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Below are some questions that may not have been covered in previous sections.
Q: When do Associate Dealers get paid?
A: We mail out monthly activity statements on or around the 15th of the following month (e.g., January payments are mailed in mid-February).
Q: How are the monthly activity statements calculated?
A: Your monthly statement is calculated as 50% of gross profit for the Premium Plan or 5% of Total Net Sales for the Basic Package. Gross Profit is calculated as sales minus all costs directly related to those sales. Read more at the Program Details page.
Q: How can I set up invoice terms for my customers?
A: We can set up credit terms for large customer accounts (typically greater than $500 per month). The customers just complete an application or you can contact Customer Service at 1.866.533.9459 and request a credit application for your customer.
Q: How long does it take for my customer to get invoiced after placing an order?
A: Invoices are mailed out daily, so they should be received less than one week after placing an order. Most customers are setup on a Net 20 day payment schedule.
Q: What typre of individuals or businesses do we serve?
A: We have created a total solution that fits anyone already in the office products industry or anyone who wants to participate in the office products industry. Click here to read more about the Who We Serve.
Q: How can my customers place orders if they do not have access to the Internet?
A: Your customers can fax their orders to us Toll Free at 1.866.273.2339, or they are welcome to call us and we'll place their order over the phone.
Q: What should my customers do if an item is damaged or missing?
A: Contact Customer Service. We will need the Order Number, Date, and Product SKU Codes of the items missing or damaged. We'll arrange for replacements and pick-ups. Damaged, missing or pull errors are returned at no charge. If an item is ordered wrong by the customer, there will be a return fee of $7.00 and a restocking fee of 10% of the items' price. If the customer wants to mail the item directly to us neither fee will be applied to that order.
Q: How can my customers check the status of an order?
A: Contact customer service and they can locate it. Please have the Order Number and Date. We can usually track orders online (occasionally we have to make a vendor phone call).
Q: How can I monitor activity on my web store?
A: You will receive a listing of all customers and their activity with your monthly commission check. You can also contact Customer Service at any time for a report.
Q: What kind of marketing support do I receive as an Associate Dealer?
A: There are several types. We have downloadable files under the Services Block in the form of emails & flyers. We can also help customize presentations and flyers for you. If you have an idea for a marketing program, please call us.
Q: How do I know if my customer is located in a nexy-day zone?
A: There is an online map with next-day delivery zones. Click here to view Delivery Zones.
Q: How can I get special pricing for my customers?
A: We can provide special pricing for customers as a one time purchase, one year contract or time dependent pricing. Pricing offered really depends on sales volume and your relationship. Normally, we set special pricing for 10-20 products that they buy regularly. These prices are displayed automatically only when the customer access the web store account login page.
Q: How can we offer your customers prices below the "big box" stores?
A: We have a lower cost supply chain than the "big box" stores with little to no inventory or overhead. They have chosen to invest billions of dollars in physical storefronts, advertising, truck fleets and inventory. To quote Office Depot's 2002 Annual Report: "Startup operations that are heavily focused on Internet sales may be able to compete with us very effectively in the areas of price and selection." They further acknowledge in the same report that companies like ours can "price these offerings lower than we do."
Q: Why should my customers order online when they can go to the store?
A: From a financial point of view there are many advantages of having your customers order with us.
- We eliminate the cost of traveling time to the store. 1+ hours of time from a skilled office worker costs you well over $20 not to mention the cost of Mileage reimbursement.
- We eliminate the cost of mileage reimbursement or cost of operating a company vehicle
- Impulse buying of unnecessary items.
- Superstores rarely stock all of the items & quantities you need. With us your customers get their basket filled their first order.
- "Big box" stores' level of customer service is generally poor.
- "Changing gears" during the workday - makes it difficult to get back on track.
- We eliminate the possibility of a costly car accident.
- Risk adjusted "liability" of someone from your office driving on an errand to the store is a "hidden cost"
Q: Why order office products online in the first place?
A: This is a great question. As a society, we have seen some products like books move decisively to the web while others like groceries tend to get bought by driving to stores. Office products have a high likelihood of being bought over the web because:
- They aren't perishable like some groceries. Toners & paper products are very generic items that can be purchased online with or without pictures. Office products are not like high priced jewelry where you have to observe and touch it before purchasing.
- Most of the product brands are commonly known so you know what you're getting.
- There is no "wonderful experience" associated with going to an office products store. Eliminating the trip would be a plus for everybody.
- Prices are lower and will continue in this trend.
- Selection is much broader.
- Like books, they have fairly high value/lbs. This means delivery costs are fairly low (delivery is free for orders over $50)
These reasons seem to be working. While total sales of office supplies grow a few percent each year, web-based sales of office products are growing 20%-30% each year.
Office products are moving to the Internet. Of the top 5 retails online retailers, Office Depot and Staples were ranked No. 3 & No. 4 at a little over $3 Billion each in annual sales in 2005. Amazon was No. 1 at $7.9 billion. Source: Internet Retailer. Click here to read more about the The Article
Q: Are the prices in the hardcopy catalogs the prices that my customers pay?
A: No (and its good news!). The prices in the hardcopy catalog are list prices (MSRP). The prices you pay online will always be lower. There are two ways to get actual prices for items in the hardcopy catalog. First, input the product code from the hardcopy catalog into the keyword "Search Items" or "Save Orders" on the web store. The actual price, description and photograph of that item will come up (and the list price on the computer screen will typically match the list price you see in the hardcopy catalog).
Q: How can I make sure my customers know which items they should be buying?
A: We can easily set up a "Personal Items" list for your main customer account, and for any other accounts as well.
Q: How do I register?
A: Once you are at your web store, just click on the word "setting up an account"" and have your customers complete the information. Press the "submit" button and you are ready to order & checkout.
Q: How late can I order to get next day delivery?
A: Just order by 1:30 pm local time nationwide. You can check the following map link to check the delivery schedule if you're in a rural area far from a major city. Click here to view the Delivery Map. Two-day delivery applies in a few places. Next day delivery applies just about everywhere.
Q: Who does the delivery?
A: We work with United Parcel Service (UPS), the premier parcel shipper in the country. Shipments to the vast majority of places in the US will be delivered the next day for orders placed before 1:30 pm. In a few outlying areas shipment takes two days. Compared to the delivery service from other stores, we are faster and more reliable. Who can beat UPS?
Q: How much is delivery?
A: Delivery is free for orders over $50. Below $50, the delivery charge for your order will be shown when you check out. Most customers find that the $50 minimum for free delivery is easy to reach. By the way, the online services of the "big box" stores have a $50 minimum and can't guarantee that delivery will be free.
Q: Who do customers call if they have a question?
A: We have a strong commitment to customer service. Since we don't have a physical store, it's extremely important that we make shopping for office supplies easy for you, and answer any questions along the way.
Q: How do customers monitor how much I'm spending on office supplies?
A: Your customers can easily review all of your orders ever made with us through using the “Past Five Orders” and "Reports" links once the customer logs into the web store.
Q: What do you mean by "Office Products?"
A: Basically, we have everything you might need to support an office. Let's start with furniture. We have chairs, desks, and utility pieces. You'll need desktop equipment like fax machines, calculators and staplers. And you'll need more consumable items like pens, folders, and printer cartridges. We have all those items, in every size and color that is made.
Q: Are these really the same products that I'm used to?
A: Yes, we carry all the national brands like ACCO, Swingline, Hon, Waterman, etc.
Q: Does it make sense for me to buy office products $50 at a time?
A: It probably does, more than you would think. Today, people tend to buy office supplies a few at a time. While that seems smart, it masks a lot of inefficiency. People find themselves making special trips to the store for a $2 box of envelopes. They will spend more on gas than on the envelopes, and spend perhaps 30 minutes doing it! It's a little like buying groceries: it doesn't make sense to go to the store for one or two items. So just like checking the fridge before running to the grocery, we ought to check the stationery drawer before shopping for office supplies.
Q: What are the advantages besides price and free delivery?
A: Shopping with us saves you a lot of time. First, you avoid trips to the store. Second, if you have any questions you simply call Customer Service. Third, the "Saved Orders" you can save from your previous online shopping "trip" with us point you quickly to items you generally need (what if your grocery store stocked only the items you wanted and arranged them by next to each other?). So we can give you back some of your day.
And there's the advantage of not lugging heavy products from the store out to the car.
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