This is how suppliers lose dealer accounts.....

The fastest way in the world for a supplier to lose a dealer account is to take a retail sale from a wholesale account and sell them direct. My customer was in my store telling me about her order at 5:25 p.m. yesterday. At 6:00 p.m. I sent this email to my supplier and you can read their reply. To gain one small retail sale they lost a dealer. This is not how you build your business as a manufacturer. The correct way is to show that retail customer the product and then refer them to the store they normally buy from. This is what happens when a supplier tries to work both sides of the fence and is sure ticket for their product line to be dropped in my store. Thus terminates a 13 year business relationship.

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Duane Collie <keepingroom@gmail.com>
6:04 PM (17 hours ago)

to lawrencecrouse.
Please remove us as a listed dealer for your product.

A customer of mine from Delaware was in my store today and said she came out to your facility and you sold her direct with an order for her being built now - even after she had mentioned she was a Keeping Room customer. That is unacceptable and leaves me no choice but to drop your product line.

Sincerely,

Duane Collie
The Keeping Room
8405 Richmond Hwy, Ste G
Alexandria, VA 22309
Tel 703-360-6399
Fax 703-360-8835

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Lawrence Crouse

11:59 AM (4 minutes ago)

Duane -

We've appreciated your business through the years. Due to the economic crisis, we've been forced to open new avenues to make ends meet. Prior to Christmas this past year, we started an 'Open House' showroom to our local community. The turn out was encouraging and we've been able to go back to our roots by doing custom furniture, repairs, and selling our current line. After the success through the holidays, our showroom has evolved and we've decided to keep our doors open also to those who may want to travel to our location.

We did not and would not purposefully plan to take business away from any of our dealers. This customer specifically asked for a certain chair that she wanted to be able to sit in, to see, to touch, and to feel. Pricing through our showroom is at our suggested retail so we feel that we are little competition to our wholesale dealers.

Since 2008, we all have had struggles to keep our doors open. At this point our choices are limited. We cannot force our wholesale dealers to order more. We cannot lower prices. We do one thing: build high quality 18th century reproduction furniture. The only way for us to generate more income in order to keep our doors open - was to open our doors to a wider audience. We are not advertising outside our area. We are not selling this line online or over the phone.

It's disappointing to be losing The Keeping Room. We wish you the best of luck.

Sincerely,
Abe Crouse
Lawrence Crouse Workshop
155 Chance Lane / PO Box 606
Kearneysville, WV 25430
Phone: (304)876-6325 II Fax: (304)876-6328