Quoting Fleet accounts

[Vikingfann]

In quoting/pricing fleet accounts, if all other things are basically equal and it comes down to price, how much do you discount from your normal residential cash price? I would think dealership/carlots might have the greatest discount and industrial/fleet customers somewhat less.

[screenman]

For most of us I would suggest that often our best customer does not get or ask for a discount, just superior service. Price is only one of many buying points, I prefer to focus on the others first.

Nobody ever regrets buying quality.

[SeeClearly]

I agree with Screenman. Price is the last thing you should use to market your company, not to mention what it does to the industry as a whole. Promote what you DO for them. Everything comes at a price. We walk away from customers if they want too low of a price. A major nationwide company does real cheap repairs in all of our reigions. We simply tell others that we are in a different league and do not compete with the "low ballers" out there in industry. My favorite saying.....be careful, you get what you pay for!

[GLASSTIME]

Typically,

You here 40% off retail. (Non - Insurance). I say 40% off from a Insurance pay!

[puka pau]

Almost everyone either consciously or subconsciously considers the metrics of price, product, and service when making a purchase. As the contacts in fleet accounts are people, they tend to choose vendors based on these three metrics. However, these metrics always combine in varying proportions: some value price more than service; others value product over price; and still others value service most of all and are not as price or product sensitive. Not only that, but the proportions of these three metrics in the purchase equation can and will change for the same account depending on external forces like the economy at large, the economics of the account's market, the viability of the accounts business plan in regard to their budget and the emotional and psychological condition of the contact person at the point in time that he or she is approached by the WSR rep - in other words, the success of the sale is always a moving target. I have always used a consultive sales technique. I ask a lot of questions. I listen to what the contact person tells me. I don't necessarily expect to close the deal during the first meeting. I have a comprehensive understanding of what the competition offers. And I ultimately understand that not every fleet operator "gets it" as far as WSR goes. Every fleet may be a potential customer, but not every fleet will buy. I either qualify or disqualify (using my own metrics) each fleet before I expend the time and energy to cultivate a relationship and I realize that all customers have different needs - I never sell a one-size-fits-all price, product or service.

Cheers;

Puka Pau

[screenman]

Not forgetting that the more the customer spends with you the more they save on replacement costs.

[puka pau]

Screenman;
That's true, but only if the client has a replacement protocol in place that is diligently exercised. We both know that there are many, many fleet accounts that will just let the glass deteriorate hoping and praying that they will never have to replace it. I'm aware that we don't mention specific numbers on this forum so I'll offer some theoretical numbers for the sake of ilustration.
If the price of the glass including installation labor is $100 and I charge $20 per repair, 5 repairs will cover the cost of replacement (let's say I also charge a flat rate of $50 for a crack repair). Many times I've done an initial survey with the contact person (service manager, etc) and consistently observe glass with, for example, six or seven damages plus a crack or two or three. It doesn't take long for the service manager to total the cost of repairs and compare that sum to the cost of a piece of replacement glass - 6 repairs @ $20 = $120 plus two cracks @$50 = $100 and that $220 could buy two new installations at $100 per with money left over. So how do you overcome an objection couched in basic arithmetic? Learn how to sell the intangible as well as the tangible benefits of WSR or move on to the next fleet.

Cheers;

Puka Pau