MERCHANT FOCUS
the move towards technological advancement isn’t for all their customers. “The challenge with builders’ merchants is the transition between the generations, the ones who want to pick up a phone and speak to someone versus the younger generation who transact their lives through their phone. That’s the challenge going forward.” Passingham adds, “This industry is very hard to replicate online. We have an online presence, you can order online, administer your account online, but the service and product knowledge we provide is very difficult to replicate well online and that is something we pride ourselves on.”
Their new website was launched earlier in the year and has since developed their online presence. Marketing hasn’t been their priority in recent years but as the digital age progresses, they realise that going forward they need to adapt. “You need to know that we are here to find us. We rely very much on word of mouth and recommendation. The social media aspect of it, we are trying to improve. Developing your online presence is expensive for independent merchants but were not afraid to try various methods of advertising”, says Passingham. Because of the varying needs of the customers in their industry, they maintain a customer focused approach to ensure all are catered for. “It is bringing our customers with
orders that may be beyond one branches capability. Successfully using both their Sevenoaks and Ashford branches allows more orders to be fulfilled. “We try and work between the two branches, if we get the enquiry at Sevenoaks but is better served by Ashford and the inter-branch relationships have been built upon so we can do that.
“If a customer has a far-flung flight, we will try and fulfil the order ourselves or get an NBG partner to fulfil the order. We have sacrificed profitability in order to provide customer satisfaction on occasion”, says Sparrow.
us. We don’t force them to administer their accounts online, they can still come in with cash, but it gives those who use their phones the facility to order on a Sunday and pick up next day”, says Passingham.
Keeping the customer satisfied is of great importance to OBM and is further reflected in how they utilise their two branches to satisfy
As their business continues to make progress financially, Sparrow and Passingham suggest that expanding OBM to three branches is on the cards for the future. “Another branch elsewhere in Kent would be great but we have looked at Surrey and West Sussex, we don’t want to step on the toes of our current branches, but we don’t want to go too far.” Regarding their family fostered atmosphere, Sparrow recognises that having another branch too far away may diminish that aspect that they’ve worked so hard to establish. Whilst expansion is the obvious move forwards, OBM is still conscious of their wider values. “We’re trying to build the business that is compatible with our family values.” BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net April 2020
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