What do you look for in your LWS?

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When calling your LWS good or bad, what qualities do you look for?Knowledge of product?Price?In stock items?I mean, what makes one LWS suck and another rock?I may actually be opening one and want to know how to get things right the first time...Miller Dynasty 200DXMiller Spectrum 250DMiller Millermatic 200Bunch of old blue dinosaurs....
Reply:Just a rookie but I have 3 national brand shops within 15 miles of me and they all suck on price.I drive 40 miles to a family owned LWS.They treat me like a person,they have great prices and don't jack them up because I am a hobby welder.(300cf cylinder lease 60.00 a year no application just pay and go.43.00 c25 refills,Hypertherm PM45 1500.00 plus tax.Nice well stocked showroom.I am glad to spend my buck there.Stuff he doesn't have I order online.9
Reply:Knowledge. My LWS Sims, works pretty hard at sourcing hard to find items. Items that are so good that they last for years at a time. They are a small outfit and make money the old fashioned way, they earn it.I want to be greeted in person when I call, not get a recording. When it comes to stock, I don't want to hear" That is a special order item", and get reamed for it.I particularly like the oldtimers on the counter. They know the ropes. In fact my LWS saleman just came to visit me this morning. I never get a "Howdy" from Airgas or Praxair, which I have accounts with too.Last edited by shovelon; 09-25-2012 at 02:03 PM.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonKnowledge. My LWS Sims, works pretty hard at sourcing hard to find items. Items that are so good that they last for years at a time. They are a small outfit and make money the old fashioned way, they earn it.I want to be greeted in person when I call, not get a recording. When it comes to stock, I don't want to hear" That is a special order item", and get reamed for it.I particularly like the oldtimers on the counter. They know the ropes. In fact my LWS saleman just came to visit me this morning. I never get a "Howdy" from Airgas or Praxair, which I have accounts with too.
Reply:1- Quality of LWS products2- Service3- PriceMauricio
Reply:It's a delicate balance of many factors.  You might stock most anything, but that means you sit on a lot of inventory and have to charge big $ to cover that cost.  Knowledge, experience and good attitude can take you far IF you have what people commonly need at a reasonable price.Look at some internet welding stores.  Not picking on anyone in particular, but a couple illustrations come to mind.  Cyberweld has very good prices, a clean site, no hidden shipping.  But they only seem to have mainstream items.  Weldingsupply DOT com has a weird web site but they often have killer prices on some stuff and they must have a gazillion things, even pieces parts.  They are an old school, real LWS. Others on the net like B&R, IOC, Baker's Gas, Scott-Gross and Sutton-Garten are also for-real welding supply stores.  If you have to special order, can you compete with these guys?  Just a couple things to think about.  I was in a start-up business and the whole thing scares me.P.S.  If you are in/near Indianapolis, you already have Indiana Oxygen Company and Sutton-Garten right in your back yard.  Maybe they are not so great in their local stores, who knows. But they have been around forever and have some clout.Last edited by Oldendum; 09-25-2012 at 08:29 PM."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Being open seven days a week would be great. But, that is something  you would have to try in your area to see if its worth it.
Reply:Do you think a 24 emergency # would be good?Miller Dynasty 200DXMiller Spectrum 250DMiller Millermatic 200Bunch of old blue dinosaurs....
Reply:Originally Posted by jontheturboguyDo you think a 24 emergency # would be good?
Reply:My biggest complaint with my LWS (airgas) is the chitty products they offer. Radnor everything, cheap chinese chit. Their selection of TIG related items is pathetic. They have this bad habit of keeping a lot of their stock in a back room, so when I need something, but I don't know the exact name of the product, it takes 10 minutes to explain the function of the item and what it looks like so the desk jockey can go back there and get it.BTW If you can find someone who has some good, made in USA, welding gloves, I might even drive to your store.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:Originally Posted by jontheturboguyDo you think a 24 emergency # would be good?
Reply:Free t shirts! I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:The stores near me have an answering service for after hours. If it's an emergency, they will put you through to someone for the store who can get ya fixed up.
Reply:My local LWS is a combo of a NAPA auto parts store and a Praxair shop.  The NAPA store has the LWS beat hands down.  Also, when you go over to the welding side of the place, there's nobody home!  You have to get some guy from the auto parts section to wait on you and they don't know jack-sh*t about welding supplies.  ARGGGHHH.  30 miles to the nearest other LWS.  Will have to drive over and try them out.  Gas is expensive for a $5 or $10 part.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterWhy in the world would you need one open 24-7??Poor planning = Poor performance.....zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749Sutton Garten is a pretty good operation. Done some business with them on used machines & got some really nice stuff cheap. Sundown bought one of those medical use coolmate 3 machines from them, got it cheap & said it was super nice. Think a few guys on the boards here got one.Yeah, always a good idea to network, especially with places that buy & sell used machinery.IMHO of course
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterWhy in the world would you need one open 24-7??Poor planning = Poor performance.....zap!
Reply:Hmmmmmmm..... Well, basically they all sell the same things (Welding Supplies). Maybe it's about the "people". I'd rather pay a little more and know that if I'm in a bind on a Sunday that someone would open the shop so I could get an item I needed to finish a rush job.When you get his business card does it have his cell / home number on it?For all those little 2% savings you get the rest of the year, a one time bail out will off set the discount.How about getting a call from them when the forklift stuck a fork through that pallet of rods and one can got punctured. I operated a small shop for many years with busted cans.....When it's time to upgrade your machine and you just can't afford a new one..... Your salesman calls and tells you he demonstrated a machine for the 10th time and company policy says it gets sold as a "used" machine with a big write off because the new model has arrived.... those demo machines weld really nice.They all sell oxygen, rods and gloves...........Thanks,HoboLincoln SA200's... at least 15 - 20. They come and go. Growing partial to the "Short Hoods" in my old age. Last count on Short Hoods was 13 in possession.
Reply:Same thing as any other local business I support, nice people that clearly seem to appreciate you being there.  Everything else follows after that.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:That they are not airgas, pricing, the sales staff is not a pack of a$$holes, ability for the customer to "make a deal". I used New Bedford welding supply for years and was always well taken care of, now I use Maine Oxy and am equally pleased. I walk in the manager greets me by name, we shoot the $hit and I leave happy.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Seems like my LWS is spendy, but the guys behind the counter always take the time to talk to me, and try to help me out the best they can.  Sure, I like a nice price (their prices suck!), but I want to help out the locals.  Been doing business with them since 05, and have been seeing them a lot lately due to the fab projects coming in.  They finally know me.  Their selection of stuff is pretty good.  They have what I need.-AaronJet 17.5" Drill Press1942 South Bend 16x84 Lathe1980s Miller 320A / BP --- 2013 Power Mig 2562012 Jet 7x12 Horizontal BandsawVictor O/A Setup
Reply:I am a retired welding salesman, here is what worked for me.Fair and competitvie pricing- I held that the same price should apply to companies of like size and volumn.  No special deals.I never substitued OEM parts for manufactures parts wihtout letting my customer know and making sure the price equated to the cost.Customer service included installation, support, troubleshooting,repair and free access to any thing and every one that couild help.24/7 cell phone support and if needed my personal visit.I worked for 7 different distributors in my career and was never fired.However I would not stand for abuse of customers for any reason and so was not the most liked by the managment.PS In 35 years I have never promoted, offered or sold anything I would not buy myself.PS In 35 years I have never promoted, offered or sold anything that I would not buy myself.My pet peeves were, Hazmat charges, "special" pricing, delivery charges, cylinder rent and surcharges.There is a difference between what is an expense and what is a matter of sucking a little extra profit out of an unwary customer.I once stood up a walked out on a sales meeting because every salesman in the room plus the management supported the following statement " we need to get extra profit any time we can slip it buy the customer"Most welding companies strive for a 40+%gross  margin, and most get it and more.If you have a LWS that you can trust to be "fair": that is where you need to go.PS In 35 years I have never offered, promoted or sold anything I would not buy myself.Last edited by weldbay; 09-26-2012 at 12:43 PM.Reason: Change content