How HVAC & Plumbing Distributors Can Deliver MORE with Smart Lockers

Peak season is coming to a close for HVAC and plumbing distributors. As summer’s intense demand for air conditioning repairs and installations tapers into fall maintenance schedules, distributors are simultaneously evaluating their peak season performance and preparing for contractors’ emergency repair needs. This time period presents the perfect opportunity to maximize operational efficiency, profitability, and customer loyalty by strategically implementing smart locker solutions.

This blog explores how HVAC and plumbing distributors can leverage Parcel Pending by Quadient’s smart locker technology to enhance customer experience, streamline inventory management, and provide seamless, 24/7 access for contractors and customers who require critical parts not only during peak seasons but for repairs all year long.

The High Cost of Keeping Contractors Waiting

In the fast-paced world of HVAC and plumbing distribution, customer experience is what determines the difference between thriving and merely surviving. When contractors arrive at distribution branches needing critical parts for emergency repairs, every minute they wait translates directly into lost revenue, damaged relationships, and eroded loyalty. Time isn’t just money; it’s everything.

The Real Cost of Making Customers Wait

According to a recent Accenture report, over 90% of B2B leaders recognize that exceptional customer experience is essential to achieving company goals.¹ Yet many distributors still operate with systems that force contractors to wait. This waiting severely damages the entire B2B experience, leading to lost revenue, decreased customer satisfaction, and reputational damage.

The impact is even more damaging than the immediate inconvenience. Research from Managing Service Quality: An International Journal reveals that customers perceive service quality as lower when they experience delays, regardless of the actual quality of your products.² When a contractor waits 20 minutes for a water heater part while their customer’s basement floods, that delay doesn’t just affect one transaction; it fundamentally alters the perception of the entire business.

Why Speed Equals Survival in Distribution

Today’s contractors operate in an instant-gratification economy where speed has become synonymous with quality service. The Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report found that 65% of customers expect quick and seamless interactions.³ When faced with prolonged waiting times, contractors feel their time isn’t valued. This emotional response drives them straight to competitors who can deliver faster, more efficient service. This shift is particularly critical in emergency-driven industries, such as HVAC and plumbing, where delays can cascade to costly callbacks, angry business and homeowners, and lost contracts. Forbes research confirms that businesses successfully reducing wait times enjoy higher customer satisfaction, better retention rates, and stronger brand advocacy.⁴ In distribution, reduced wait times translate into contractors who can count on immediate access to parts becoming valuable marketing assets.

Smart lockers provide the most optimal solution for distributors by eliminating wait entirely. Instead of forcing contractors to wait at counters during peak periods (or possibly until the next business day for emergencies that happen overnight), distributors can enable customers to retrieve materials on their own schedules, transforming frustration into loyalty.

Deliver MORE for Your Contractors with Lockers

Smart lockers from Parcel Pending by Quadient provide HVAC and plumbing distributors with multiple competitive advantages that directly address the time-sensitive nature of the industry:

MORE Security

High-value materials like copper piping, HVAC units, and specialty plumbing fixtures present significant theft risks that distributors can no longer ignore. Traditional contractor pickup methods may leave expensive inventory exposed and vulnerable to theft. Parcel Pending’s oversized lockers address this challenge by securely storing items, including pipe runs up to 11 feet long, air handlers, water heaters, and smaller coil rolls. These weather-resistant systems operate both indoors and outdoors, providing 24/7 secure access that enhances customer satisfaction while protecting valuable inventory.

MORE Access

Contractors can retrieve materials on their schedules, including outside standard business hours, without requiring delivery trucks or staff overtime. One leading distributor reports that nearly 25% of locker pickups occur after hours, demonstrating significant demand for flexible access solutions. This is particularly crucial for HVAC and plumbing emergencies that happen outside standard business hours.

MORE Convenience

Smart lockers eliminate the coordination headaches that plague urgent material requests. Rather than juggling delivery schedules or risking material exposure, contractors gain immediate access to needed supplies through automated, round-the-clock systems. The results speak for themselves: one leading distributor client has processed nearly 48,000 locker pickups year-to-date, representing an 18.6% increase over the same period in 2024. Each seamless pickup reinforces the distributor’s commitment to contractor success, fostering loyalty through consistent and reliable service.

MORE Efficiency

Smart lockers reduce counter congestion during peak seasons when HVAC installations and emergency repairs create demand spikes, freeing staff to focus on phone orders and provide personalized support to in-branch contractors and customers. This reallocation of human resources maximizes productivity when it matters most. Staff can now focus on high-value interactions that build relationships rather than routine transactions that create bottlenecks.

MORE Automation

Parcel Pending’s open API integrates with any ERP system, including established integrations with Epicor Eclipse and Advantive’s DDI System. The moment a customer retrieves an item from the locker and closes the door, the integration automatically closes the transaction, processes billing, and updates inventory records. This eliminates manual processing steps and reduces administrative overhead while ensuring accurate inventory tracking for critical HVAC and plumbing components.

Why Innovation Matters

The HVAC and plumbing distribution market is facing continued volatility due to potential tariffs, supply chain disruptions, ongoing digital transformation, and manufacturers bypassing traditional channels through direct-to-consumer strategies. A recent McKinsey study reveals that trade policy changes rank nearly as high as geopolitical tensions in their potential to disrupt the global economy.⁵

Despite these headwinds, HVAC and plumbing distributors posted nearly 3% sales growth in the first quarter of 2025, demonstrating market resilience even as seasonal demand patterns shift and emergency service calls remain unpredictable.⁶ With supply chain uncertainty adding layers of logistical hurdles to an already challenging environment, particularly for critical components such as heat exchangers, compressors, and specialized plumbing fixtures, it’s no surprise that leading distributors are implementing new playbooks for their business operations.

From making strategic technology investments and embracing AI technologies to enhancing omnichannel product availability and expanding value-added service offerings, such as after-hours parts access, distributors are innovating to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive landscape where contractor loyalty hinges on immediate availability and seamless service.

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Smart locker technology represents a strategic investment that can transform how HVAC and plumbing distributors serve their contractors. These solutions strengthen customer relationships by eliminating wait times, boost operational efficiency by reducing counter congestion, and improve competitive positioning by delivering 24/7 accessibility for parts collection. Most importantly, smart lockers address the fundamental challenge that threatens distributor success: the erosion of contractor loyalty caused by delays in order fulfillment. By providing near-instant access to critical parts, distributors can transform every emergency from a potential relationship-damaging delay into a loyalty-building demonstration of reliability.

Ready to deliver MORE for your contractors and customers? Speak to a Parcel Pending by Quadient representative today to find out more.

Sources:

1. Luck, Ian. Why B2B Customer Experience Programs Fail. customergauge.com. October 13, 2023. https://customergauge.com/blog/why-b2b-customer-experience-programs-fail
2. Bielen, Frédéric & Demoulin, Nathalie. “Waiting time influence on the satisfaction-loyalty relationship in services”, Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 17, 2 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1108/09604520710735182
3. ZenDesk. CX Trends 2025. cxtrends.zendesk.com. n.d. https://cxtrends.zendesk.com/
4. Hyken, Shep. Today’s Customer Has a Need for Speed. www.forbes.com. January 8, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/shephyken/2023/01/08/todays-customer-has-a-need-for-speed/
5. Panikkar, R., Prince, S., Leonard, B., et al. Navigating an ever-evolving trade environment. www.mckinsey.com. March 19, 2025. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/industrials-and-electronics/our-insights/distribution-blog/navigating-an-ever-evolving-trade-environment
6. Lipinski, Nick. Distributors Still Optimistic About 2025 Growth. www.ewwweb.com. April 17, 2025. https://www.ewweb.com/business-management/management/whitepaper/55284013/distributors-still-optimistic-about-2025-growth