What You Deserve from Your Supplier

If you run a business in the food service industry you know it’s not easy, and on some days  you might feel as if you’re on your own.  Food Service Direct, an online marketplace hopes to change that, by being more than a supplier.

While Food Service Direct believes the process of sourcing supplies and ingredients should happen online, there are some aspects of the company that remain traditional, and this is best seen in the brand’s commitment to its customers.  Customer Experience Lead at Food Service Direct, Dan Scott talks about the Food Service Direct Promise – why it was created it and what it means.

If you haven’t yet, take a look at the Food Service Direct Promise.

Tell us about the Food Service Direct Promise – which of it’s 3 legs is most important in your opinion?

Dan: I love all three of our promises and I’m proud to be part of a team that stands by them, but to me the Service and Support pledge is the most important because it’s what makes this a partnership. Buying supplies online from a new provider is a big change in habit for a lot of our customers, so it’s important for them to know we are there for them at every step. We promise a real team with no bots or complicated menus and buttons to press, just a dedicated team of representatives ready to help.

You’ve been at Food Service Direct since before this pledge existed – how do you think it enhances the customer experience?

Dan: The pledge is important for both us and our customers. We’ve put the pledge up in our offices and warehouse, so that all our team are reminded of our promises and the standards expected of us. Delivering great service is a team effort, this means that all our employees, not just our packers and call takers, understand our commitment to our customers. It’s also important as an assurance for customers, too many companies hide their commitment to you in complicated terms and conditions, we’re proud to have it stand out.

Well – they say promises are made to be broken – can you give an example of when you felt Food Service Direct lived up to its promise?

Dan: I love hearing from our customers about ways we’ve helped them living up to our promises both big and small, from the parent whose child has special dietary needs that makes local shopping impossible, to the ice cream shop in Georgia let down by their traditional supplier, it’s great to know we’ve been able to pick up the phone and get them what they need. Just last week I spoke to a first time food truck owner who was overwhelmed with where to begin buying supplies for their dream project, my team was able to walk them through our simple ordering process without any complicated paperwork or unexpected hurdle, running a small business is tough, so it means a lot that we can make it a little easier.

It says you stand by the condition of deliveries – that is so important for refrigerated and frozen products in this industry. How long has Food Service Direct been shipping frozen and refrigerated items? Why don’t many others? 

Dan: We’ve been shipping frozen food for over a decade, so our team know what is needed to make sure we always our quality shipments pledge. Getting your shipment to you still frozen takes a lot of care and precision, a commitment that many companies are not willing to make. Many years of experience has taught us that frozen shipments require a perfect blend of both science and art!

The promise says you assist in sourcing hard-to-find items. Do you REALLY help source?  How?

Dan: Look, we’re not magicians, but we work hard to find whatever you need, so as well as listing over 250,000 items, we’ll shop around for you for that something extra. I like this pledge because it’s mutually beneficial, it keeps us on our toes and helps us always expand our wide variety. If a customer asks for something, we’ll work with a host of different suppliers and do our best to find it.

Dan Scott is the Customer Experience Lead for FoodServiceDirect.com in Hampton, Virginia. When Dan isn’t working directly with customers to find what they need for their business, he’s outside spending time with his dog, Rex, who is sometimes called Sir Reginald.

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We’ve all been there! It’s better to let lines give you an energy boost that’s contagious to the team 🙌 #foodservice #chef #cheflife

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