Gift Associates Interchange Network
 Some challenges I faced before I joined GAIN:
Lack of staff/time to check credit on new and existing customers. Staffing has always been an issue, at each h company I've worked with. There never seems enough time to make a full credit investigation and informed decisions about in-house orders.
Reaching the contacts listed on the credit application. Sometimes the phone tag gets ridiculous. If you’re lucky enough to connect with the person you need, add more time to fax forms and the like. And, in the end, you may not end up with current, relevant information to base your decision on.
Appropriate Follow-Up. With the due date in the future, once an order is shipped your limited resources are required to focus on the next one. This makes it hard to stay "in the know" about each customer.
GAIN Membership made a huge difference in our credit processes. Here's how.
Now, I can barrel through a pile of new customer applications in short order. Instead of trying to track down information from a number of sources, I simply pull a GAIN credit report. It takes all of one minute. Seriously. I can pull a GAIN report on 50 customers in 30 minutes time. I find sufficient information on 98% of those reports to make a good, educated credit decision. Not only does this take care of the bulk of the applications, it also reduces the challenge of finding time for completing credit investigations on the remaining 2%.
The nominal cost of a GAIN report in comparison to the arduous task of manually contacting vendors and the output of time and resources required to do so is a huge benefit to our company.
Most importantly, GAIN members who submit the information used in the reports are in the same industry, so we get a good picture of how our customers pay their gift vendors. And, if I have a question about a line on a report, I can either call or email the vendor and get my concerns/questions answered very quickly.
GAIN Flashes Notices – email that give updates on recent changes in a customer's financial position – have been instrumental in saving us over $30,000 this past year alone. As a small company that's very significant to us. We were informed of final demands or PFC's [placed for collection] and we were able to stop shipments to slow paying customers. Without a lot of extra time devoted to follow-up, we can now stay current on our "dated" customers, even if their balances are not due yet.
Submitting A/R data to the GAIN database is quick and easy. Group manager, ABC-Amega, has made data submission very painless. The knowledge and commitment of the ABC-Amega staff is impressive. They are always willing to provide any assistance needed and are one of the best groups of people I have worked with.
The website itself has a good flow to it. Reports are easy to access, view and print. The Discussion Forums provide a great place to seek input from other experts in the industry.
For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of being a GAIN member is the annual meetings.
These educational conferences provide members the privilege of networking with other credit professionals, discussing common problems, exchanging solutions, and developing valuable business relationships.
Sure, many of the GAIN members are competitors in the sales arena – but in the credit field we're all in the same proverbial boat, and need to share our information. I appreciate that GAIN provides us with an easy way to do that.
The networking and mentoring that goes on within the group speaks volumes about the commitment to the credit field that the GAIN members have. There's no sense of competition. It's just those of us wearing our credit hats and wanting to help the membership.
Deb Norstad
Customer Communications Director
Inge-Glas of Germany
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Inge-Glas® is a family operated business that has been handcrafting glass ornaments with skills that have been passed on for generations. Using the same mould composition as those ornament moulds created over 100 years ago, Inge-Glas® has successfully kept the spirit of the glass cottage industry alive. Inge-Glas® of Germany - a glassblowing family tradition since 1596.
Learn more about GAIN -- contact Donna Mosteller, Director Member Group Services, 1-800-746-9428, donna.mosteller@abc-amega.com
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