One big consideration for planning your “when” for making stops is when your competition will be visiting your stops. As a district manager, I'd make sure my dealer wasn't stopping on the same day as another tool truck. It can be overwhelming for both the shop owner and the technicians to have more than one tool truck stopping on the same day. In some areas, it's impossible to avoid this. The best you can do is visit the stop in the morning if the competition is scheduled to be there in the afternoon.
On a little side note, a good rule has always been to run your route, making right turns from stop to stop in order to avoid crossing roadways. Again, not always possible, but it is a simple time saver not having to sit at too many intersections just to turn into the next shop.
Brian Fahlgren started in the tool business in 1998. Fahlgren has been an employee dealer, franchised dealer, and district manager for two different flags. In 2018, he returned to the driver's seat of his own tool truck. Providing premium service and his continuous "close to perfect" attitude, he achieved his goal of being a Top 10 dealer for Cornwell Quality Tools. He and his wife of over 44 years recently retired, moving from Oregon to the endless summers of Beverly Hills, Florida.
