Choose Your Vendors as You Would Choose a Partner

Of all the years doing what I do best, I’ve “negotiated” with hundreds of vendors on payments. Typically the vendor and I come to some sort of payment arrangement that will work for the both of us. Last week I encountered a vendor that didn’t appreciate my honesty regarding the current cash situation of a client. An order was delivered COD. I had requested the vendor hold the check for one day to allow a deposit to clear the bank. The vendor in turn threatened to sue my client, call the Attorney General’s office, and showed up at the client’s office to threaten additional lawsuits.

Regardless, the vendor deposited the check. Thankfully the timing of the bank worked in our favor and the check cleared the bank no problem. I called the vendor the next day and requested that our client’s name be removed from their database. We prefer not to do business with lawsuit happy vendors. The vendor screamed additional profanities, agreed, and hung up on me.

It made me appreciate the other 99.9% of vendors that I work with on a daily basis. For all those other vendors that “negotiate” with me and assist in getting our clients paid in full, thank you! Thank you for your professionalism!

In short, it’s like a partnership. We work together to come to an agreement we’re both happy with. It makes the “buying” process a happy one. When a reorder needs to take place, who is going to get the call? The vendor that made us feel like our business was important to them. Not the one that made us watch over our shoulder’s leaving the building at night.

One final lesson! After the vendor hung up on me, I contacted other clients who use the same vendor. It’s a small world, people! Everyone is outsourcing somewhere and paths cross. Don’t burn bridges!