Graybar (www.graybar.com) recently announced that through its ePoint "frequent buyer" program for electrical and communications contractors and resellers, the company has issued more than 200 million points, valued at more than $1 million. Since its inception several years ago, the ePoint program awards points to contractors and resellers, who often use them to reward their employees with bonuses ranging from merchandise to travel packages.
"The program has experienced exponential growth in 2002, totaling nearly 9,000 registered customers as of October 1," Graybar said in a statement. "This represents a 300% increase this year alone, as contractors and resellers continue to find new ways to motivate marketing teams to generate higher sales in today's recessed economy."
Initially created for telephone installers, ePoint is totally Web-based and free of charge. It was expanded earlier this year to include contractors in the electrical and data industries. Dennis DeSousa, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Graybar, says that the program offers customers a choice of more than 2,000 incentive awards when they buy selected manufacturer-sponsored products and systems.
Graybar says the most popular items redeemed by contractors and resellers so far have been consumer electronics, such as DVD and CD players, camcorders, digital cameras, and VCRs.
Contractors and resellers can register for the program at the Web site www.graybar-epoint.com.