Abacus HQ

How can you determine whether Abacus is the right company for you?

How do we define Abacus’s core customer?

We typically work with teachers & technicians in the following education sectors- independent schools, colleges, universities, academies, grammar schools & state schools. 

Ideally we love to work with people that have a high demand for creative materials throughout the year. If this sounds like you, then you are the perfect fit for us!

What does Abacus believe & where are we headed?

Ever since the business was founded by Patrick Swindell back in 1970 Abacus Creative Resources has been all about customer service, it’s our reason for being. 

We believe that in a world where digital gets bigger each day, the need for personal world class service is only going to get greater and that’s why we’ve committed to next day delivery on all orders placed before 12pm & have selected DPD as our courier of choice.

We also believe that quality of product should always be a priority and that it shouldn’t ever be compromised for cost. This is quite contradictory to current popular practices because the price is usually the leading motivator. In the world we live in, of course the price matters! It’s completely reasonable to be concerned about cost. Except, it shouldn’t supersede quality, and that’s the key point. 

Final but most certainly not least, we firmly believe in personal service- nothing beats it, by that we mean, if you call us up, you will speak to an actual human being- 1 of 3 in fact- Hannah, Roddy or Lyndon! But we take it further too, we love to coming to see you in your surroundings & that’s why Lyndon literally has a showroom on wheels! 

Why do we believe change is necessary for the marketplace?

Considering the way our buying habits have changed over the years with ease & speed of delivery on so many items, we identified that there was a gap in the market for speed of delivery on creative materials.

We don’t want your lessons to be held up by delays in quality materials & that’s why we are committed to next day delivery direct to your classroom.

Why do we believe it is the right thing to do?

You may ask yourself, what’s the incentive? Well, apart from the advantage of peace of mind that we know that when our clients order something they will have it at record speed, those that embrace this best practice approach will ultimately gain a competitive advantage.

You may be wondering how? If art departments run smoother with a fast flow inwards of materials when needed it will in turn enable students to make progress faster, & with using quality materials comes quality pieces of work, which will result in better grades. 

Who are we not a good fit for? 

Anybody who is procuring solely based on cost is not a good fit. If your mentality with every purchase is to compare price to others, it probably means you aren’t interested in the service & quality of product we offer. We believe in value for money. 

There is always a reason why certain options may be cheaper than others. Think quality, speed, sustainability. 

More importantly often these decisions are made based purely on initial cost of product. They don’t take into account the cost that may be incurred later on with replacing product sooner, or mending damage done by inferior quality product. 

Conclusion 

We hope this article has been beneficial. Are you more concerned about – 1. The bigger picture with regards to keeping art departments running smoothly, in turn giving the world’s potential a better chance of success? Or 2. Are you most concerned about keeping costs to a minimum, regardless of the outcome? 

If you answered with 1; Then you are at the right place! Welcome aboard! We really look forward to working with you. If you answered 2; Then maybe Abacus isn’t the best partner for you, because while we do care about affordability & are aware of budgets that need to be kept to, we realize that convenience & quality of material in the long run are well worth the money spent.