- Are you ineligible for a credit account?
- Are you based outside the UK?
- Do you conduct all your business over email?
- Do you prefer to do business face-to-face?
- Are you happy to talk budget?
- Are you looking for the cheapest price?
Wondering if Lion is the right infrastructure supplies provider for you? In an ideal world, Lion would be the perfect choice for everyone when it comes to supplying infrastructure consumables and equipment.
However, we know that this isn’t the case and that there will be some people who aren’t a good fit for us, and we’re not a good fit for you.
At Lion, honesty and transparency are at the heart of our business. Since we were established in 1991 we have prided ourselves on the customer service we provide to every person who contacts us.
It is because, as a company, we like to be honest with our customers that we’re writing this article, so you know who will and won’t be a good fit for the business, depending on individual needs.
We know that we’re not the right supplier for every infrastructure company and it’s important we talk about that.
Are you ineligible for a credit account?
If we’re being completely honest here, if your company's financials are such that we are unable to offer you a credit account, we won’t be able to help you when it comes to supplying the product mix you need, even if you have outlined a sensible budget.
We always recommend customers sign up for a credit check service when they’re looking at changing suppliers or adding a new supplier. This gives you a really good idea of what is in the last six years of your credit history.
Lion uses CreditSafe to perform checks on all the companies we deal with, and to manage our accounts and credit terms with all of our clients, to ensure that we are not taken by surprise by any clients who suffer a financial problem (maybe because of an economic downturn or a specific industry problem - such as the UK Government restricting spending on Full-Fibre rollout, and causing problems for civils companies).
This means no wasted time spent with us, as bad credit ratings mean we can't offer a good credit term or prices might be higher.
It’s for that reason that we might not be the right fit for you.
Are you based outside the UK?
If your legal base is somewhere outside the mainland UK or Britain, unfortunately, we aren’t in a position to help you (yet!).
Essentially, if your company is registered, in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland, then we can help you.
Lion hasn't yet set up registered offices in Europe or other global locations, meaning we can't offer the same level of service to companies outside of the UK. As we pride ourselves on the level of service we offer, including lead times, account management, and the personal touches all across our company, we know we couldn't perform as well supplying outside the UK.
That's not to say it won't ever happen! If it does, we'll be sure to tell the world.
However, it may mean that we aren't a fit for you right now.
Do you conduct all your business over email?
Are you someone who does all your business via email and doesn’t like to talk to anyone over the phone? If the answer to this question is yes then we’re not the right infrastructure supplier for you.
At Lion, although we are available for one-off purchases, our best work is done when we offer a bespoke service, catering to you and your company's infrastructure supply needs and this is not something we can do effectively by email.
We like to ensure that we offer a high level of service and that you get the benefit of our team’s expertise as well as ensure we fulfil requirements set out by the BSIF that ensure we’re offering you the best and most suitable safety and equipment for your specific circumstances. This is something we need to communicate over the phone.
Of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t communicate with you over email, but we want to understand your needs. We have so many options available to offer you and speaking on the phone makes it a much more personal experience. At Lion, no one is a number, every customer is an individual and we feel it’s important that we can provide you with the personal touch.
Do you prefer not to do business face-to-face?
As a B2B supplier in the infrastructure industries, we aren’t the same as an in-store trade supplier, our business is carried out primarily on the phone, online, and with in-person visits to your company.
We’re based in Falkirk, Scotland, but do business with people across the whole of the UK. So while we may not be on your doorstep, we are only 7 hours travel time from your office or site anywhere in the UK!
Ensuring strong relationships with the clients we work with is at the core of Lion's vision to be a success for you, and face-to-face meetings are key to this. We've found that those who aren't willing or maybe don't have the time to meet in this way, will ultimately not be able to ensure working with us proves as successful as we'd love it to be.
If you do want to have a chat and see the friendly face of the person who’s helping you on your infrastructure supplies journey, you can always speak with us on Zoom. We’re only a call away.
Of course, if you want to visit us at our Head Office, we’ll welcome you with open arms and a cup of something hot.
Are you happy to talk budget?
Some customers simply don’t want to talk about their budget and just want to be sent offers.
Of course, your budget is not the most important factor in the beginning. However, having an idea of the budget you have set aside for your annual or quarterly spending on your infrastructure supplies, consumables, and equipment will give us an idea of the direction we should be going when it comes to the requirements you have given us.
It’s important to us to be able to provide you with equipment and products that meet your specific requirements and are affordable for you.
Are you looking for the cheapest price?
We’re always looking for ways to give you the best deal when searching for a product to help you with your infrastructure project. However, we’re not a company that just looks for the cheapest price, we focus on value.
We’re going to look for the ideal price, and sometimes that may not, on the surface, be the cheapest one.
We pride ourselves on finding deals that are tailored to you and your situation. All this means is we listen to what you tell us about your specific needs and then we search for the product mix that is right for you and fall within your budget.
We know that some companies focus on getting prices without considering whether the product portfolio and offers they have found are right for your situation. For example, they may find an offer that has the monthly budget you want, but the service isn't what you expected, or your overall spend is higher than you originally budgeted for because the quality isn't what you wanted.
If you simply want the cheapest deal, then we’re not the right company for you.
Our focus is on customer service and ensuring you have a great experience when you work with our people and get exactly what you are looking for.
So, are we a fit for you?
As you can see, the list of people we are not in the best position to help is rather short. But in summary, if you don't operate in the UK, want to do all your business via email, or have bad credit, then we’re not the right supplier to help.
We’re also not a good fit if you‘re only looking out for the cheapest deal and don’t want to discuss your budget.
We work hard to be a good fit for everyone, offering advice and finding the most suitable and beneficial product mix and service package for our customers. However, we understand that we aren’t for everyone, and we hope that this article has helped you to decide if Lion is a good fit for you.
Who is a great fit for Lion?
Have you just started the search for your next infrastructure supplies partner? Are you a company working in the infrastructure industries we work with? Do you operate in the UK? Do you have a healthy credit score and want to get rid of some of the stress that can go with getting a new supplier or provider?
If you’ve been searching for a new supplier of tools, site equipment, or PPE, and we’ve just described you, then we’re the company you’re looking for.
With just a phone call or Zoom meeting, we can start the search to find the product mix you’ve been looking for, one that meets your quality requirements and budget.
We hope, in the future, you will join the thousands of happy customers we have been able to help since the business was founded in 1991.