Independent distributor Darrin Tenkhoff emphasizes the importance of listening as a distributor, and that doesn’t just apply to your customers’ tool requests. It covers the complaints and personal issues your customers are dealing with, too, all of which give you the opportunity to make sure you’re helping your customers as best as you can. 

"The big thing is taking care of the customer with the warranty. A lot of tool trucks will sell, for instance, my biggest seller is Milwaukee. And they'll sell [the products] to [their] customers ... but if it breaks on the customers, they'll just tell them, ‘You got to send it back to Milwaukee.’ Well, I don't do that. I take care of my customer. Service, service, and service. If I sell them the product, I want to take care of it for them," he says.