Three tips to manage your catalog online
Offer great customer service
Every supplier needs to manage and promote a product catalog - it's crucial to providing a great customer service and getting a foot in the door over competitors. But doing this is much easier said than done as making sure product information is correct, up-to-date and then communicated in time to customers requires a well-oiled operation.
Currently, the majority of small to medium sized suppliers update their catalogs offline. A weekly email & PDF attachment is sent to a big mailing list, a sales rep delivers a catalog in person, or a list of products can be found on the supplier's website. This presents some challenges. Customers don't have access to live product information, ordering a product for next day delivery which they believe is in stock but isn't. For chefs, it's not easy to independently and easily search for new products that are on offer. And finally, when a product is ordered, it often doesn't contain all the details - unit, ID - that's needed for customer service teams to quickly and accurately process.
Managing a catalog online that's easily accessible and searchable creates a great customer service.
On Choco, suppliers can upload their catalog to our Web tool, update product information, and mark if a product is out of stock.
On the Choco app, customers can browse their suppliers' catalogs and add products to their digital order guide with just one click. If a supplier makes any changes or additions to the products, this information is automatically synced to the customer's device, removing the need to send an email or message. In addition, customers are unable to order a product is it's been marked out of stock.
Here are three quick tips to use Choco's catalog feature so that you can offer customers the best service with the least amount of effort:
- Integrate Choco with your ERP: Choco integrates directly with all ERP systems. This means that your catalog on Choco is updated automatically as your inventory and stock levels change. Customers will always know what you have to offer and whether it is in stock.
- Add all product information: Make sure all your products have an ID, unit and accurate description. When you receive orders, they will receive all the information your customer service team needs to process orders with 100% accuracy and lightning speed. No more deciphering handwritten scrawls or late-night voicemails.
- Promote special products first: Products featured at the top of your catalog are most likely to be ordered by customers. Add seasonable or perishable items first to make sure they are promoted in the most effective way. Chefs can browse your catalog and add these products to their digital order guide with just one click.
Ready to showcase your online catalog to customers? Reach out to our team today and get set up in less than 24 hours.
