Despite South Africa’s reasonable insulation up to now, there’s no doubt that even here, we are starting to feel the effects of the global economic downturn and the security industry has not been left unaffected. But while some companies struggle to overcome the challenges, there are those that are still experiencing unparalleled triumphs, despite the difficulties. This month we take a look at one such company, Regal Security Distributors and the secret to their success.
Since its establishment in 1981 and particularly after current CEO Raymond Katz acquired the business in 1998, Regal has remained true to their slogan of “Your One Stop Security Shop,” providing security companies and installers with everything they need in terms of any security installation. And they mean that quite literally, from a packet of nails, to a bag of cement, right through to sophisticated digital IP & GSM based security solutions across the product range, it’s all available at your nearest Regal outlet, saving customers a lot of time and hassle.
“We have always had an exceptionally strong focus on customer service, and we believe that this customer-centric approach has helped us tremendously in the past. That and keeping a close eye on market and security trends,” says Mel Labuschagne, Sales and Marketing Director at Regal.
Customer service is of utmost importance, but that only comes with well-trained and knowledgeable staff to represent the organisation. Regal’s Senior Product Specialists are all experts on their particular product range in order to provide the required expertise, but Regal also ensure that its entire staff are trained across the board in terms of all their products and services. “The skills shortage in SA is of major concern in many industries, but we make it one of our highest priorities to invest the time & money to get our staff trained. This way they become an asset to the company,” says Raymond Katz. Also, “strong employee ethic is critical and we are less concerned with formality than with hard work. So I’d say that the company culture is fairly relaxed but strongly focused on business,” he says.
Says Labuschagne: “Regal stock many of the leading local and international brands and we see ourselves as an extension of that brand. Therefore we must be able to offer our customers all the associated services across the spectrum and its important to make sure that Regal stands out from the rest by pricing competitively, marketing actively, offering reliable support and exceptional after sales service. Regal is extremely proud of its International range of products and now represents some 16 global brands!”
The last two years has seen Regal expand and open a further 9 branches around the country - a decision that the Directors say was based on customer demand. After numerous customer surveys & requests, when the cash flow allowed for it, Regal saw the gap and started expanding its operations to include more stores in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.
“Being an information-driven business, we also believe that by having sophisticated IT systems and software in place to assist in our day-to-day operations, has had a tremendous impact on our business. Good software systems are pivotal to helping us track our success and identify possible areas of opportunity,” says Katz. “The Regal model was strategically built on supplying everything for the installer, and once again customer demand and the need to keep evolving has seen the company moving into supplying the high-end-user market through professional system integrators and installers.”
Raymond believes that Regal’s success lies in the company not concerning itself with what other competitors are doing. “We keep our heads down and do what we believe is best for the business and our customers. Our company was built on good core values and we intend to carry that through into the future. In time to come, our customers and competitors alike should look out for more of the same - the right service, right products, the right people and most importantly what the customer wants”, concludes Katz.