Tony Armitt, Commercial & Technical Director at fixings and fastener experts, ForgeFix explains the importance of knowing which products to use on your latest project
Anyone who deals with wood knows how the quality of materials used can impact on the finished product as well as the ease and efficiency of working on the project overall. Though a small element such as a screw can seem trivial in a large carpentry or joinery project, poor quality fixings and fastenings used in wood can cause a nasty split in the materials, whether a precious piece of oak or costly plywood. Education and training around which products to use for various applications is vital, and this is something that ForgeFix understand well. That’s why we are supporting merchants, and therefore end users, with training and education to ensure the right materials are used for the job in hand.
Independent customer research
Our approach is simple, by supporting our merchant customers they are then best able to support their customers. In doing so, we hope to create a virtuous circle in which our product knowledge gets to end users quickly and effectively, in an effort to make their lives easier.
To understand where we could make the most impact, in 2023 we set about conducting independent customer research of our merchant customer base, ‘the voice of the customer’, to better understand their needs and wants, as well as ways in which improvements could be made in terms of service, product ranges, quality and stock and delivery expectations. A well-informed merchant means that this knowledge will then be passed on to their customer – the end user, encouraging them back to store due to the knowledge and support they received.
Improved education and training
One of the main findings from the research was that customers wanted more education on new products, as well as hands on training on how a product should be used and their best applications.
This education and training is particularly important to the merchant’s customer facing employees as it helps differentiate them from online competitors and enables the building of relationships with their customers who turn to them for product advice.
To facilitate training, ForgeFix has developed a team that travels the UK to undertake training with merchant teams on site at their own branches. The training is led by ForgeFix’s technical team and covers all areas from product selection, uses, safety and best practices. The training programme is also offered free of charge.
In addition to the merchant training, Forgefix is offering the opportunity for the tradespeople using the products to receive training in merchant branches through a series of ‘trade mornings’ and bespoke customer events. This aims to make end users more familiar and confident with the products but also helps build relationships between merchants and their customers.
Social media
Customers who are unavailable for training have been given access to a series of training videos freely available on YouTube, specifically developed to support with product understanding, and knowledge.
We also know a lot of the people using our products will turn to social media for advice so we have invested in our social media channels and content. Our various brand accounts include regular, useful and informative content as well as competitions and giveaways.
Sustainability
Something our customers and their customers wanted was to have products that are sustainably packaged and presented in a way that displays clear and informative information, including screw gauge and length measuring devices and information of head types so customers don’t need to open boxes. We have also taken steps to reduce packaging waste and minimising the use of non-recyclable plastic by providing core products in simple brown cardboard and easier to recycle plastic tubs.
So, before starting your next big joinery project, it’s worth some research or speaking with your local merchant on which screws work best.
For more information on ForgeFix visit https://www.forgefix.co.uk/
To access a series of ForgeFix training videos visit https://www.youtube.com/@ForgefixLtd/featured
