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COMPANY ON THE MOVE: Royal Imaging International
In an industry that is averaging single digit growth each year, Royal Imaging International has a long-term reputation for beating the averages. This year is no exception with another enviable report of double-digit growth. Can this be attributed to a clever advertising campaign or superior product offering? No. Their marketing budget is quite modest as compared to similar distributors, and they are selling the exact same OEM products as their competitors. The secret of their success is simple: they have revolutionized the customer experience! All of the sales associates at Royal could be described as customer service managers. Each has years of experience, a deep knowledge of the industry and products, and most importantly, all are empowered to solve customer problems.
CEO Tom Ghyczy
In an industry that is notorious for hiring untrained “order takers”, Royal has turned the business model upside down so that those closest to the customer have the most authority and autonomy. The customer’s time isn’t wasted with endless delays for supervisor approvals. “Why interfere with the good work of our associates that are doing extraordinary things to support the needs of our customers; it is their relationship that creates a true partnership”, said Royal Imaging International’s CEO, Tom Ghyczy.
Arlene_Emanuel
Director of Purchasing
This unique customer experience begins with a conversation, not a recording. “Phones are answered by people, and customers have a direct connection with their specific customer service representative who is fully capable of making pricing decisions, entering orders and providing shipment tracking information. You don’t get transferred from one department to another because there is a single point of contact for every aspect of customer service”, said Senior Account Representative, Paula Corby. She adds with a smile, “It’s a simple concept, they ask and we get it. Sure, it sounds easy but it often isn’t quite that straightforward. Our purchasing team is quite exceptional and they are able to leverage their network of global contacts to make certain that we rarely have to say no to a customer. Technology supports our efforts, including the use of an innovative global IM (instant messaging) system that provides real-time access to information on the availability of products worldwide.
Paula_Corby
Senior Account Rep
CEO Ghyczy adds, “Why should our customers have to make dozens of calls to locate the consumables they need? We describe ourselves as a one-stop shop that provides everything, not just a few items or one type of product.” Royal offers an expansive line of OEM’s, compatibles, compatible fax ribbons, and remanufactured cartridges featuring a product line that exceeds 5200 SKUs! If a copier, fax, ink jet or laser toner cartridge is available in the wholesale market, odds are that Royal has it in stock and ready for same day shipment.
With the number of individual products growing every year, the challenge that everyone faces is that it is impossible to stock huge quantities of every available product in anticipation of customer need. In addition to their multimillion-dollar inventory of imaging consumables, their virtual inventory is worth billions of dollars. Royal’s Director of Purchasing Arlene Emanuel explains, “If a consumable imaging supply is readily available in the secondary market, Royal has the capability to find it and source it for our customers. We are tenacious and will do whatever we can to fulfill customer requests.”
What this means to the customer is that when you call Royal, two teams are activated to source needed product, the team that is right here as well as a secondary team of extended networked contacts. Emanuel added, “This is why our success rate in fulfilling customer requests is extraordinarily high. We are quite often able to get what others can’t, and we can get it faster. It’s a lot about relationships. I’ve been a buyer in this industry for over 20 years, and I have met a multitude of people who now form a cooperative network of associates and contacts.”
Another obstacle
that many customers faced when purchasing from distributors was minimum
order requirements. If one of Royal’s customers needs a single fuser
module that isn’t normally stocked, they will source it even if only one
is ordered.
This industry used
to support three distinctly different sizes of distributors. The smaller
businesses are almost all gone leaving only the large and mega
wholesaler. According to CEO Ghyczy, Royal was faced with two options
when deciding how to grow their business. “We could have acquired other
businesses to quickly and dramatically increase our sales volume but we
had concerns that it would negatively impact our ability to serve our
long-term customers with the same level of quality and personal
attention that they have relied on for over 28 years. The other option
of course was to reorganize and restructure into our customer-centric
business model which has led to consistent yet controlled growth and an
improvement in overall customer satisfaction.” Letters from customers
applaud Royal for “consistently helpful and knowledgeable service on a
daily basis”, “extremely competitive pricing”, and “excellent
communication.” Based on positive customer 
feedback
and word of mouth advertising, growth seems inevitable.
Under the premise
that bigger is always better, the inevitable question is, why do
business with a large wholesaler instead of a mega wholesaler? Ghyczy
responds, “We can get things done much more efficiently: open accounts,
establish credit in 24 hours, and provide customers with a dedicated
customer services representative that handles everything on the
customer’s behalf, including shipment notification via UPS’s StarShip
system, an e-mail with tracking information, and a copy of their invoice
at the close of business day.”
The typical customer at Royal is a full line supply dealer that sells copier, fax, laser and inkjet supplies, and enjoys the flexibility of working with a supplier who can provide OEM, compatibles and remanufactured supplies. The same holds true for service companies (ISOs - Independent Service Organizations) that are performing office products repairs.
In closing, Ghyczy states, “This business was founded on the principle that products will come and go, prices will rise and fall, and sales volumes will expand and contract — but what will remain constant at Royal is customer service. It is our legacy, part of our DNA, and it is our future.” u
Royal Imaging International
8936 Comanche Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311
877-898-9845 Toll free • 818-407-0452 Sales Office
Email: @royal-imaging.com • www.royal-imaging.com
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