How To Choose The Right Electrical Supplier

Choosing the right electrical supplier for your project involves so much more than simply finding a supplier with the lowest material costs. Rather than basing your decision on solely on price, you should delicately evaluate each and every supplier based on their expertise, dependability, availability, pricing, service, and of course their character. Think of this process almost as if you’re conducting a job interview. You should be “interviewing” these electrical suppliers to find the reasons as to why they deserve your business more than the next distributor.

If we lived in a perfect society, you might be able to find a supplier that has the lowest prices while still providing great service, quick lead times, as well as the knowledge and expertise that you’re looking for. However, we don’t live in a utopia and therefore this is not always the case. Especially with the current state of affairs regarding supply chain logistics and labor shortages.

ATI is constantly working to offer our customers competitive prices while simultaneously providing an unmatched level of service. We provide exceptional service by offering same day-shipments on select items and by providing a live chat on ATIelectrical.com for customers to get in contact with our experts, whom each have over 20 years of experience in the electrical industry! We’ve also included a survey that we send to each of our customers after they place an order. This allows us to better understand how we can make ATI the best temporary and emergency power supplier on the web, and your input matters. We believe everything stems from what your customers want and expect from you, and that’s just another example of how we do everything in our power to provide unparalleled service.

This blog article will cover some of the things you can do to determine the level of service that you’re going to receive when you work with specific electrical distributors. It will highlight some of the key factors that you should be looking for when choosing the right electrical supplier, along with the things that you should immediately identify as red flags. It’s not always as simple as it seems, so you’re going to need to evaluate suppliers strategically to be sure that they will meet or exceed your expectations when you do business together.

What To Look for When Choosing the Right Electrical Supplier

• Reliability

Working with a supplier that you can depend on can be a life saver. Here’s a scenario - deadlines are approaching, and your team is out in the field working on a job, and suddenly one of your generator cables falls out of the truck bed and gets ran over. You needed that cable today to get the equipment up and running. Who are you going to call? A supplier than you can depend on to get you the material you need as soon as possible.

• Value

The relationship between you and your electrical supplier should never be a one-way street. It must be a mutually beneficial relationship that you should always be able to find value in. If you’re paying loads of money to get your material, but they never show up on time or wrong items are constantly being shipped out – maybe it’s time to evaluate whether your supplier really cares about you and your relationship, or do they just view you as another dollar bill?

• Quality

Invest in great suppliers that care about the quality of their products. As mentioned earlier, lower prices doesn’t necessarily mean you should go for it. Work with reliable electrical suppliers that sell quality products that will last.

• Expertise

Always do your due diligence to make sure you’re working with people who know what they’re talking about, especially when it comes to electricity. At ATI, we pride ourselves on our level of expertise. Our team is comprised of people with years of electrical experience under their belt. When you speak to one of our reps on the phone, you’ll know that you’re working with the best in the business.

• Service

You’re spending your hard-earned dollar bills, so you should be treated right! Always be sure that the electrical distributor that you’re working with is providing you with top-tier service. This means when you need electrical gear or components in a hurry, your supplier does whatever it takes to make it happen.

• Trust

This is a big one. You have deadlines set and the people you’re working with are expecting the project to be finished by the time you agreed on. Therefore, you need to have trust that your supplier is being honest about lead times and items that may or may not be in stock. ATI will always be upfront about the current situation, and if we believe we will not be able to make your specified deadline, we will not take the order.

• Character

This quality usually falls more on the individual who is assisting you with your order. However, the supplier should instill core values into their employees to ensure great character and morality in the workplace. At ATI we follow a code of ethics and only hire employees that are willing to abide by that code. When you work with us, we assure you that the rep you’re working with will treat you like family.

How To Notice Red Flags In Your Electrical Supplier

• Empty promises

A supplier that takes orders regardless of long lead times that wont meet deadlines is one that will also make empty promises over and over again. In order to negate this, I’d like to say – don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If it’s your first time working with this supplier, try placing smaller orders first to test the waters and make sure everything runs smoothly.

• Extremely low prices

If you notice a particular supplier with low prices well under market value, it might be a sign of poor-quality products. A supplier with abnormally low prices will often sell used or refurbished components to lower costs and earn more market share. This could also be a simple bait and switch tactic. Some suppliers will list low prices online, but when you call to place an order, the price will have suddenly increased tenfold.

• Bad Reviews

Always check online reviews. In fact, more than 90% of consumers have confirmed that they check the reviews of a company before doing business with them. It’s a great way to determine how that company treats their customers and gives you a heads-up on what you can expect.

• Consistent Errors

If you’ve been working with a supplier for a few years now, and they’re constantly sending you the wrong products or causing you headaches that could have been avoided, these signal immediate red flags. This insinuates that there is no quality control going on within the operation. There is no one double checking shipments before they go out, proving that the employees simply just don’t care. If you notice these types of issues, be sure to speak up immediately so they can try to fix the problem at the source. If left unaddressed, you may have trouble resolving the issue down the road, and you’ll probably need to find a new supplier.

• Amateur representation

When working with electrical components and equipment, its paramount that the person you’re working with knows what they’re talking about. You can often tell when you’re on the phone pretty much instantly whether that person truly has experience or if they’re just playing the old – “fake it till you make it” card. If that is the case, you should ask to speak to someone more experienced immediately to save yourself from potential problems down the road.

Work With Companies That You Can Trust

After evaluating the market with these steps, you should be able to find a reliable electrical supplier that will consistently provide you with the perfect solution for your project on time, every time. You should limit the number of suppliers that you work with and really try to find a handful of companies that you can find true value through long-lasting mutually beneficial relationships. If you have any questions regarding ATI’s core values and how we treat our customers, please feel free to contact us anytime at PPG@ATIelectrical.com or call us directly at 800-597-9311. Our experts are waiting for your call and are eager to prove to you why ATI is the supplier you need in your contact list this year.