Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/58508
A Day in the Life continued about howto handle the equipment,"he says. "A lot of these things we had to learn on our own and damaged equip- ment along the way." In Cypress' eyes, that's a powerful incentive for change. Although, it's important to note that he doesn't believe that change should be just the supplier's burden to bear. Instead, it should come fromdistributors,and even the architects that specify the 36-inch doors that rarely accommodate com- mercial equipment and often result in delays. "Door size is key in this industry,"says Abraham."That'swherewe losemost of our time…either taking off doors or tak- ing apart equipment." In a perfect world, architects would factor in commercial equipment in their designs, but guys like Abraham, Gary and Ronard aren't holding their breath. But they can dream,anyone can dream. Daring to dream, Gary would like engineers to consider designing larger equipment that comes in smaller, modular parts. Cypress, on the other hand,would simply like to start with a conversation, one he hopes will result in industrywide recognition for people like the guys on his team. "Our crew has an outstanding atti- Something Every Dealer Salesperson Should Try Most salespeople aren't aware of the challenges involved in getting a piece of equipment off the truck and into a customer's kitchen, says Dixie's President Fred Cypress, who thinks that dealer sales reps should observe the process, at least once, to broaden their appreciation for what really goes on in the field. "Knowing the answers to the questions below—before a job starts—will not only make for a more efficient process, it also will help both salespeople and delivery staff better serve the customer," he says. Did you follow the route the equipment must travel and identify the narrowest passage and any "tight" turns that must be negotiated along the route? "A few weeks ago I was doing a job and I didn't have a problem getting the equipment through the first door; it was a double door," says Abraham Cotton, one of six veteran crew members on Dixie's delivery team. "But what I didn't know was that there were three other doors standing between me and the kitchen. We didn't have dimensions for any of those and all of them had to be removed." • Is there any equipment (or other obstacles) blocking the path to the set- up location? • Will existing equipment be removed (or disconnected) prior to the deliv- ery of new equipment? • Are all of the proper utility connections in place before the delivery? "There have been instances where a customer orders a gas range and you get there and he doesn't have a gas connection," says crew member Ronard Boglin. "Sometimes we have to bring the equipment back to the warehouse and swap it out. There have also been instances when the elec- trical outlet is not close enough to plug the equipment in, so someone has to either rearrange the equipment or put in a new outlet." • Was the delivery time established and reconfirmed before the delivery? • Will the equipment need to be transported up or down stairs? • Was the original equipment installed during construction (before walls were completed)? • Did you sell all of the necessary accessories (e.g., gas hoses, faucets)? • Was the customer contact information confirmed? 1 6 FEDA News & Views tude and people skills," he says. "They are able to establish a rapportwith gen- eral contractors and other trades peo- ple.They understand how most equip- ment operates and occasionally diffuse potential misuse issues by supplement- ing fast-paced "serial" demonstrations that were not internalized by the end users.They are an asset to our industry and worth the investment in training. "Should manufacturers help train them? I don't think manufacturers are responsible for training our people but we cannot teach what we do not know. There are benefits to be had all around—for the end user, the manufac- turer's rep, the service agent, etc. The end userwill get the product faster;they can't afford the downtime when our guys can't get it through the door or the equipment arrives with freight damage and they have towait for a replacement. (That's where it pays to have a good shipping manager like Reggie Nabors. He's very good at catching concealed damage.) "The reps want to be out selling, not troubleshooting problems;all they have is their time. Service agents don't want to fight with others about who's going to pay them because someone else did something wrong. The dealer doesn't get paid until it works; the manufactur- er's name is on the product, and when it doesn't work it hurts the brand."u