An Open-Door Policy
Company Name: Bach Medical Supply
Location/Contact Info: Stephen J. Bach; 1711 E. Sunshine St.; Springfield, MO 65804; 417-883-1400; 1-800-288-2224; 417-883-2663 (fax); http://www.bachmedicalsupply.com/
Established: 1981
Types of products sold: Ostomy products, orthotics, HME, oxygen, stair-glides, scooter and wheelchair lifts, mastectomy products, all types of medical accessories and devices.
Size of Company:30 full-time employees
Q: Tell us about your store set-up.
A: The store was set up as a retail store with displays and has a lot of walk-in business. We are not a warehouse serving an occasional walk-in customer. Eighty percent of our business comes through our front door to look at products and make selections. We have been located on a high visibility intersection for 24 years. We have also been advertising on radio and TV on a regular basis for about eight years. Since we are a large retail walk-in store, we have a lot of face time with our customers and build a very warm rapport. We also run six vans for delivery.
Q: What sets your store apart?
A: We have many power wheelchair clients that are like family. We have taken care of their mobility needs for years. They trust us, which makes it much easier to do business.
Q: What component of your business is working well for you?
A: What is working well for us is being independent and being able to make quick decisions in this ever-changing environment. We are a Med Group member, which helps us keep up with changes, and also contracting with some major insurance companies. We are JCAHO accredited and have been for nine years.
Q: Describe your relationship with your manufacturers.
A: We have a fantastic relationship with the major manufacturers. We have been dealing with the same people for years, and if they tell you something will happen, you can feel confident they will do everything in their power to make it happen.
Q: What is something you have learned from your experience in the HME industry?
A: My experience in the HME industry has taught me that if it?s done this way today that it will need to be done a different way next week. It is an ever-changing industry and you need to stay on top of the changes and still put a positive spin on it. The customers have enough problems without hearing about the industry changes and our problems.
Fun Fact:The store, started by co-owners Stephen J. Bach and Scott Whitlock, is still in its original location.
This article originally appeared in the September 2005 issue of HME Business.