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Success Story
Tri-State Office Products: Growing on the Basis of a Powerful Blend of Industry Experience, Service Excellence and Technology
Tri-State Office & Promotional Products
- Dealership:
- Tri-State Office & Promotional Products
- Industry:
- Office Supplies
- Promotional Products
- Years in Business:
- 15
- Tri-State Office & Promotional Products Uses:
Software for growing office dealers
He may not be one of the great management theorists of our time, but when it comes to doing business in New York, Frank Sinatra can pretty much tell you all you need to know: If you can make it there, surely you can make it just about anywhere!
For more than 15 years, the folks at Tri-State Office & Promotional Products have been doing just that and then some. Thanks to a combination of extensive industry knowledge and experience, a level of service that only independent dealers can provide and a commitment to investing in state-of-the-art technology that lets them run their business more efficiently and to reach out to customers in new and innovative ways, they have managed to do pretty well.
Tri-State was founded in 1996 by Robert Bauer and John Miressi, two industry veterans with many years of experience, with both independent and big box operators, who were looking to build a business of their own.
The company literally started out in a garage in Greenwich Village, but it’s come a long way since then.
Instead of having to wait three or four days for a sales report, I can get what I need from Britannia in just five minutes or less, and that’s a huge plus in terms of customer service.
Today, Tri-State is based in New Rochelle, about 25 miles outside New York City itself, though the Big Apple currently accounts for some 70-percent of total business. Most of the balance of business comes from clients nationwide.
What’s been the secret of their success in a market that has to be one of the most fiercely competitive in the industry?
A large part of the answer will have a familiar ring to it for many independents. “When it comes to customer service, the big boxes simply can’t match the response time that we can,” proclaims Jane Reid, sales and marketing manager at Tri-State, and herself a seasoned veteran with over 25 years of industry experience.
“Every call that comes in here is answered within one ring and there are NO voice prompts to choose when calling our 800 number,” she says. “You will instantly speak to a knowledgeable, experienced customer service representative.”
Chances are, when you call Tri-State with a question, they’ll probably have an answer for you! “Every customer service rep at Tri-State is cross trained on all of the products we offer—office supplies, printing, promotional products, office furniture and janitorial—so they know the basic questions to ask to solve most problems,” says Jane.
And that’s just for starters!
“We pride ourselves on being a source for those difficult to get items, products that the big boxes would have difficulty sourcing quickly,” she adds. For example, when one of Tri-State’s healthcare customers was gearing up for a two-year drug study for a worldwide pharmaceutical firm, the dealership not only provided the basic office supplies and furniture for the project, but also sold testing equipment and even freezers for storing blood samples!
"Our goal is to make the customer feel that all they have to do is give us the order and we’ll handle the rest,” explains Jane. “It’s that simple!”
Not surprisingly, technology plays a key role in enabling the Tri-State team to meet that goal. The dealership has been a Britannia house for more than 10 years and Jane is generous with her praise of the system and its contribution to Tri-State’s growth.
Britannia’s technical support team has always been very accessible and responsive whenever we’ve needed them.
“Before joining Tri-State, I spent approximately 15 years in the big box world and the difference between the response time using their software and Britannia is like night and day,” she contends. As an example, “Instead of having to wait three or four days for a sales report, I can get what I need from Britannia in just five minutes or less, and that’s a huge plus in terms of customer service.”
And instead of needing several months of intensive daily use to learn the system, Jane says Britannia is so user friendly that you can get up to speed in just a matter of weeks. “And,” she adds, “Britannia’s technical support team has always been very accessible and responsive whenever we’ve needed them.”
State-of-the-art dealer technology from Britannia is just one element of the technology mix at Tri-State, however. Visit the Tri-State home page at www.tsop.net and you’ll find a link to Promo Lady Talk Radio, a regular podcast hosted by Jane that highlights new ad specialty products.
Also on the home page: a link to an mp3 file that features one of Tri-State’s customers with a glowing testimonial on the dealership’s products and services.
“In many ways,” Jane reflects, “we’re old school at Tri-State—years and years of industry experience and a level of customer service that’s really hard to find these days. But when it comes to technology, we know we’re dealing with a generation of buyers and office managers for whom the computer is just another tool. We have to be there for them and make doing business with Tri-State online just as easy as it is in person or by phone or fax.”
The good news for Tri-State, and other independents like them, is that in Britannia, they have a technology partner who can help them do all that and more!
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