Friday, May 11, 2012

How to Order Industrial Supplies Online

By Justin Nielsen


Today, doing business online has become almost commonplace. One exception to this may be factories, warehouses and other enterprises who have been ordering their equipment and supplies the same way for decades or have tried ordering online and had a negative experience. They have not yet learned the most effective way to order industrial supplies and equipment.

Before the advent of ecommerce, industrial facilities forged relationships with reps, who came to their place of business periodically to fill orders, introduce new products and recommend new products. This is still common practice, but in a world where time is money, businesses are now forging links with industrial supplies websites rather than company representatives. This has both positive and negative consequences.

The great thing about making purchases online is how quick and easy it is. By cutting out the middleman (the sales rep), you are able to find what you need fast and order it. If you are lucky enough to find a good source the first time you try, you will continue to order your industrial supplies online. If you're really lucky, the first supplier you find will have a large online catalog and you'll be able to find everything from packaging tape to forklifts all at the same location.

On the negative side, these online industrial supplies companies can be impersonal. When you try to contact them directly, you often find yourself talking to or exchanging emails with an unqualified third party - often in a different country. If you place a large order for a variety of products, something might be missing and the only explanation given will be that it's on back order and will be delivered in two weeks. You angrily ask why you weren't informed about that at the time you placed your order and they don't have a reasonable answer to your question.

If you need a vital forklift part or essential supply, you need to know you can get it fast. It can be disastrous to have a delivery arrive only to find that the part you have been waiting for has been put on back order. All it takes is for this to happen once and many businesses swear off ordering industrial supplies and go back to ordering the old fashioned way, assuming all online companies are the same.

Well, that's not really the case: they aren't all alike. Some of the best online materials handling equipment and supply companies have been in business since long before the arrival of the internet. Their core business has been devoted to direct, face-to-face customer service and when they make the transition to ecommerce, that remains a core aspect of their business, online or off. They know how vital all your industrial supplies are to your business and know that if you have a question, you want to communicate with someone who is as professional as you are, not an auto-responder or generic answering service.

When you have the advantages of online ordering and personal service combined, you have the best of both worlds - the speed and ease of the internet and the expertise of a company with a long history in the industrial supplies business. If you've had problems ordering online before, don't give up. Find a materials handling equipment and supplies company that knows the meaning of personal service and enjoy the benefits.




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