Delivery Drivers Drive Customer Loyalty

Key Takeaways:

• Delivery drivers play a critical role in customer retention by serving as the face of the distributor, building relationships, and providing a level of service that differentiates companies from competitors.
• Because drivers interact with customers more frequently than sales reps, they are uniquely positioned to identify operational challenges, unmet product needs, and sales opportunities.
• Training drivers to observe and communicate customer insights can strengthen collaboration between operations and sales teams, leading to improved service, stronger customer relationships, and increased revenue opportunities.

Ryan Fagan, Sales Executive at Fagan Sanitary Supply, West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, knows the impact a great delivery driver can have on a jan/san distributor’s business. When one of the company’s standout drivers retired after a decade of service, the moment called for more than a simple sendoff. Fagan was quick to share his appreciation, praising the driver’s contributions— and celebrating him with a well-earned retirement party.   

“Tony [Bradjic] is an incredible guy who goes above and beyond,” Fagan says. “He always has a big smile, and he’ll take those extra five minutes to connect with someone at the dock.” 

Indeed, Bradjic’s dedication speaks to a larger truth: Delivery drivers do far more than move product from the warehouse to the customer’s facility. They serve as an extension of the brand, reinforcing company values and strengthening customer relationships with every stop. 

In fact, many distributors tout their drivers as the unofficial face of the company, seeing clients three to five times more frequently than the sales reps assigned to those accounts. With that level of visibility, a positive attitude, and the ability to build genuine rapport aren’t just nice qualities to have, they’re essential to long-term success. 

“I think drivers are one of the most important pieces of the actual distribution process,” says Brian Kingsland, National Sales Rep, Imperial Brady, Jersey City, New Jersey. “They can retain accounts—and if they’re having a bad day, they can lose accounts. At the end of the day, we all sell stuff you can buy from other distributors, so good service drivers are a value-add that can help grow the business.” 

Beyond Logistics 

Often, jan/san deliveries extend beyond the loading dock, giving drivers a unique opportunity to observe customer needs and pain points firsthand—and take steps to address them. 

“A lot of our product is just-in-time delivery, so we’re taking it off a truck, carting it to the third floor of the building, and putting it in the closet,” explains Kingsland. “We’re using lockboxes and keys, and we’re in the clients’ space interacting and working with them.” 

While most delivery drivers aren’t formally trained in sales or customer service, distributors encourage them to stay attuned to customer needs and be on the lookout for opportunities to add value—or support a sale. Drivers may note the presence of a competitor’s product, for example, or see a customer struggling with outdated cleaning equipment. Sharing those observations with the sales team back at the office can open the door to a potential solution and business win.   

“We encourage drivers to identify sales opportunities, and we do have a few drivers who will take the lead if they see something,” says Patrick McGrath, Vice President of Operations, Brame Specialty, Durham, North Carolina. “If they’re at the location delivering laundry chemicals, for instance, and they notice we’re not delivering roll towels or hand soap, they can make note of that and bring it back to the warehouse manager, who will reach out to the sales manager.”   

Fagan describes this as raising the drivers’ level of awareness, or in other words, training them to notice the small details. That might mean spotting a matting issue that could lead to a slip and fall or noting a customer’s preferred delivery window and passing that information back to the office. 

To capture these insights, Fagan Sanitary Supply has a simple tracking process. Drivers record observations in an “additional notes” section on the signed delivery slip. When the slip is returned, the warehouse manager enters those notes into a shared form, making the information accessible to warehouse staff, sales reps, and other drivers.