Hi great forum! I posted this earlier and when I saw the screename I chose I felt it was too provacitive and immature! :oops: so I changed it to a PG rated name! I have a small pizzaria in central Vermont and I deal with a local pizza vendor and USFS. The PFG guy has been coming around for 7 months and I have to hand it to him he’s doesnt give up! He’s not pushy but he’s one of the few guys Ive had come around that has a sample or something of interest every time he comes in, I feel like I either have to buy from him or shoot him at this point! :lol: I feel USFS has been taking me for granted(calling me 5 min. before deadline, never showing me anything new he just comes in and takes the order, I even have to call him to come get the check so I stay current!) Im thinking of giving this PFG guy a chance. I have avoided doing business with PFG for lack of product for us but the rep has informed me they have bought or merged or whatever with Roma foods. Ive never used their products. What do you guys think about Romas products? I like the idea that PFG can sell me produce and fresh meats, this will make it easier for me to hit minimums. Everyone here in VT is $500min. Anyone deal with PFG? I think this one is out of Springfield MA.
We used to use Roma. Their prices are good and if your sales rep is good it can truly be a great situation.
We switched soley to US foods after a promise of price plus 5% if they were our sole vendor. (We were using Roma and US) To say the least the relationship is heading south with US.
Just to give you a few of the cons you may want to talk to your rep about which we had with ROMA:
If they shorted us, it was hard to get product. They would literally Mail us cheese from the warehouse in dry ice or tell us too bad so sad.
They didn’t have the produce quality or choices like US foods does. Their produce prices are extremely high compared to US.
They didn’t have certain items we needed (for them to be our sole provider) and weren’t willing to get it. Where US foods is able to get us anything we wanted.
They constantly shorted/damaged product on deliveries if the paper work was fully filled out credits were a nightmare.
We haven’t used them for almost a year…prior to that we have used them on and off for 14. Depending on the rep we did like them for most of our pizza products. After the best rep we ever had left things just really went down hill.
I am coming to find out most of them are full of crap. Low ball prices and slowly raise them…come in sampling and bending over backwards but unless the REP is truly a great salesman wanting your business they are all the same. We were so spoiled by our original rep that I will probably spend the rest of my years in this biz trying to find someone honest and truly seeking to make it a win win for both of us.
I would absolutely switch back to Roma if the right sales guy came along.
Welcome to the TT.
Kris
Heres what i would do:
Give him a list of products with Brand names you use.
Have him give a quote on ALL of the items that he can supply with pricing.
99% of the time, they will lowball on everything, just to get you to switch over.
Once you are with them they will slowly, raise their prices to catch up with the market and to add to their bottom line.
Find out what they do when an item is not in stock. Most will send a similar replacement. or some will drop it off a few days later.
Find out what their fuel & or delivery charge is per week.
If you can get some kind of guarantee that their prices don’t get out of whack (some kind of cost + program) , you would stay exclusively.
I Currently use 3 different distrubutors. They’re pricing is all different on all items. I buy certain items that are the cheapest from whoever will be the lowest.
Hope this info helps.
We use both US Food and Sysco. Prices are all over the map with both of them and often not at the same time which is an advantage of buying from two vendors.
RobT is right, get them to quote all your key items. Find out if they offer enough of what you need to be useful to you. Kepp both relationships and tell both of them that PRICE is what is driving decision making.
Price isnt my driver. I use top of the line products and want a fair price. Whats important to me is order fill and stock outs. Ive been doing this for 20 years Im aware of the tactics reps use to get in the door. What Im more concerned with is product. If I switch to Roma/PFG will they bait and switch me? Will they have a really good cheese or topping but after 3 months of doing biz. will they switch it on me? Ive been to the PFG site and it looks like they have everything US has but the Roma site seems to focus more on their own labels. Im tired of getting used to something and having some company tell me I need to switch from say Pillsbury flour to thier brand etc, Thats why I kicked SYSCO out years ago! I just dont want to sacrafice quality and service.
on a side note, I know this guy will jack my pricing in time but I have found all these comapnies are basically in the same price market. A friend of mine owns a restaurant in town and he needed a piece of equiptment 4th of July weekend. He called the PFG rep who is calling on me, who sells to him, and asked him if he had what he needed. the PFG didnt have it but… the rep dropped what he was doing(Keep in mind this is a small account) and found him the equiptment 3 hours away. He went and picked it up and paid with his own money to ensure my friend had the mixer he needed.(In Vermont theres not a equiptment dealer on every corner!) I want that kind of service! My US guy might have told me where to get the mixer and the other guy I deal with comes in once a month I dont even have his cell#
I think you are in my boat 6 months ago.
I had been with Delco for 10 years, rep never called never asked anything or more importantly ever helped out if something was out of stock…I was stuck driving on fridays to will call…I hated writing the 3500 check every week and not even getting a kiss my @&&. I started looking around and found another distributor, same prices same product but GREAT RELATIONSHIP.
and sampling does work, he sampled some onion rings and my customers have LOVED them.