especially when they are feeling comfortable with you.
A higher price may be worth it simply because of the after sales service.

[Blurock]

Do you buy a product from a company because they have the best sales team or because they have the best support?

I am not talking once off sales, I am talking about products you use on a daily/weekly or monthly basis.

A supplier can make or break your business, therefore it is most important to choose your supplier wisely. You can usually choose between Quality, Price and Service, more than often you can get only 2 out of the 3. The sales people come and go, the product and the attitude of the owner/manager is what counts.
If you can find a good supplier, nurture him and build a good relationship because the day will come that you will need him to sort out something or to give extra credit.
An unreliable and inconsistent supplier will let you down when you least expect it.

[Isetech]

I have found that the sales service depends on supply and demand.

If the industry is booming, the sales service for the little guy becomes a challenge. When the industry takes a knock, then you have the sales people contacting you to trying to make their monthly targets. I use the sales reps to gauge an industry.

This was part of a discussion I was having with some people a while back, we were trying to figure out what separates the 1-3 / 3-5 / 5-10 / 10 year and beyond businesses.

I was asked what makes me tick, gets me up in the morning and keeps me going. I think at one stage it was just the fact that a bank manager told me I wouldn't last 5 years and refused to finance a bakkie (I have purchased and paid off many vehicles since then, no thanks to that bank).

I agree with Blurock, I have been fortunate to have the support of a few good suppliers, who offer me good quality products, good prices, and good support. As you mentioned being loyal to suppliers also pays off in the long run. My busiest time is at year end, because we do factory relocations and shutdowns, we normally spend a couple of days preparing for the shut down or relocation, however things change. I have had to call suppliers during their shutdown period to get spares.

The other advantage is getting first option on stock when it is not available.

[Thys LOW Elektries]

Another aspect is quotes.
No use you have great sales, great support, friendly staff but you have to wait a week or two to get a price out of them on items you need for a project where the client wanted a quote done yesterday...