Sonoma County Distributor Gets Paid Faster While Saving Time and Money
See why Ed Maybrun from Cotati Food Service says Wholesail’s customer support is “unlike any software provider he’s worked with”
Since 1938, Cotati Food Service has grown alongside Sonoma County, California. The locally owned and operated broadline food distributor has spent decades earning the trust of their community by providing reliable service and treating every customer as a neighbor.
Recently, Cotati took their customer service to the next level when they added Wholesail to their ERP, entrée by NECS. Today, 91% of Cotati’s customers view statements and invoices through Wholesail’s online portal.
Ed Maybrun, Cotati’s owner and operator, appreciates the predictable cashflow and operational efficiency his business experiences because of Wholesail automation. He particularly values the extraordinary support Cotati receives from Wholesail’s team.
“The one thing about Wholesail that stands out is the customer service experience. It doesn’t matter who we talk to—everybody is so helpful. It’s unlike any software provider we’ve ever worked with. Honestly, it’s more like the customer service that we would give our customers. Stuff is going to happen. We all know it’s going to happen. The question is, how do you deal with it?”
“Everybody is so helpful,” Ed said. “Anytime we need support, they get back to us right away – in less than a day.”
Cotati’s office manager, Jolene, agrees. “Your support team has been great to us, always quick to respond and finding a remedy.”
Ed says Wholesail is unlike “any software provider he’s ever worked with.” Why? Because the platform is backed by a team that goes the extra mile. For Ed, that commitment to service reflects the same values that have guided Cotati Food Service for nearly 90 years.
Cotati Food Service added Wholesail to entrée by NECS to improve the customer experience and automate accounts receivable. Customers now have a simpler way to pay. Cotati also saves thousands of dollars each month by seamlessly passing along credit card fees, all backed by Wholesail’s next-level customer service.
How Wholesail Enhances Efficiency at Cotati
Accelerate payments.
On average, payments processed through Wholesail arrive 19 days faster than payments made outside of Wholesail, permanently freeing up roughly $400K in working capital from open receivables. In the first quarter after implementation, 31% of Cotati’s payment volume was processed through Wholesail.
“Wholesail payments definitely come in quicker, no question about it.” – Ed, owner and operator
“Wholesail frees up a lot of time from manually processing all the credit cards, checks, and ACHs.”
Pass through fees.
In just seven months, Cotati saved more than $18,000 by passing along credit card fees to their customers. It was a big change from Cotati absorbing the fees, and Ed had some concerns about how customers would react. But Wholesail helped Cotati communicate the change. The result? Cotati kept its customers and stopped eating the extra cost.
“A handful of credit card customers pushed back… but most came around or switched to ACH at no charge.” – Ed, owner and operator
Enable visibility.
91% of Cotati’s customers have used Wholesail’s portal and 83% have opened statements. But what surprised Ed the most is how many of his customers signed up to pay automatically. Now, 84% of all Wholesail processed payments come through autopay.
“Honestly, I was surprised that this many people opted in. But if you’re a customer with the intention to pay your invoices, autopay makes it easy for you to do so.” – Ed, owner and operator
Ditch paper processes.
Before Wholesail, Cotati Food Service mailed 150–200 paper statements each month, spending 2–3 hours printing, preparing, and mailing them, plus paying 78 cents in postage for every statement. Today, customers access invoices and payment information online, eliminating paper statements altogether. Now Ed says they have no “snail mail” at all.
Modernize onboarding.
Cotati is in the process of implementing Wholesail’s digital credit applications to streamline credit decisioning and new customer onboarding. Once fully implemented, Ed expects to be able to make faster credit decisions with data from the Lighthouse network.
“It will be great just to help streamline the credit application process. I think it’s going to save us a lot of time.” – Ed, owner and operator