AJ Portable Buildings ensures buyer satisfaction through ongoing customer care

AJ Portable Buildings has long been the go-to home for sheds, carports, Yoder buildings, and more throughout Northern Indiana. There is a reason they have been a trusted name in these fixtures: a strong history of customer satisfaction.

Gayle Russell is the office manager at the Valparaiso location. Having started as a salesperson at the La Porte office in 2019, Russell knows how important it is to build a relationship with everyone who walks in or calls looking for someone to meet their structural needs.

“I’ve had customers who were so happy with the ways I was able to help them in La Porte that they followed me over here,” Russell said. “It’s such a good feeling knowing that there are people who know we don’t just see them as a number or a sales amount. We’ve built a relationship with them so they know they can trust us, and that keeps them coming back.”

The trust many customers have in AJ’s comes largely from the company’s guarantees. All structures come with warranties that outlast those offered elsewhere, which means customers are not just receiving a structure – they are also receiving a promise of quality and longevity.

When a customer is in need of a repair, Russell is the one who finds the best way to help resolve the issue. Among her many duties as office manager, she finds the best location and representative to assist anyone who calls with a need to be met.

“If someone calls this location looking for information, I can guide them to a location near them,” Russell said. “We have 11 locations, so that makes it pretty convenient for everyone. I can hear from someone who is interested but doesn’t know the first step, and I can set them up with someone to talk to, someone who can answer their questions right away, wherever they are.”

Russell has also built a strong relationship with the sales team since she’s moved to the Valparaiso office. During morning meetings, Russell offers advice from her years of experience to guide newer members of the sales team on how they can best ensure customer satisfaction.

“You want to be prepared, you want to be happy, and you want to be motivated and alert,” Russell said. “We try to come up with different ways to show anyone who comes in here that they have a friend in us. They can rely on us.”

When people call requesting information, Russell also ensures that they are not met with the typical “cold call” experience when connecting them with a representative who can assist them. When they call, customers will be answered by a knowledgeable, friendly voice on the other end of the line who encourages them to ask questions. This results in customers who know that if they purchase a structure or have any issue at all, reaching someone for help will be as easy as picking up the phone.

“For example, we had one gentleman who visited this office three times in person,” Russell said. “He wanted to be absolutely sure about his purchase, so today he brought his wife because she finally had a day off. We were able to help them learn the product, take time to answer their questions, and make sure they were happy. That’s where the priority is, and that’s what it took for them to make their final decision.”

Putting customer needs above making a quick sale will always be part of the AJ’s experience. The emphasis on building a relationships with customers is what has made them a trusted name in the communities they serve.

To learn more about the structures offered, visit AJ Portable Buildings’ website.