A drive to provide consistent excellence in customer service is what Joshua Bate Trading Bermuda Ltd. believes sets them apart in their industry. Their philosophy follows that of Sir Richard Branson, who famously stated: “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
Joshua Bate Trading was founded in 1992 by Joshua Bate with two phone lines, one fax machine and a steely determination to import the best quality appliances for the lowest prices possible. Today, the company has an extensive warehouse showroom in Devonshire where they display and stock appliances by GE, mattresses by Sealy, BBQ grills, generators and home furnishings. They also have a service subsidiary, Bate’s Quality Service (BQS), which installs and repairs appliances.
Although they primarily only stock GE products at Bate’s, Joshua Bate Trading Bermuda Ltd. is currently the authorised local distributor for Sub-Zero, Wolf, Asko, GE Monogram, Hotpoint, Haier, Scotsman Icemakers and Best Hoods. They are also the exclusive Bermuda distributor for Jacuzzi hot tubs and Sealy mattresses.
Along with the appliances, hot tubs and mattresses, Bate’s also sources and supplies plumbing fixtures and faucets, lighting, flooring, indoor and outdoor furniture, BBQ grills, televisions, generators, hardware, fireplaces, rugs, children’s swing sets, sheds, air conditioning, shutters, sports equipment, water toys, doors, windows and more.
“Our goal is to always provide our customers with the lowest pricing available, along with the best customer service,” said Joshua Bate. “We work hard to source all goods direct from manufacturers, or from their highest distribution level. And we strive to handle our customers as we would want to be treated.”
Their focus on customer service has been the driving force behind Bate’s 27 years of growth and success. Their dedication to serving and helping Bermudians save has allowed them to persevere through the fluctuations of the economy, and establishing a solid foundation of policies and procedures has helped them handle their substantial growth.
After many years of sourcing and supplying appliances from overseas, Bate’s opened their first retail showroom in 2011. In 2014, they started Bate’s Quality Service, as the demand for qualified and reliable appliance technicians grew. In 2017, Bate’s moved their showroom to Marsh Lane in Devonshire, where they were able to add to their expanding list of product lines.
“We always feel like we are better than the day before, because we learn new things every day,” said Bate. “We are honoured to be the exclusive distributors in Bermuda for several worldwide manufacturers, something that allows us the opportunity to provide goods at prices Bermuda consumers have never been offered before. How could we do better than that?”
Now with a staff of 14 members, the company has built a dream team of enthusiastic employees who follow the company philosophy to work hard and play hard.
“When hiring, we always look for people who are enthusiastic about life in general. We value staff who take ownership of their responsibilities and take pride in their work,” said Bate. “All of our staff contribute to the upbeat atmosphere and success of our company, and we couldn’t be more proud. Life is short; we do not want anyone to dread coming into work. Most of our team says the days fly by much too fast, which only means they are having fun while getting the job done.”
Giving back is also important for the team at Bate’s and they regularly support community projects they believe in. The entire team participated in KBB’s most recent Earth Day Clean Up, and the company has supported both the Bermuda Sloop Foundation and SPCA. “We are most proud when we are able to give back to the community,” said Bate. “We rarely say no to requests for donations, plus we actively seek worthwhile projects which would benefit from our contributions, as well as causes our staff may be passionate about.”
As a whole, Bate’s regularly receives compliments about the staff and grateful recommendations on social media sites, but there are times when they have to deal with complaints and issues they have no control over—like the dreaded delayed delivery. “Orders sometimes ship late—it happens—but the level of customer service we provide, particularly in the area of communications, takes the sting out,” says Bate. However, he adds, they generally get more complaints about shipments arriving early than late.
“Our customers expect to be treated with courtesy and respect, they expect quick and accurate communication, and they expect to deal with personnel who truly care about what they’re doing,” concluded Bate. “We aim to treat people as we wish to be treated ourselves—and we are a picky bunch.”
Address: 7 Marsh Lane, Devonshire DV 06
Telephone: 236-7880 (Sales), 236-7866 (Showroom), 236-8194 (Service)
Email: josh@bate.bm
Website: www.bate.bm
Services: Supplying goods from the US, sourced from manufacturers and retailers at reduced pricing, whenever possible. BATE’S Showroom in Devonshire displays and stocks appliances by GE, mattresses by Sealy, BBQ grills, generators and other goods. BQS is the service subsidiary of Joshua Bate Trading Bermuda, Ltd., which installs and repairs appliances.
Partners: Joshua Bate Trading Bermuda, Ltd. has two subsidiaries, Bate’s and Bate’s Quality Service (BQS).
# of Employees: 14
Year Founded: 1992
Pictured at top: The Joshua Bate Trading Bermuda team
