Welding & Gases Today Talks to End-Users


Gases and welding customers value service in deciding where to buy.

Dewitt, NY: Welding and gases end-users have strong ideas on what they look for when choosing a distributor. Is it low price? Service? Great product? Welding & Gases Today spoke to gases and welding customers to find out what drives their buying decisions and what they really think about the distributor-manufacturer relationship. The resulting article, "What Your Customers Really Want," appears in the Summer 2011 issue of Welding & Gases Today, the leading magazine for the gases and welding equipment industry.

End-users have strong ideas on what they look for when choosing a gases and welding distributor. "While price is important, I look at my supplier's expertise in a particular area and make sure they're knowledgeable about the products they are going to sell me," says Joel Armstrong, welding engineer at LeTorneau Technologies. Mike Peacock, production manager at Viastore Systems, values personal interaction in his supplier. "I want courteous conversation, and I need to be able to talk to a salesperson," he says. "I don't like it when everything runs through a computer and there is no personal response. I don't want an automated relationship."

Surprisingly, more end-users ranked the availability of good service over low price as their number one priority when choosing a supplier. "There are a lot of guys out there who are quick to call and email me and are always in my face when they want to sell me something," says Nick Shirk, president of Alum Metal Fab. "When something goes wrong, they're nowhere to be found. I want my distributor to be there for me, so I buy local. In some cases, prices are higher but their service and reputation for quality are above all else."

To find out what end-users look for in a gases and welding distributor, read "What Your Customers Really Want" (http://www.weldingandgasestoday.org/index.php/2011/07/what-your-customers-really-want/) at Welding & Gases Today Online. For more information, contact Devin O'Toole, content editor at Welding & Gases Today at devin@weldingandgasestoday.org or 315-445-2347.

About GAWDA
Founded in 1945, the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking. Through its member journals (www.weldingandgasestoday.org), e-magazines, newsletters and industry wiki (www.gawdawiki.org), GAWDA connects suppliers of gases and manufacturers of related equipment as well as manufacturers of welding equipment and distribution leaders, for the purpose of safely delivering optimal solutions to the users of those products. GAWDA publications are the industry's voice for all matters related to the latest technology and the most up-to-date processes spanning welding equipment and products and services related to industrial, medical, specialty and cryogenic gases. A 501(c)3 organization, GAWDA members are located throughout North America.

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