CSF shares how it collaborates with suppliers

After a successful first visit late last year, our editor, Tom Henman, was invited back to Car Spares Factors by co-owner, Sanjiv Shah – but this time to its HQ in Southgate. In part one of the interview, Sanjiv explains the company’s collaboration process with suppliers.

Sanj always exudes a glow, warmth and confidence about him. Each time I’ve met him, I never feel like I’m stealing his time, nor am I keeping him from meeting someone far more important. We exchanged pleasantries, before he escorted me through the telesales arena, which was a hive of activity (they manage thousands of calls a week!), to a quieter spot in his office.

I asked if the phones were usually that busy, to which Sanj, still with a smile on his face, nodded. Sat down, albeit his chair pushed back slightly, he spoke of the importance of, not just the telesales team, but of every member of 60-plus employees within the business, many of whom have racked up years of service:

“Our dedicated call centre team have built a great rapport with our customers. As you can imagine, we’ve been around since 1977, so we’ve got customers that have been with us for more than 40 years, and a lot of that is down to these guys (referring to the telesales team).

“Three of them have been with us for 20 years, a couple more are closing on 10, while we have drivers that have stayed with us for 25!

“For us, it’s not just about selling, it’s about building relationships. If we are able to gain customers’ trust and confidence, whether that be delivering on time, having the product in stock and understanding it, why would they go anywhere else?”

Collaborating with suppliers

On the point of product confidence, I was curious to learn how CSF, with its abundance of different lines and 60-plus brands in its impressive warehouse facility, goes about sourcing product and securing agreements with individual suppliers:

“If a product is on our shelf, it’s because we have confidence in it. If, for any reason, we find there’s a problem with a product, it comes off our shelf – we won’t supply it. Simple. Because we offer such a range – we don’t just offer one brand of filter, for example – our customers have a choice. Our team know what brands specific customers like, so the conversation is straightforward when taking orders.”

Suppliers come and go – it can sometimes feel like a transfer window! – it’s part and parcel of running a motor factor, especially if it’s part of a buying group, which, incidentally, CSF is. Arguably, it would be understandable if there was a transition period, as the product and sales team get brought up to speed on range, value, quality etc, but Sanj revealed how CSF tries to reduce that period when a new supplier is added to the portfolio:

“A couple of years ago, the Rapid group took on Duckhams as a main line oil supplier. First and foremost, representatives of Duckhams paid us a visit, conducted a training session with our sales team, then joined our business development managers as they toured the local garage network and gave full workouts to our customers. This process allowed everyone in the chain to be brought up-to-speed quickly, gain confidence, and ensured little delay in supply. It was brilliantly handled.”

Quizzed on whether it’s a situation he would rather avoid, though, Sanj admitted that it can be a “headache”, but as product replacing the incumbent is “potentially better” it is a headache worth suffering. When there is concern among customers, however, CSF takes a cautious approach.

When CSF felt like it had to switch brake supplier, Sanj admitted there was some uncertainty because the previous supplier was admired.

Sanj revealed how he appeased any disgruntled customers: “We sent sets of brake pads to customers, free of charge, and suggested that they fit them and see how they get on. As I mentioned before, we have total confidence in any product we sell, so while we were a little apprehensive about losing business, our reputation and the quality of the new supplier meant that business was maintained – it comes down to trust – and garages now ask for that supplier.”