Customer Appreciation Days (CAD)

[Mikey P]

Does your local supplier have one very year?
Do you go?
Do you wait for the CAD to make big purchases?
Do you learn anything in general?
Do all the pretty blue truckmounts show up?
Do you socialize with the other cleaners there?
Do you eat the free food?
If you have two local suppliers, do you go to both and play them to get the best price?
What would make the event('s) better?

 

[hogjowl]

My favorite supplier, TCS, has one every year, but I always stay home. Why? Not because they are bad people, and not because their give-aways and specials are not worth the trip. It's because I have been to enough fests to know that all of them are the same, and the discussions are all the same, and the food is all the same, and the women are all ugly and the guys all have plumbers cracks that make me want to puke.

And, the Atlanta market is made up of nothing but apartment hacks.

So, I stay away and thank God I am not like you people!!!

 

[Mikey P]

Did you leave the condo today?

 

[hogjowl]

My wife sent me to Walmart to get her some female products.

 

[Mark Saiger]

Our most local distributor is 3. 5 hours away and I do try to attend. I purchase a number of items that will help make me through the year. Some items don't have a shelf life for that length of time, but many items they have on sale help my over all bottom line. They do have the prices, food, music and I do like to mingle and see other cleaners that I don't get to see that often. I do enjoy the time with everyone. That CAD day is coming up the second weekend of August for us. I am going to try to attend.

Mark Saiger

 

[Mikey P]

Thats a long way to drive Mark.

Do they ship you your gummy sharks and booties most of the time?

 

[ruff]

I go if I have the time and if the kids want a burger (we usually do not cook meat at home and no, I am not taking them to McD. Thanks for asking.)

I like meeting other cleaners, its always fun. It is also nice to meet people you've known for a while. I also like meeting the manufacturer's reps and some of the demos and hands on are very helpful.
I always learn something new.

And you can get some chems at a 20% discount. SS was giving some crazy discounts last year on their chems (too bad I don't use their stuff.)
If I know that I'll need something specific and I can, I'll wait and buy in larger quantity.

I would not like more classes on CAD days. They usually tend to be pretty shallow and manufacturer specific. I'd rather go to an official class if I need one. And there are not enough advanced ones, if you ask me. But that's an all together different subject.

P.S. Unlike ProLine, CMS does not have CAD. I guess just every day low prices . Right, Ray?

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Is a once a year 20% discount a good deal? Do you cleaners take the annual one time discount and then get hosed the rest of the year?

 

[Mikey P]

Really?

Why don't you hold CADs Ray?

I thought every supplier did..

 

[hogjowl]

Could it be that he doesn't appreciate his customers?

 

[Mikey P]

hey batter batter....

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Because I don't think that a CAD day is really worth anyone's time. I personally don't want to sell you everything you need, once a year. The Vendors spend a lot of money to participate with the opportunity to stand a booth right next to their competition and offer CAD Show specials. How would you like if there were a Mrs. Pliff CAD day and they lined you up!

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Home Run ?

 

[Mikey P]

So how do your daily prices compare to your competitor down the street who has two huge CADS every year?


Schhhwing!

 

[John Olson]

We hold our customer appreciation to do just that show our appreciation for our customers(fiends). Sure we hold a sale but most guys buy enough for a couple of weeks maybe a months worth because they know if they bought a years worth we wouldn't be here in six months when they needed us. We try to get people to buy before coming on Saturday because we want Saturday to be about having fun and hanging out with us and their friends families and colleagues. I think everyone that comes has a great time and nearly everyone stays the whole time 11-3 because we make it fun and about them and not about their wallets. But you would have to ask the guys that come for their opinions.

 

[hogjowl]

Because I don't think that a CAD day is really worth anyone's time. I personally don't want to sell you everything you need, once a year. The Vendors spend a lot of money to participate with the opportunity to stand a booth right next to their competition and offer CAD Show specials. How would you like if there were a Mrs. Pliff CAD day and they lined you up!

If Mrs. "Pliff" had a 100 or more of her friends and my potential customers, I wouldn't mind at all. I am confident that I would fare quite well when viewed next to my competition. If it was only Mrs. "Pliff", then it would not be worth it for me, but that is not a fair comparison to a CAD day with anywhere from 25 to 100 cleaners attending.

 

[Mikey P]

Fowl ball!

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Again, Once or Twice a year. I could open a store like the sausage company does at Christmas.

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Foul tip

 

[hogjowl]

You weren't even in the same ball park on that one.

Are you sure you aren't playing croquet?

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Wouldn't you like a private meeting with all the Mrs. Pliff's?

 

[cu]

Wouldn't you like a private meeting with all the Mrs. Pliff's?

course not , he's a Stalker

 

[Mark Saiger]

Thats a long way to drive Mark.

Do they ship you your gummy sharks and booties most of the time?

No gummy sharks, booties or other items in the shipment, but I can still get things in a day from them if I order in the morning. Only John Olson sends me the "Jelly Belly" jelly beans when we order from him...and yes I do look for them

The thing I appreciate from any supplier or anybody providing service to me is "Service". I don't price shop and look for the cheapest price. It is not worth my time. If I am charging a premium price I want to deliver a premium service and that is why I patronize the great service people in my area and on the boards such as here. Everyone knows what they need to charge to be profitable and REMAIN in business so I can have their great service. The CAD day at my "as local as possible" distributor does save me money, but I also feel I need to be there and support them too.

 

[Mikey P]

Who is your local supplier Mark?

Anybody else want to share who their's is ?

 

[GCCLee]

Closest Suppliers Interlink, Jon-Don or Judson are hours away in either direction so we support those who take care of us online best we can.
As much as we would love to attend the Olson's at Superior, it just isn't feasable.

I refuse to be a Sams Club Cleaner!

 

[Mark Saiger]

Who is your local supplier Mark?

Anybody else want to share who their's is ?

Barker-Hammer in Minneapolis, MN. Also, I do order from John Olson at times, Greenglides, Jondon and I am also a local small Harvard distributor for some specialty things we like and use. Helps save us some money and I order in to help others up here as well.

Mark Saiger

 

[ruff]

Give Ray a break, I was just teasing him.
He runs a first class operation his prices are good and he is a genuinely good person to boot.

Ray, consider yourself honored: There is no greater compliment, than Marty's disapproval.

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Ofer, I don't think Marty was disapproving. He said he doesn't go to CAD days anyway. I just don't understand Customer Appreciation DAY when I appreciate my customers every day. I am in the business to take care of my customers and strive to so like Mark mentions. I don't think that my customers need to purchase once a year and have to carry a large inventory just to get a deal. I carry inventory all year so you don't have to stockpile it and every worry about it's shelf life. I know that I must be competitive, that's part of the business. My goal is to take better care of my customers than my competition. I think that my vendors would rather spend a day at my facility that gives them the sole focus instead of hanging out next to their competitor. When we have a class or these events I try hard to make sure that my customers have a good time, eat well and learn something that could help their business be more successful.

 

[Jimmy L]

I usually order my stuff and then go the next day when everybody is gone.

You see the last time I went I had to sign autographs and had an older couple from a POS small town corner me and ask me if I prevacuumed.

I said NO and they preceded to show me the vac on the show room floor.

And now I avoid them..................because I can't speak MEXICAN.

Yeah that's right I farted...........jealous?

IDIOTS ALL!

 

[Desk Jockey]

I stock as little as I can, just enough not to run out. I'd like a good deal but I don't like trying up a bunch of money on inventory. Rarely attend the CAD's, everyone is way too competitive, you can feel the testosterone in the air.

And the main reason is I hear some of my peers fart there!