It’s been about three years now that I’ve been regularly ordering truck stock and job material online for my small plumbing business. I order through a very large, nationwide plumbing & heating supply company via their website and accumulate points I can use toward merchandise. The reward program also offers discounts for goods and services through third party vendors. I’m sure you’re familiar with this or similar programs and how they work. I wrote about here on The Hub a couple years ago, click here if you’d like to read more.
Now I know I tend to be an “early adopter” of new technologies and innovative services such as online ordering but I cannot be the only one in our industry doing it, can I? I am certain the online service I use wouldn’t exist if the numbers weren’t there to support it. That got me thinking, what other new technology are contractors using?
Recently Apple launched its latest iPhone, the iPhone 6. What’s significant is the new-ish technology of Near Field Communication (NFC) that came along with the new popular smart phone. NFC technology allows for nearly anything to be turned into a secure form of payment. Technology companies can embed a microchip into your car key or ball cap that will allow you to use it instead of an actual credit card to pay for your goods and services. Apple did this with Apple Pay and really for the first time “mobile payment” is on the lips of consumers worldwide. Consumers like, say, plumbing and heating contractors.
Admittedly, our industry seems to be slower than others when adopting new technology. That seems especially true when speaking about the contractors and installers in our industry but again my wholesaler wouldn’t be supporting such a large platform of online offering if companies like myself [or larger] weren’t participating so I want to believe some of my competitors and industry friends are eying up this new form of payment as I type this.
Apple isn’t the only technology company offering mobile payment; I’ve put together a list of some others in the market for bringing us one step closer to true efficiency. Take a look and please, if you have something to add leave a comment below. Thanks!
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