Why do I have to learn so many different systems?

Why do I have to learn so many different systems?

Something has definitely been eating at Gilbert Grape. Recently, I have noticed that most Vendors and Masters want me to learn their unique online ordering and quoting systems. When I request pricing, I get an email back instructing me to “go into x and put in the info, make sure to do this, fill this section out, blah blah blah” They try and convince me it is better this way for tracking purposes. I am sure, for them it is easier, since I am now doing the work that they used to have to do internally. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all have our customers do our work for us??? Seriously, I get that for those agents out there that only work with one or two companies, an online tool may actually be more efficient for them. But I think there are a lot more of us agents that have relationships with MANY different Vendors and Masters. It is unrealistic to think that an agent should HAVE to use the online tools and do the Vendors or Masters data entry tasks. This should be something that is an OPTION for the agent, and we should be able to choose whether the online tool is indeed something that helps us or if we prefer to work with an agent manager that can enter whatever is required by their company when it is applicable.

As an example, let’s say that I work with 4 Masters and 10 direct Vendors. That would mean that I would have to learn 14 completely different systems, have 14 different logins and passwords and take productive time out of my schedule to attend a webinar and get trained on each system! Does this make any sense to anyone? Even to the Vendors?

These Masters and Vendors work in their systems every day and are intimately familiar with the functionality. Something that would take me 15 minutes to enter, takes them 2 minutes. I just don’t have the time to enter every single opportunity and request into a different system when really the only reason that is ‘required’ is so the Master or Vendor can keep track of the opportunities. To be honest, I have a hard time just remembering all the logins and passwords; let alone how to use the different systems.

Why would these masters and vendors want to make it more difficult to work with them? Don’t you think if they made things easier for their customer (us the agents) we would bring them more business?

Anyone out there have any thoughts?