Tony Waite, Commercial Manager Tata Steel for European Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)

Nice to meet you

Tony Waite spends a large part of the year in destinations across Europe - spending time with his customers. "Meeting customers face-to-face is absolutely vital," says Tony. It's one of the ways we get to understand them and their markets. We need to build this better understanding so that we can work in partnership and create value together."

Tony, has worked in a variety of sales and marketing roles since joining Tata Steel in 1999. He has extensive experience of supplying steel to the European Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and describes these companies as "the heartbeat of the economy". The OEMs include manufacturers of radiators, office furniture, domestic appliances and industrial packaging. As Tony describes "We have a shared responsibility with our customers to create mutual value to ensure that we both come through the economic downturn."

Tony is leading from the front and encouraging his team of account managers to get alongside customers. "We need to listen and respond to their needs. We need to ask questions. For example, how can we use our research and development expertise to help this customer make better-value products? Can we help the customer to meet sustainability challenges or to minimise their working capital?"

Listening and learning are key parts of Tony's commercial strategy. That includes listening to criticism as well as praise. "We've recently used the ‘Net Promoter' customer loyalty metric to better understand how our customers regard us. We have a positive Net Promoter Score which tells us that business relationships are good. But customers have told us that they want us to stop changing our people around and to make it easier to deal with us."

 "This Net Promoter feedback fits well with our sectorised focus. We recognise that knowledge and long-term relationships are important to our customers and we are trying to maintain these wherever we can. I am also working closely with my team to establish and maintain clear lines of communication with customers and to provide the ease of transaction that they demand."