Kelly’s Distributors discusses its wide range of café products, and how the company works to establish trust and connection using a customer-centric model.
Many café operators will attest that any one day is not like the other.
For café owners and workers alike, being flexible and prepared to adapt to any customer request or pivot to meet and up-and-coming beverage trends is paramount to running a successful business.
Thankfully, being amendable to daily café needs is what Kelly’s Distributors aims to assist with. The Queensland-based beverage and alternative milk distributor first arrived on the market in 2001, and over the past 22 years, has remained a family-owned business.
Founder Reffik Dada is company Director, son Ahsan is General Manager, and wife Hameeda assists with communication, administration and accounts.
“[When we started], we only had four staff members,” says Ahsan Dada. “Now, we’ve grown to over 60.”
Kelly’s Distributors offers a variety of products Australia-wide for the hospitality industry, as well as other sectors. This includes an assortment of dairy and various plant-based milks, waters, carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and cold pressed juices.
The range also extends to additional premium café products, such as syrups, drink flavourings, biscuits, sugars, beverage pumps, coffee machine cleaners and other non-perishables. Ahsan says anyone is welcome to purchase from Kelly’s Distributors.
“We have something for everyone,” Ahsan says. “It’s unfair for us to promote any one product over another. We offer a complete range of products, and we value them all.”
Ahsan says prioritising Kelly’s Distributors product range for the coffee market been a core focus in recent years.
“Coffee is one of the more popular drinks in the world,” he says. “We want to be a one stop shop for cafés, which is why we offer a range of ancillary products to support them.”
Kelly’s Distributors is able to accomplish this by controlling multiple stages of the supply process, including faster delivery.
The company also distributes and installs fridges for cafés, with options including one- or two-door display fridges, as well as small countertop units to keep Kelly’s Distributors’ products cool.
Café customers can choose to purchase items directly through the company’s sales team, website, phone, social media, or via the official Kelly’s Distributors’ app.
Introduced in 2021, the app allows businesses to register an account and access Kelly’s Distributors’ comprehensive range of features, including its full menu, ongoing promotions, pricing, and delivery.
The team at Kelly’s Distributors are ready to assist customers when needed, offering a range of contact options to address any potential concerns.
“Customers can also message us via Facebook or Instagram, and even give us a call,” Ahsan says.
The company also provides social media assistance and advice to its customers, including how to craft posts and strategise advertising campaigns for distributed products.
Despite the pivot to online distribution, Ahsan says the company’s 17 sales members work hard to establish a working connection with clients.
“For customers who want to enjoy a personal interaction, we have a team of sales representatives that can go and visit in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast as well as Northern New South Wales,” he says.
“We try to build relationships with customers through trust, communication, and words. We have a great support team, and we want to celebrate our successes together.”
Ahsan says the company’s sales strategy is a reflection of its values.
“Honesty is a big communicating factor for us,” he says. “We believe in being upfront and forthcoming with our customers and ourselves.”
Ahsan says Kelly’s Distributors also values accountability in its sales operations. As such, he says the company learns from past experiences and demonstrates a commitment to keep improving. In this way, Ahsan says trust is formed between its clients, and a growing reputation that the company it is keen to take into new markets.
The company believes customers choose Kelly’s Distributors for its mix of products, pricing, fast daily delivery times, its responsiveness to giving new customers quotes, and its ability to buy and keep stock.
To further improve its customer service, the company has introduced a new barcoding system in its warehouse, which aims to improve serviceability for its customer database, and allow Kelly’s Distributors to venture into new locations and industries.
Ahsan says this is a result that’s attributed to the team’s contribution and success.
“It’s about all of us, not just us as the company,” he says. “It’s one team sharing one dream.”
For more information, visit www.kellysdistributors.com.au
This article appears in the October 2023 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
