In every business I have owned, I made Customer Service a distinguishing characteristic. Even when we were selling the same product we wanted our customers to have a superior experience than with our competitors. In the service industry, our technicians were trained to walk through a customer's door and never forget that they were not on a job site, they were in someone's home and to treat it and the occupants with respect. In the mail order business each order arrived with a signed Thank You note.
It is not surprising that I came to expect the same type of treatment from my vendors. That doesn't mean being unnecessarily a high maintenance whiney cat (cause no one likes a whiney cat) customer, but a customer that appreciates reciprocal respect. In small business it pays to maintain good relationships.
Let me tell you about two vendors (both small businesses just starting their journey to profitability. One grows and is profitable, the other lurches along. Both came to me for money.
Vendor number one is a friendly fellow. Always cheerful on the phone. While his wares are custom-made he delivers high quality items when promised. You need a rush? He is willing to work with you. Let's say he wants to expand and needs a new piece of equipment. He is a cautious person and eschews debt. He is short the full purchase price and calls and asks you to review your outstanding invoices and determine if there are any you can pay in advance. He assures you that this new equipment will allow him to make a better product, faster, and at the same price.
Vendor number two is not a bad guy, but his business does not run smoothly. He doesn't provide products when promised, he doesn't respond promptly to phone calls or emails (especially if there is a problem) and to make matters worse his bookkeeping is a mess. He bills for product he hasn't shipped, his packing lists and invoices are not accurate, and he posts your payments incorrectly. Might not be a bad guy, but no one in your company wants to deal with him. He calls you because he would like to build up his inventory, but his supplier has him on credit hold and he needs cash to buy more inventory. He asks me to pay some invoices in advance otherwise he won't be able to supply me the products I need when I need them.
Which of these vendors would get that advance from you? Which vendor is a business owner that is growing their company, taking care of their customers, and earning respect. Which is profitable? Which one do you think is still in business and which one is barely hanging on by their nails.
Which vendor represents your company? Are you vendor one who is living their dream and making your own success by helping your customers or are you vendor two that is a whiney cat blaming others for their problems, blocking your own success by alienating the people that can help you?
Vendor two sounds like my whiney cat
Don't be a whiney cat
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