Southern Charm Customer Service is C.C. Dickson Co.'s Ace

Customers and suppliers know C.C. Dickson Co. as a company that's easy to do business with — you can experience it for yourself by visiting any of its 114 stores in nine southeastern states and talking to any of its employees. So why did the company last year embark on an initiative to provide even more thoughtful customer service, which included a one-day training program for every employee? Because there's always room for improvement, says Jon Perry, C.C. Dickson Co.'s president.

And that, in a nutshell, helps to explain the success of this company that started in 1933 and continues to expand to this day. This is a company that understands the value that its people bring to customers. When a C.C. Dickson Co. employee works with a customer, he or she is C.C. Dickson Co. “We've always done a good job with customer service, but this is a real differentiator,” says Perry, who also took part in the training. “In this market, a lot of people have good products and good locations. Our people are our most important asset, and I think this is the difference to our customers. You have to provide that extra level of service.”

Based in Rock Hill, SC, C.C. Dickson Co. was founded as a refrigeration wholesaler and later added HVACR supplies to its distribution. It quickly grew to five branch locations. After members of the Dickson family acquired the business in 1953, it expanded rapidly in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. By 1974, there were more than 40 branches. Shortly thereafter, the company began another growth spurt into Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and Virginia.

As one of the largest HVACR distributors in the southeastern United States, C.C. Dickson Co. has the presence, backed by its people, to offer customers pretty much anything they want when it comes to HVACR. It is mainly a parts, pieces and supplies distributor, although it does sell equipment. But it has remained a small company at heart. “I think our employees would agree that we try to take care of them,” Perry says. “We try to treat everybody like they're a smaller company.”

C.C. Dickson Co. also maintains its small-company feel through its branches. In fact, more than 85 percent of its employees are in the field — in branch locations or as outside salespeople. Each branch location maintains its own identity and is a part of the community in which it is located. Perry says this is by design. “We have the overall strategy, but each store is definitely unique,” he says. “We give the branch managers a lot of autonomy to set up inventory and take care of their local customers. It's leveraging the organization as a whole by allowing the branch managers the freedom to act like a small business.”

The branch managers are the link between their customers and the company's management team — “the most critical role in the company,” Perry says. They set the tone and direction for their employees and lead by example. The branch managers get together once a year for an annual meeting to discuss everything from the company's overall vision to product and sales training. They also work closely together and report to one of the company's seven regional directors. Branch managers share the company's goals with staff within the branches and what they need to do to achieve performance levels that have been set for them.

While the branch managers are essentially running their own businesses, it's nice to have the resources of a larger company there for you. “With the saturation of our branches throughout the southeast, they have access to a lot of inventory,” says Darrell Durham, vice president and regional director. If one branch doesn't have a particular product for a customer, there very well may be another C.C. Dickson Co. branch within driving distance that does stock it. “Access to a large inventory is a key to our success.”

Perry adds that if a customer needs unique items, C.C. Dickson Co. will find them. “Others may not want to help, but we're known for that,” he says. “We will help our customer — whatever their need.”

A central distribution center at the corporate headquarters supplies the branches through weekly or, if necessary during busy seasons, twice-weekly deliveries. About 70 percent of product sales based on dollar volume goes through the distribution center, while the remainder ships directly to the branches, says Walter Dickson, director of materials and logistics.

While the branch managers have significant leeway in ordering what they need for their individual markets, they have inventory guidelines and use information provided by the corporate office that details their suggested minimum and maximum inventory levels using sales history as their basis. “We give them the historical data out of the system, but they know their markets best,” Dickson says. “If we relied only on the system to manage our inventory, we would miss opportunities to provide our customers with what they want, rather than what we think they need. An automated system can't take the place of the human dimension.”

Branches can also have the backing of C.C. Dickson Co.'s marketing programs. “What we try to do from here is leverage our buying power to come up with things that will create a splash out there,” says Bob Norton, director of marketing for the company. Depending on their needs and individual markets, branches participate at varying levels and customize programs for their needs. “For example, you may have a branch in which their client base is more refrigeration than HVAC, so they will have the autonomy to do some things separately,” Norton says.