PrimeSource and Dimora Brands tame IT complexity to scale without limits

Overview: PrimeSource Building Products Ltd and Dimora Brands are empowering hybrid teams and transforming customer experience with the 8x8 integrated CX platform—combining 8x8 Work and 8x8 Contact Center for seamless, scalable communication. The company benefits from a unified user experience and support platform that enhances sales, service, and productivity with widespread KPI improvements.

“We rely heavily on 8x8 to maintain strong personal relationships with our customers. Offering the option of a callback is incredibly helpful. Also, if a customer encounters a problem, they can simply text us a photo, and our agents can guide them through the process.”

Genelle Chamberlain

IT Manager, PrimeSource and Dimora Brands

Trusted single-source providerlink to this section

A one-stop B2B distribution hub, PrimeSource and Dimora Brands offer professional contractors, home remodelers, construction companies, and retailers fastening solutions, building materials, outdoor living products, and more.

Driven by organic growth and acquisitions, the company has expanded rapidly and today encompasses close to 25 brands across multiple U.S. cities. Its competitive advantage shared across those brands includes worldwide sourcing capabilities, national fulfilment centers, and fast, reliable logistics.

Effective business communications keeps everything on track, a responsibility led by IT manager, Genelle Chamberlain and her dedicated Helpdesk team. As a military spouse who has relocated multiple times, Genelle understands firsthand the importance of flexibility in her professional life. Cloud-based communications not only enable her to keep working regardless of location, but also help her company retain valuable knowledge and experience. That same appreciation for adaptability shapes the way she leads her team.

“I love fixing problems,” she says. “When one of our internal customers reaches out with a frustration, it’s our job to listen and resolve their issues promptly—whether they work in sales, finance, a contact center, a warehouse, or are on the road driving a delivery truck.”

Paving the way for cloud transformationlink to this section

The journey to 8x8 and a single cloud-based unified communications and contact center platform began several years ago.

“Back then, with our dedicated Avaya PBX, people occasionally worked from home but tended not to take calls,” recalls Genelle. “They could only forward calls to a cell or home phone, which often resulted in spotty service quality. Scalability was another challenge we needed to solve, especially as we anticipated acquiring more businesses. Also, we wanted to reduce IT management costs and effort.”

Key features like direct extension dialing, seamless call transfers, and support for employees in various locations and time zones made 8x8 the right choice.

“The pandemic hit shortly after we transitioned to 8x8 Work and Contact Center,” adds Genelle. “Had we been on our previous on-premises setup, we would have been stuck. Fortunately, we quickly pivoted to a hybrid working model, and 8x8 definitely saved us in that regard. The interface is very intuitive, enabling new starters to hit the ground running.”

Building close, personal relationshipslink to this section

In addition to desktop and mobile softphones, the 8x8 platform unifies callbacks, text messaging, internal chat, fax-to-email conversion (eliminating fax servers), and analytics—all within a consistent user experience.

These advantages enable PrimeSource and Dimora to preserve its strong customer focus.

“Even though we’ve grown significantly, we still behave and operate like a small company,” says Genelle. “We rely heavily on 8x8 to maintain strong personal relationships with our customers. Offering the option of a callback is incredibly helpful. Also, if a customer encounters a problem, they can simply text us a photo, and our agents can guide them through the process.”

With the 8x8 auto attendant feature, users can easily create ring groups and customize messages to assist with calls quickly, even after business hours or during holidays.

Unlocking the power of integrationslink to this section

Building on this successful partnership, PrimeSource and Dimora Brands continue to migrate more brands to 8x8. The latest phase onboarded around 700 users with the added benefits of CRM system integration.

“The 8x8 migration and professional services teams were fantastic, resolving issues and customizing our Salesforce integration to align with internal reporting needs,” said Genelle. “Now, when handling a call, our agents instantly see the customer’s buying history, receive prompts to better target offers, and save time updating after-call records.”

Outbound calls have improved, too. Customers used to hear automated messages and usually hang up. Now, Dimora sales teams casually mention that the call is being monitored and recorded for quality assurance purposes before introducing the product.

Additionally, it’s much easier for supervisors to go back and check compliance requirements are being met. With 8x8 Analytics, they can track key activities, such as how long agents spend handling and wrapping up calls, and whether they are taking the correct breaks.

“Now, when handling a call, our agents instantly see the customer’s buying history, receive prompts to better target offers, and save time updating after-call records.”

Genelle Chamberlain

IT Manager, PrimeSource and Dimora Brands

Across-the-board improvementslink to this section

The results experienced by PrimeSource are impressive, confirming an 83% reduction in call queue time, a 25% drop in average handle time, and a 20% decrease in overall costs due to IT consolidation and increased efficiency. These improvements have driven a 42% rise in customer satisfaction and a 34% increase in employee productivity, positively impacting revenue. 

“Hybrid working has been incredibly beneficial for us,” adds Genelle. “Supervisors no longer have to be physically on-site and appreciate having dashboards available on their mobile devices while on the move or working remotely. Our truck drivers also use tablets with the 8x8 mobile app, avoiding large cell phone bills.”

Good is never donelink to this section

Looking ahead, PrimeSource is exploring 8x8 omnichannel features, such as one-way video elevation capabilities and web chat, to enrich customer relationships. For example, by smoothing language translation for French speaking customers as part of a recent business acquisition in Quebec.

“Our 8x8 team constantly brings new ideas of how we can improve efficiency,” says Genelle. “I enjoy sitting on panels, beta testing, and seeing 8x8 implement our feedback.”

Other future plans include uncovering fresh customer insights through the introduction of sentiment analysis and keyword search capabilities, reducing the need for supervisors to download and listen through entire calls.

In the past, each move often meant leaving an employer behind and starting over somewhere new. But with 8x8, Genelle was able to keep working remotely without disruption, continuing to grow her career while contributing to PrimeSource and Dimora’s success. For her, it was a personal win—and for the organization, it meant retaining valuable knowledge and avoiding the cost of recruiting and retraining.

“As a military spouse, I've relocated four times since I've worked here,” concludes Genelle. “Being able to continue in my role is massive. And it helps the company retain valuable talent and knowledge too.”