Choosing a Great Restaurant Equipment Store Online
Outfitting a new restaurant, or even just upgrading the equipment in your already successful restaurant, is a huge undertaking. With the large number of tools necessary to create a working kitchen, it can be a huge hassle to visit restaurant equipment stores and deal with salespeople who are trying to upgrade you into the priciest models. Because any restaurateur should be able to spend time doing what they love – running their restaurant – many are looking to buy equipment online. Finding a great restaurant equipment store, though, can be a challenge of its own right. The good news is that there are just a few key things to keep in mind while choosing a store in order to find one that is a match for you.
1. Check Their Reviews
While reviews aren’t always the ideal barometer of a restaurant equipment store, especially online, third party reviews of a site can certainly be a good first step. Looking out for quality, detailed reviews from verified accounts is a great way to get a general feeling for customer’s experience with a specific store. Reviews aren’t everything, but overwhelmingly positive and overwhelmingly negative reviews can be a good warning if a store is particularly good or bad, respectively.
2. Look Out for Accreditation and Partnerships
If a business is quality enough to establish a partnership with major payment handlers or business auditing organizations, like the Better Business Bureau, for example, it’s likely that they are running a tight ship. Websites with third parties willing to vouch for them tend to have quality payment security, good customer service, and quality product offerings, which is just what you want in a restaurant equipment store. Additionally, third party accreditation often means that there will be professional reviews of service and more, which are more informative and reliable than public internet reviews.
3. Contact Them
Speaking to a representative of an online store is not only easier than going to a brick-and-mortar branch, but faster too. Calling an online store’s customer service line and asking questions relevant to your needs is low-pressure, and lets you command the direction of the conversation. Instead of being pressured into sales pitches, you can ask what you need and then get back to your business. You’ll get a great feel for the company’s culture and customer service offerings without having to deal with the usual downsides of going into a show-floor or warehouse environment.
4. Pricing and Shipping
Don’t be afraid to compare stores. One of the best things about shopping online is how quickly you can find the cheapest option. While shopping, keep out for other cost-saving options. Some sites, for example, might have slightly more expensive restaurant equipment, but with a tradeoff of offering free shipping. Free shipping might end up saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending on the extent and size of the equipment you are purchasing, so you can see why looking out for such offerings might be a major cost-saving behavior!
5. Look for Good Sales, and Don’t Fear Mailing Lists
While some companies certainly send out lots of empty email, many companies use their client mailing lists for good ends! While brick-and-mortar sales are limited by your geography, online you can access any sales promotions offered across many sites. Even better, most companies can email you when they are having a sale. If you’re looking for an upgrade, you might be able to score a serious savings by taking advantage of online sales.
Want help deciding on a piece of equipment? Call us now at 1-888-994-2867!