A company that's been doing business in central Charlotte for about 85 years, Little Hardware relies on counter sales for 90 percent, or more, of its revenue. Being able to respond to customer requests and not let them "get away," is paramount in keeping this outstanding record intact.
With today's marketing and advertising campaigns working hard to generate brand awareness, it isn't unusual for a customer to walk up to your sales counter and ask for a specific make or model. What if you don't carry it? Does that customer "get away?"
"If a customer asks for a product we don't stock, I first try to sell him a product on our shelves," Lowe explains. "There is so much diversity by different manufacturers today it makes it easier to help these customers - many more offering specific tools or fasteners and wider offerings with many lines.
"A good example of this is masonry anchors. There are so many new mechanical anchors, epoxy systems and powder-actuated fasteners available now, you have to ask good, probing questions to be able to supply them with the best anchor. There are so many to choose from they may not even know about a lot of them, and are just asking for a specific one because it's one they've used before or one they are aware of.
"We don't ever want a customer to walk away empty handed. So, we are always ready to create a special order for items they are looking for. Whether it's for hard to find items or for large amounts, most of our customers prefer us to get the product they need so they don't waste their time running all over town. If it's an item they can wait a couple of days for, most of the time they will have us get it for them.
"Sometimes customers need a specific item right away. If we cannot supply them with that particular item immediately, we will refer them to a distributor who we think can do the job. Helping the customer with solutions, even if that means referring them to the "competition" has good results.
"In the event that we do something like that, the customer knows we went the extra mile to help them - making him appreciate our services even more. The next time that customer needs something; they remember your help and come back.
