SHOT Daily - Day 3 - 2022 SHOT Show

DAILY

UPDATE N E WS

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PR O MO T I O N S

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AWAR D S

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OU T R EA CH

 Instead of manufacturing armor based on demand, PBA made the commitment to begin warehousing stock in anticipation of demand so that when customers placed orders, they would be fulfilled with no unnecessary lead time.

Creating a Complete Customer Experience

P

remier Body Armor isn’t exactly new to providing personalized protection to military, law enforcement and even civilians.

Officially established in 2013, the company that would become PBA actually spent more than 20 years developing innovative and effective armor for tactical vehicles. When they made the

transition to personalized body armor, they applied the lessons learned from two decades of fortifying vehicles to create a growing line of protective vests, tee shirts and even backpack inserts. The newest innovation that is setting PBA apart in the industry, however, has nothing to do with stopping bullets.

“We originally created a partnership with Vertx to make inserts for its backpacks, but then we realized that there were so many people out there who wanted inserts for the backpacks they already had and didn’t want to get rid of, so we decided to start creating custom inserts for those bags,” said Alex Stewart, PBA’s executive vice president. “That was the first time we stepped outside of our comfort zone in an attempt to make the customer experience better. It was a little bit scary, but the feedback from our customers was amazing.”

The success of that concept led to much more than a new line of products; it led to a new way of doing business.

“After that, we made a commitment to provide more than just customer service. We dedicated

ourselves to creating a complete customer experience,” Stewart said. “It was absolutely our best concept. We want to be the best place in the world for people to buy body armor. Period.”

To reach that goal, PBA not only intensified its commitment to provide custom armor inserts for as many types of backpacks, bags and laptop cases as possible, they also made a commitment to do something that nearly no other company was doing.

“Most body armor companies have a lead time that’s anywhere from four to 16 weeks. We wanted to change that. We wanted our customers to get armor when they wanted it, not when it was convenient for us to make it for them,” Stewart said.

Instead of manufacturing armor based on demand, PBA made the commitment to begin warehousing stock in anticipation of demand so that when customers placed orders, they would be fulfilled with no unnecessary lead time. To pull this off, PBA also had to coordinate with its partners to make sure they were on board with the concept.

“It wasn’t an issue at all to get our partners on board,” Stewart said. “We decided early on that the partnerships we formed had to be part of our overall commitment to providing that superior customer experience, so when we form partnerships with other companies, they’re real partnerships. We work together, we collaborate together, we help promote each other. When they win, we win, and vice versa.

And ultimately, it’s the customer who wins, and that’s what we all want.”

Judging by the comments PBA is receiving from its customers, the experience the company is providing is certainly appreciated. “We have tons of

By Christopher Cogley

five-star reviews on our site, and most of them mention how fast they received their order,” Smith said. “That’s what it’s all about. That’s what makes us happy.”

PBA’s commitment to providing a superior customer experience isn’t limited to its civilian customers. When PBA began selling protective vests to law enforcement, they implemented a new way of making sure their vests fit the officers properly so that they’d be more comfortable and help provide more reliable protection. Instead of just having officers send in measurements to the corporate offices, PBA created a specialized van stocked with every size and shape of vest in its offering. Now, when departments around the region need to fit their officers with new vests, PBA drives its van to the department and personally helps fit officers with the actual vests so they know without a doubt they’re getting the best possible fit.

“We want law-enforcement officers to be as protected as possible, and in addition to making our vests as reliable as they can be, this was the best way we could come up with to make sure we were providing the officers with that kind of protection,” Smith said. “These officers do so much for all of us. We figured this was the least we could do for them.”

Because the reality is that whether it’s law enforcement or civilian customers, PBA’s commitment to providing a superior customer experience isn’t just about having happy customers. It’s about having customers who come home to their families at the end of the day. Booth #41548 (premierbodyarmor.com)

DAY 3, JANUARY 20, 2022

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SHOT BUSINESS DAILY

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12/8/21 4:08 PM