[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”90%” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
We take more time for our customers \u2013 and our sales staff have been with the company for up to two decades. That offers many advantages.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Ultimately, oil business all boils down to one thing: the price. However, to ensure that it is not only profitable but also pleasant for both sides, DS Group sales staff maintain personal contacts with customers. This also helps to find solutions more quickly in difficult situations. In this interview Bernd Rieke (DS-Mineral\u00f6l) explains why personal contacts are good for sales.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n We have telephone calls with our customers in which we mainly talk about the price of the goods. On the basis of the market prices we determine day for day what prices we can offer for the delivery of our goods. We announce the price in the morning, but many customers do not cover their needs until midday because they also wait for price information from other traders. If it becomes apparent at noon that prices will fall, we call our customers again and tell them our revised prices.<\/p>\n We get to know many customers personally over the years, because this also makes the business relationship much easier and more pleasant. In our department we\u2019re mainly dealing with small companies, mostly family businesses. Sometimes, a member of the family will pick up the phone and pass on our message. This makes it beneficial for employees to be able to talk to each other in a relaxed manner.<\/p>\n The best way for us for doing business is by phone because we handle every request directly. Customers have fixed contact persons, but if the line happens to be busy when they call, someone else from the department can take over at any time. This means that no conversation is ever lost and is always dealt with directly \u2013 unlike the case with e-mail.<\/p>\n I believe that a personal conversation with customers is the right solution for us. We discuss many details with our customers.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” width=”90%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/acl-chemikalien.jpg” alt=”Chemikalien von Additiv-Chemie Luers” title_text=”acl-chemikalien” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ac-produktionsanlagen.jpg” alt=”Produktionsanlagen von ACL in Delmenhorst” title_text=”ac-produktionsanlagen” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”90%” custom_margin=”30px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#D4D4D4″ divider_weight=”1px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/zitat.svg” title_text=”zitat” admin_label=”Anf\u00fcrhungszeichen” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”80px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Zitat” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”1.8em” text_line_height=”1.1em” text_font_size_tablet=”1.6em” text_font_size_phone=”1.6em” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In our daily work we give priority to personal contacts in customer relations<\/strong>. This is because the actual sale of the product is followed by a series of discussions.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Zitat” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Bernd Rieke<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#D4D4D4″ divider_weight=”1px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If, for example, a customer buys three tank wagon loads of product, this amounts to a total volume of 96 cubic metres. We then agree on a period of eight to ten days for him to collect the product. This is usually enough, but sometimes the customer needs more time. If inventories of the product run low during this period, we have to talk to the customer. In this case, our contact with the customer is far more intensive as we have to discuss many details. The fact that we have known most of our customers for many years makes this far easier. Personal contact is particularly important in difficult situations, such as if delivery delays occur.<\/p>\n It is worth taking the time to sit down or have a meal together for a couple of hours. This intensifies the business relationship, because afterwards you can put a face to the voice you hear on the telephone. That\u2019s why we also organise customer events where our employees and customers can get together and share ideas.<\/p>\n Because we work with small and medium-sized companies, it is advantageous for us to have details about business partners. It also makes business easier if, for example, we know who and at what times of the day we can contact over the phone. Besides, we also talk about a whole variety of different things such as family, holidays, kids, dogs, illnesses \u2013 all sorts of things. This makes it much more enjoyable than just quoting the price \u2013 and saying goodbye right away. Otherwise, you could just as easily use a machine or automated forms on the Internet. However, we attach great importance to personal contact.<\/p>\n My impression is that our customers appreciate this way of dealing with each other. And if you have good customer loyalty, they will call you again on their own initiative. They may then tell us what a competitor has offered them and ask us if we can match that price. In this way, customers give us a second chance. This is not possible if you just quote prices and it is the result of the personal contacts that we nurture.<\/p>\n They must be able to deal with people and, above all else, be able to listen. They have to be able to put themselves in the customer\u2019s shoes. What does he want? Does he just want the price, or does he feel like a little chat?<\/p>\n Sales staff always need a good sense of humour, too because sometimes things just don\u2019t run as smoothly as they should. This is annoying, but can have different causes. We were really put to the test in 2018, when the River Rhine dried up. Customers in Dresden who did not receive any goods asked us, for example, why they were being affected by the situation on the Rhine. But if the storage tank in Dresden is not supplied because there is no train available, then you need empathy and a sense of humour to help customers appreciate the situation. Sales staff should be empathetic \u2013 and flexible because the next crisis could be just around the corner. That makes flexibility all the more important.<\/p>\n Yes, I do. When I am asked what I do for a living and I say that I sell heating oil, I initially get pretty bored looks. That\u2019s like saying \u201cI\u2019m going to the petrol station.\u201d Not exactly exciting, either. But you can make it exciting and that\u2019s precisely what we\u2019re doing. This is another reason why good customer contacts are so important. It makes the whole thing much easier for both sides and places it all on a personal level. And that\u2019s why we really enjoy the job.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We take more time for our customers \u2013 and our sales staff have been with the company for up to two decades. That offers many advantages. Ultimately, oil business all boils down to one thing: the price. However, to ensure that it is not only profitable but also pleasant for both sides, DS Group sales staff maintain personal contacts with customers. This also helps to find solutions more quickly in difficult situations. In this interview Bernd Rieke (DS-Mineral\u00f6l) explains why personal contacts are good for sales.Mr. Rieke, how would you describe the contact between your sales colleagues and customers? We have telephone calls with our customers in which we mainly talk about the price of the goods. On the basis of the market prices we determine day for day what prices we can offer for the delivery of our goods. We announce the price in the morning, but many customers do not cover their needs until midday because they also wait for price information from other traders. If it becomes apparent at noon that prices will fall, we call our customers again and tell them our revised prices. If it\u2019s ultimately all about numbers – why is personal contact so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4024,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Im Bremer Kalihafen tut sich was: Eine gro\u00dfangelegte Investition in die Hafeninfrastruktur sorgt f\u00fcr Verbesserungen, die den gesamten Standort st\u00e4rken. Auch die WESER-PETROL, eine Tochtergesellschaft der DS-Gruppe, profitiert von dieser Ma\u00dfnahme. F\u00fcr das Unternehmen stehen dabei insbesondere die neuen Dalben1) und das vertiefte Hafenbecken im Fokus. Diese erm\u00f6glichen k\u00fcnftig das direkte Anlegen gr\u00f6\u00dferer Tankschiffe mit einem Tiefgang von bis zu 10,5 Metern. Das bringt erhebliche Vorteile f\u00fcr die Logistik, senkt die Kosten und steigert die Wettbewerbsf\u00e4higkeit.\r\n\r\nStarker Partner in der Energieversorgung\r\nWESER-PETROL betreibt im Kalihafen ein Seehafentanklager und ist ein zentraler Akteur in der Energieversorgung der Region. Das Unternehmen bietet an vier Standorten Lagerkapazit\u00e4ten f\u00fcr Mineral\u00f6lprodukte und Biokraftstoffe. Die enge Anbindung an den internationalen Gro\u00dfhandel macht den Standort an der Waterbergstra\u00dfe zu einer wichtigen Drehscheibe f\u00fcr den Import und die Auslagerung von Mineral\u00f6lprodukten und Biokraftstoffen.","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,54,60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wir-sind-ds","category-energy","category-we-are-ds"],"acf":{"titel_h1":"How were the holidays, how are the kids?","titel_h2":"Sales Representatives at DS Maintain Personal Customer Relationships","vorschautext-news":"We take the time to really get to know our customers \u2013 and many of our salespeople have been with the company for up to two decades.","titelbild-news":4024,"bildunterschrift_news":"Bernd Rieke from DS-Mineral\u00f6l"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4705"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4710,"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4705\/revisions\/4710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ds-bremen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Mr. Rieke, how would you describe the contact between your sales colleagues and customers?<\/h3>\n
If it\u2019s ultimately all about numbers – why is personal contact so important to you?<\/h3>\n
Couldn\u2019t you also communicate by e-mail?<\/h3>\n
But aren\u2019t customers and sales staff looking for greater digitalisation of their business processes today?<\/h3>\n
Do personal contacts also have any advantages when there is no crisis to deal with?<\/h3>\n
How do customers react?<\/h3>\n
So what qualities must a good sales expert have at DS-Mineral\u00f6l?<\/h3>\n
It sounds very much like you really enjoy your work.<\/h3>\n