Brew Equipment RFQ Troubles

[d_striker]

I don't know what it is but I've been having trouble obtaining responses to my RFQ's from brew equipment suppliers.

I'm specific in my request. Is there so much demand for equipment that suppliers just aren't hungry for the work? I've got money to spend on new equipment and it seems like no one wants my business.

What gives?

[dfalken]

There is a huge bubble in craft brewing in the US right now, equipment suppliers can't keep up.

[yap]

in a word, yes. they are so busy they don't really need your business right now. most places are 16-20 weeks lead time right now. plus, they get dozens of requests everyday from people wanting prices on equipment. for every 20 people that call them 19 are usually just "looky-loos" that will never buy anything. i think it's hard for them to tell who's serious and who's blowing smoke so they tend to ignore a lot of them...

best advice...just keep hounding them.....

[bhbrew]

thorn in side

^+1........... I am in the same boat right now. I have found that if you are indeed a serious buyer then you are doing alot of research too. I think the angle to take is to make it more of a pain for them to not call you back then to respond.

Good Luck!!

[gitchegumee]

If you're really serious, then you have done your homework and narrowed down your choice to one or two vendors without banging on unnecessary doors. To get some action out of the ones you've selected, arrange a trip to see equipment being made and tour the plant. Assuming you're not buying Chinese stuff. That will tell them you're serious. And get you to understand their process better. It will be worth it. You can afford it if you are serious. However, you cannot afford equipment you can't use or aren't comfortable with.

[TL Services]

Having been a 'buyer' of equipment in the past I know how annoying it can be not to receive a timely response.

Now I'm on the other side of the fence as a 'seller' I always try to remember that and make sure we reply within 48 hours at most.

My simple view from this is that a company which has poor customer service right at the beginning isn't likely to improve.

Sure, there is kit that has an inherently long lead-time, but I would always go with a supplier that says so from the start rather than give an impossibly short lead and then have to keep revising it.

[d_striker]

Having been a 'buyer' of equipment in the past I know how annoying it can be not to receive a timely response.

Now I'm on the other side of the fence as a 'seller' I always try to remember that and make sure we reply within 48 hours at most.

My simple view from this is that a company which has poor customer service right at the beginning isn't likely to improve.

Sure, there is kit that has an inherently long lead-time, but I would always go with a supplier that says so from the start rather than give an impossibly short lead and then have to keep revising it.

Good point.

We are making our decision based on the usual cost, quality, and delivery but timely customer service is definitely climbing to the top of the list.

If I can't get a sales response from a seller in a timely manner, how will they handle communication down the road after I buy from them?

[d_striker]

If you're really serious, then you have done your homework and narrowed down your choice to one or two vendors without banging on unnecessary doors. To get some action out of the ones you've selected, arrange a trip to see equipment being made and tour the plant. Assuming you're not buying Chinese stuff. That will tell them you're serious. And get you to understand their process better. It will be worth it. You can afford it if you are serious. However, you cannot afford equipment you can't use or aren't comfortable with.

A facility visit would definitely be valuable but we are not to that point. We are in the RFQ stage so we can narrow down who we want to buy from.

Having worked in sales for a multi-million dollar manufacturing company, I understand getting inundated with RFQ requests. It's the job a good sales team to qualify leads. For every 10 RFQ's I would get, I would only quote 2. But you still have to qualify and respond to all 10.