Trade Suppliers – Reaffirming our commitment
In 1994, AWM Limited set out a new company vision to become dedicated suppliers to the UK Scale Trade. We had the following goals:
- To offer our trade customers a reliable and trustworthy partner who could supply and support the best weighing products and solutions at competitive prices
- To provide an unmatched customer service that would instil in our partners the confidence to sell our products and the trust that they will always be supported
- To allow our expertise and know-how to be readily accessible to our distributors
- To set RRP prices that give us and our trade customers a sensible and competitive margin that can be used to maintain and consistently improve products, services and facilities
- To not compete with the trade and sell through trade partners whenever possible
- To respect our RRP prices to ensure we don’t compete with the scale trade and provide a level playing field for all our customers. Earn the trust and respect of our customers and the scale industry by achieving all of the above with a team that is friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and dedicated to improving the weighing industry
Now in 2018, nearly 25 years later, how did we do?
Well, we think we nailed it! We remain fully dedicated to our trade customers and still have the same company ethos to raise standards, increase quality and provide the best possible customer service. Our recent Customer Survey has also confirmed that we are doing things right – nearly 100% of respondents said our team are “Very Knowledgeable and Helpful” and 100% of respondents said the experience of working with us is either “Excellent” or “Very Good”.
These charts and surveys are extremely pleasing to see and show that our company vision really is right on track, but this blog isn’t meant to just “blow our own trumpet” (no more pie charts, honestly!), it is an opportunity to show how it is possible to be a dedicated trade supplier and not “run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds” so to speak.
Yes, it’s been a challenging time for Trade Suppliers with ultra-low cost foreign manufacturers offering their products directly to almost anyone willing to import, making the market awash with potentially unregulated and poorly supported products – and all at RRP prices that can only drive the industry into the ground. The temptation to jump on the band wagon and focus on direct selling to the end user is strong and, as such, there are very few genuine trade-focused suppliers left. But, as you know, we believe and have proven that there is still the need for trade suppliers who provide more than just a box shifting service. We have written previously about the importance of a personalised customer service and, as that blog states, believe that this, along with all the other benefits that working with us brings, is worth paying that little bit extra for.
We set out our stall nearly 25 years ago now and are standing by it. We don’t believe in offering our products to the trade and then competing against them. We don’t run an online shop where we sell our products at the same price (or less) as the trade can buy, we don’t have a service team that touts for calibration contracts against our customers and we don’t sell the trade a product at cut-throat prices only to offer little or no back-up or support.
AWM Limited is a reliable and trustworthy trade supplier who will always aim to provide the best weighing solutions and the best customer service possible. Today, 25 years on, we are re-affirming our commitment to our trade partners and to growing our mutual businesses together.
If you are interested in working with us and would like further information please contact our Business Development Manger – James Hobbs on james@awmltd.com or call 01284 701222.
