Vertullo: Offering Technical Advice is Like Holding a Polar Bear

John Wolz

Distributors should be wary of offering technical advice to customers and especially to noncustomers, Carmen Vertullo told the Western Association of Fastener Distributors.\
Vertullo likened giving technical advice to �holding a polar bear.� It may be warm and fuzzy, but it is dangerous.
In addition to legal and financial liability, consultant Vertullo of San Diego-based SimplyBetter said �you might not be the appropriate source for the advice being sought� and �your customer might not be competent in requesting the advice.� �Ultimately, offering free technical advice spends your time and might not result in a sale,� Vertullo added.
A few distributors, such as Minnesota-based W�rth Adams, have established their own QA lab and have engineers on staff to be able to provide answers to customers.
Noncustomers or customers who mostly use a competitor seeking free advice are a particular problem. Vertullo suggested responding, �You�ve got a problem for your source to solve� or �I don�t think it is appropriate to provide this information when we aren�t the supplier.�
Vertullo said that when he worked at San Diego-based distributor Ababa QA, it �took me a couple years to get comfortable declining to give free information.�
�You don�t get business by helping a customer for free,� Vertullo warned.
� Make customers aware they are making the decision on which product to order.
� Use a memory tool on particularly sensitive advice. For example, Vertullo said the customer might remember a tongue-in-cheek comment, such as �that could kill someone.�
� Get the advice of legal professionals.
� Train your people � especially salespeople � Vertullo urged. �If a salesperson says something, disclaimers on the back of invoices aren�t going to help you.�
� Don�t say, �Grade 8 is better than grade 5,� because grade 5 can be better in some applications. Instead, Vertullo suggested saying, �Grade 8 has a higher tensile and yield strength than grade 5.�
� Don�t say: �We are your fastener experts,� �let us solve your fastener problems,� or �I recommend this bolt for that application.�
� Do say: �We are not engineers, and we cannot recommend any particular product for any particular application. However, we can provide you with catalog and specification information that may help you to make a determination regarding the suitability of a given fastener for your application.�
� Suggest a customer seek the help of its own engineering staff or a fastener consultant. Establish a good relationship with a consultant so that business will come your way when the problem is solved.
Editor�s Note: Vertullo can be contact at Tel: 619 255-7688 Fax 619 527-0640 E-mail: carmenv@simplybetter.net Web: simplybetter.net
�2001 FastenerNews.com