by chris helmer » Fri Apr 20, 2001 9:45 am
A fuel surcharge could be the fastest way out of the wholesale market. Unless you have no other dealers around your area, a fuel surcharge to existing customers will drive them to your competitors. However, we recently picked up an account that is a fair distance away. In negotiating a reasonable discount and delivery times, he actually agreed to a minimum charge. If he needs only a $1.00 gasket, he is billed $15.00. Knowing this in advance allows him to tell his customer the cost for the part including delivery minimum charges, upfront. Many times, he buys filters, extra gaskets, etc. for his stock to make up the difference.