ROOFING OPEN ALL HOURS
BMJ talks to roof systems manufacturer Marley, and merchants Jewson and Wythall Roofing Centre, about how online account management is working for them.
I
n an era where customers expect to be able to access information at any time of day, or night, some manufacturers are introducing online tools to help merchants have 24-7 acc access to stock and order information. As a consumer, if you regularly buy products from an online company, it’s likely that you’ll have an account where you can access all of the information about your recent purchases and track your order status. Yet, when it comes to building materials, many manufacturer account management systems for merchants are still based on traditional communications methods, such as telephone and face-to-face contact.
While this type of direct communication is vital for manufacturer and merchant relationships, in an era where customers expect to be able to access information instantly, some manufacturers are also introducing online account management systems. These ensure all merchants can have instant access to stock, pricing and order information, even outside of office hours.
One such company is roof systems manufacturer, Marley, which has just re- launched its My Account online account management system. My Account is a password protected portal within the Marley website that allows merchants to view their orders, current prices and stock availability, book onto training courses and order multiple product samples and literature to any address they want 24/7.
Emily Jane Dix, who works on the My
Account team at Marley, explains how the service complements the traditional support they offer to merchants: “Many merchants are open outside of our office hours, later into the evening and on weekends as well. The thinking behind My Account was that we wanted to make life easier for them, so they could check stock availability, order samples and see their orders and pricing at any time of day or night. Each branch has its own log in, which can be used on any computer or device, so they can easily access it anywhere, at any time. It means that we can always be there for merchants, even when we’re closed. Merchants are getting busier and busier and the system is designed to save them time, giving them the information they need in one place.”
One of the Jewson branches using the My Account system is Govan and branch manager Simon McKay says: “We have been using the My Account system for a while now and it’s useful to be able to see the availability of Marley tiles and also have instant access to our purchase orders, pricing and quotes. Our branch staff are trained to help customers find the best practical answer at the most affordable price, within the right timescale. Having this type of information ready, at a glance, on an online system like My Account, helps our staff to offer the best roofing solution for our customers.”
Marley is currently the only roof systems
Working together: Marley’s Emily-Jane Dix and Wythal Roofing Centre’s Daniel Guest
manufacturer to offer this type of online service, and over the past few months it has been carrying out in depth focus groups with merchants to improve the functionality of the My Account system ahead of its re-launch. As well as a new look, over the coming months merchants will see improvements to the system including more detailed order tracking. Daniel Guest, from Solihull-based Wythall Roofing Centre, was one of the merchants that took part in the user focus groups and told us: “We’re a busy merchant supplying building and roofing materials to customers across the whole of Birmingham and the West Midlands area. We use the My Account system to check stock availability and order samples, which saves time rather than having to ring up and is also useful on a Saturday outside of normal office hours.
“As the first online roofing system of its kind, it is useful for us to be able to provide feedback about the additional functionality we would find helpful, such as the ability to create and track orders and also to change delivery addresses. We look forward to seeing the changes that Marley is implementing over the coming months.”
Marley is keen to stress that this type of online service can’t replace traditional support. Merchants still have their own dedicated customer service staff and sales manager, who are at the end of the phone to help them deal with any queries. Emily-Jane Dix says: “It’s about making life easier for merchants and their customers, giving them the information they need, how and when they want it – whether that is over the phone, or online. My Account has been quite widely adopted by merchants and our aim is for all branches to be actively using the system by 2020.”
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www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2019
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