In the early stages of his career, Chris Polek quickly appreciated the value of finding a better way of doing something. As the CEO of Polek & Polek, a wholesale distributor supporting the independent dealer, he is always thinking of ways to better serve the customer. His membership in Vistage NYC—a peer group for leadership development—further underscores his quest to deliver on that promise.
Not long after graduating from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Polek followed his father’s suggestion that he gain some experience in the business world prior to joining the family firm. Polek came upon a company that specialized in typesetting equipment and supplies, and they were looking for a sales rep to staff their newly-created inside sales division. It was a large firm, with more than 1,000 employees in its main headquarters, and provided a golden opportunity for Polek to ply a craft he’d learned while working summers at the family business.
Polek soon encountered an obstacle. The customer service division was located in a different part of the building. This was the pre-email era, so it entailed him leaving a voicemail if someone didn’t pick up the call, and that meant any questions he had would have to wait until a callback. That placed a drag on productivity, especially for a newbie.
The then-22-year-old Polek soon had enough, and marched over to the manager of customer service, where he expressed the thought that it would be more productive for everyone involved to devise a system that would provide for better communication between inside sales and customer service. Within a few months, the layout was changed, and the two departments were positioned next to one other.
The move enabled Polek and his inside sales teammates to have better access to critical information. “I was only 22 and a little intimidated to approach the person in charge,” said Polek, a 2020 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “But I learned never to be afraid to ask for what you want.”
Client-Centric
For Polek, improvements are most keenly felt when delivered in the name of the customer. In doing business with clients, it’s essential that his company is able to provide a meaningful difference. After all, if clients aren’t growing and thriving, “then we don’t have any customers for our future business,” he observed. “We take a long-term focus on what we do.”
Gratification for Polek takes form in the growth and transformation of employees. He cited numerous examples of team members who came aboard fresh out of high school, moved within the ranks at Polek & Polek, have married, become parents and, in some cases, grandparents.
It’s not surprising that Polek derives much of his inspiration from his father, company Founder John Polek. Even as a 10-year-old, Polek was awestruck by the fact his dad owned his own business, with the family name attached to it. His aspiration, even then, was to take the helm someday.
Among the advice John Polek provided his son was a universal nugget of wisdom that so many fail to grasp. “He told me it was OK to go out and try other things before coming here, but regardless of what I decide, I should make sure that I’m doing something that I love,” Polek remarked. “Because if you don’t love the business or aspects of it, it won’t last the test of time.”
Another individual who has influenced Polek along the way is Bob Goldberg, BTA general counsel. He values the dedication Goldberg has shown the industry, and in particular, his penchant for giving back to the industry, which Polek emulates.
Best of Class
As part of Polek’s quest to deliver the best in OEM-compatible products, the company created a program dubbed Peak Performer Items in early 2019. Using 12-month tracking of product performance in the field, Polek & Polek highlights those goods that have a 99.5% or higher success rate. The ongoing evaluation program, which requires that products maintain that rate on an ongoing basis to keep the Peak Performer Items designation, has proven to be popular with customers.
Like most providers to the industry, Polek is seeking a return to pre-COVID-19 business levels, as activity was brisk in the months leading up to the shutdown. “We’ve been focusing on getting out and having conversations with dealers to show them how we can help orchestrate their comeback, and show them how we’ve done it for others,” Polek said. “If we focus on helping dealers reach that recovery, we should eventually see results ourselves.”
Polek and his wife, Lynda, have been married 19 years. They have two daughters: Lily, 16, and Sophie, 14. The family has season tickets for the New York Yankees and have dearly missed that aspect of the summer. The baseball void has been filled by trips to the beach.
