How best to handle wholesale customers?

[makphisto]

I want to start allowing my wholesale customers online ordering. I have them all set up as price groups, etc. I need to be able to get the customer info from the potential wholesaler before I add them to the price group. What's the best way to do that? I could just have a simple form for them to fill out, but then I have to add them as a customer manually, which seems like I'm doubling the work.

I'd rather that the customer just add their info to my customer database directly, which they could do simply by creating an account, but I'd need to know 1) that they want to be a dealer and 2) their Tax ID #. I can't figure out how to do this without making them place an order, and then I have to fight with the $0 order issues...

Thoughts?

[Vic - WolfPaw Computers]

Create a screen with a form to collect information for becoming a dealer.

Specify in the instructions they must create a login account first, and provide the login name.

When you receive the inquiry, you can assign the new dealer to the appropriate price group.

[DesignExtend-MSI]

Without a high-end mod or customization, you could tell them to:

1. Create an account.
2. Complete a form giving you their account login, tax ID, etc. - which would get submitted to you directly (simple mail script)

Then you can do your research and add them to the price groups.

[makphisto]

Cool, thank you both.

[ids]

I have a module called "Custom Pay" at www.southbound.com which would allow to create your own application form which will be filled out inplace of a creditcard #. There are ways to handle a $0.00 cost product in MM, so you could create a product called, "Wholesale Application". The notify module will email you with the infomation you need to process your wholesale customer.

http://www.southbound.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=IDS_NOTIFY&Category_Code=Payment&Store_Code=southbound

Here's a link to some documentation:
http://www.southbound.com/docs/custompay.htm

Let me know off -list at sales@southbound.com if you have any other questions.

Scott