Staying up on current industry trends is critical when there’s a constant parade of contractors and tradespeople coming through your doors on a daily basis. Possessing the knowledge, insight, and information on current practices, codes, and tricks of the trade is necessary to build trust with both experts in the plumbing and electrical field and your typical DIY customer.
That’s certainly been the case for the team at NEPSCO, a company that has been supplying electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning products to contractors and do-it-your-selfers in Sault Ste. Marie for more than three decades. Using a knowledge-based approach to their business has helped the company become an industry leader in value-added customer service.
“Personalized service is a key element of what we do,” said Gord Crowle, one of the owners of the family owned and operated company. “We primarily deal with plumbers and electricians along with people doing their own things. We keep up with all the products available, so we know who’s using them. We get to know the ins and outs, what to use and what to avoid, what’s worth the money and what isn’t, and we pass that knowledge on to our customers.”
Crowle said that providing individualized service to every customer is what sets NEPSCO apart from competitors, particularly big box stores that are driven more by volume sales than providing an exceptional customer experience. This is especially important in today’s environment, when contractors are in short supply and many people are attempting to complete home repairs and renovations on their own.
“We’re helping people all the time,” he said. “Saying they’re looking for a certain look for their shower. We can go through all the components, what they do, how they work, what they match up with. We direct them to the good value products rather than just the brand names, because a brand name doesn’t necessarily mean anything any more. Everyone’s trying to save a buck, and a lot of the brand names we’ve traditionally known are not quite as good as some of the up-and-coming brands out there. We know what the contractors are recommending, so we can make good suggestions.”
When it comes to price, Cowle said that the perception of a big box store having better pricing based on volume purchasing is not accurate. At NEPSCO, for example, the company may appear to have a small store front, but they are dealing with a high volume of contractors and tradespeople looking for plumbing and electrical products. As a result, NEPSCO is not only competitive but often less expensive that big box retailers.
“People have the stereotype that if a smaller company is not going to have the buying power, so they’re going to be more expensive,” said Cowle. “It’s exactly the opposite. These big companies look for best price best margin they can make. They have to have large margins to cover the overhead that comes with having such enormous square footage. We hear it all the time. How come NEPSCO is so much cheaper. We’re still buying a good volume of electrical and plumbing supplies, but we focus on the products customers need to complete the job. We’ve been in business over 30 years so we must be doing something right.”
Visit the NEPSCO Algoma location at 71 Black Road or at www.nepscogroup.ca.