Posted on 2nd July 2018
It can feel like a combination of report card day, dorm inspection, and getting called into the boss? office, but client visits are a regular occurrence in the world of the warehouse and they don’t have to be as stressful as they sound.
It?s not too different from cleaning your house before you have company over?you just need to do a thorough job of tidying things up and showing off your processes before your clients come in so you can wow them with how smoothly things run and how well you?re handling their inventory and shipments.
Much like any other warehouse inspection (you?ve surely dealt with visits from OSHA before, right?) there?s a few things to focus on to make sure everything looks its best. Here?s a couple of our suggestions to keep your warehouse neat and tidy when the clients drop by for a visit:
It?s always important to know your audience in client meetings, and warehouse inspections are no different. Ask yourself a few questions, like:
Are these visitors a potential client or someone who I have an active contract with? Should you highlight the potential benefits of your warehouse (location, item flexibility, cleanliness, etc) or do you just need to show off your performance and remind your client why they picked you in the first place?
Am I talking to a direct supplier or a middleman? The areas you need to focus on in your warehouse will vary depending on if you?re being visited by a direct inventory supplier or if you do distribution for a retail chain or other outlet, which means the items of discussion and focus of the visit will change based on their needs.
Get ready to have the right discussion with the right client, and the rest should fall into place.
It should go without saying, but make sure your entire warehouse is as clean and organized as possible. Even above and beyond the usual stuff (mopping, cleaning the weird bathroom in the back, etc) try to make sure you?re able to organize your warehouse storage too?keep pallets from sliding off the edge of your pallet racks, don?t leave any empty or half-full cartons around, and try to make sure everything is labeled so they get a good idea what other products you work with.
Obviously, warehouse safety is a permanent requirement for any workplace, but for client visits it could stand to be more visible. Provide safety gear for any visitors (goggles, hard hats, even lab coats when needed), post up-to-date safety certifications such as forklift certifications and compliance certificates in visible places, and clear out any floor obstructions along your walking path.
We?re not saying you have to enforce a dress code?in fact, more often than not, lack of dress code tends to improve employee morale, and that?s something we?ll always support?but if you?re having clients (whether current or potential) come by, try to make sure everyone looks their best. No tattered boots, no inappropriate t-shirts, and do try to make sure everyone has proper safety gear on.
After your tour, take a second to talk to your guests and get some feedback. Was there anything they wanted to see that you missed? Did you suggest solutions for their specific product needs? Do they have a good idea of what you do and how you do it? Not only can this help strengthen client relations, it can also help make things easier the next time.
If you want to maximise your warehouse space through the use of second hand or new pallet racking, please don?t hesitate to get in touch with us on 0800 345 7088 or send an email to sales@advanced-handling.co.uk
Make sure you follow?#TeamAdvanced?on Social media for all our latest news and offers.
Like us on?Facebook
Follow us on?Twitter
Connect with us on?LinkedIn
Subscribe to Our?YouTube?channel
Follow us on?GooglePlus
Read our other blogs on?Medium
Follow us on?Instagram
Sign up to our newsletter to receive our latest offers
Thanks for subscribing
Site designed & developed by hush digital.
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement | 1 year | Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
CookieLawInfoConsent | 1 year | Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_ga | 2 years | The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. |
_ga_FV69LKQH6D | 2 years | This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. |
_gat_gtag_UA_18511543_7 | 1 minute | Set by Google to distinguish users. |
_gat_UA-18511543-7 | 1 minute | A variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. |
_gcl_au | 3 months | Provided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services. |
_gid | 1 day | Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
IDE | 1 year 24 days | Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. |
test_cookie | 15 minutes | The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
abGiDEjyIrhTfKS- | 1 day | No description |
OzMIdujHg-heNkw | 1 day | No description |
thirdPartyCookiesEnabled | 1 day | No description available. |