Fed Up with vendor / looking for change

[ABPGraphics]

I 'm not sure what to do at this point - I live in a small town in Utah - I have a sign supplier three hours away that I use for most of my everyday inventory - Vinyl - inks - transfer tape - stock Alum. up to 4x8 sheets and sometimes custom cut aluminum - etc. - etc. - I have been at this shop for approx 1.5 years - ....I SWEAR every other order they screw up somehow! - I am just fed up. - I ALWAYS have them repeat everything I just ordered but that does not seem to help - they either forget the order all together - send wrong sizes or colors - or send it COD (which is a huge no no with my boss!) - I have a credit card # on file since day one and I have had to repeat the same number hundreds of time because they never keep the number but always promise to put it in the system. PLAIN FED UP! - I am willing to go with a vendor outside of Utah if I can get better customer service - It was nice having delivery the next day - but I am willing to wait for better service! - I would like to work with someone that has great shipping policies - DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS? One supplier that I am about to start using a bunch more is GRIMCO - they have always been very professional, they just don't offer everyhing I need at times

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

sorry for your frustration. having worked on the supply side i can understand how easily it is for errors to take place with the variety of names some people call products, or lack of knowing proper material names, coupled with the overall lack of industry experience and product knowledge of the majority of the people that are taking your order...

there are plenty of supply houses that can ship materials to you but i would still recommend maintaining as positive of a relationship as possible with the local suppliers (especially if you are limited in regards to how many local vendors there are...) you will never beat the pricing of 4X8 materials unless you can justify ordering extremely large quantities and we all know that the occasional emergency is going to arise where you are going to need 'something' in a hurry.

is there any way you can email or fax in your orders so that there is a written record and less room for errors?

is it possible to arrange credit terms with them instead of keeping a card on file? myself i prefer that method and then pay it off monthly with a credit card. if they give you 30days and you pay it off with a card you have just gained a nice window should you need it...and i like using my credit card to get those miles...

good luck.

 

[ABPGraphics]

thanks for the reply Dan....yes I have thought about doing a written order and I think it is a very good idea! - As for the credit card - My boss wants everything paid in full - He has more than this sign shop and I guess this method works for him - My frustration is that I have been ordering materials for MANY YEARS - either I am getting old and impatient or they really have a problem - when I just order stock items it seems to go somewhat smooth - but anything custom - WOW Nightmare - so much of the job is common sense and I feel I have come across a company that just really doesnt care about the individual company and take the time to get orders right - sometimes they even send what they feel like sending (brand wise) - really frustrated

 

[nate]

The following are located in Salt Lake:

Regional Supply
Midwest Sign Supply
Montroy Sign Supply
Fellers

Have you tried all of them?

 

[Jane Diaz]

If you want to give this supplier one more try, you might call and ask to talk to the boss. We had a supplier that we were having trouble with and we did that. We had bought supplies from them since we started in business 30 years ago. We liked their supplies & prices & service but after buying a large piece of equipment that needed service, we got the continual run around from the head of the techies. We talked to the owner and we got the assurance that things would be better. They were for a while but we were constantly put on hold or calls weren't returned, on & on. We stopped using them and it's a shame. We liked the owner & their supply side of the service but their head of the tech side was a putz! They lost ALL our business. I've heard we aren't the only ones.

 

[gabagoo]

when you consider what they pay sales reps to go out and drum up sales then they treat customers like this, it's any wonder if anyone in the company has a brain. Even after speaking to the owner it is still happening. I'm sure we all experience mistakes in orders or slow delivery...etc, but if it is happening on almost every order than I can't for the life of me understand HOW they can still be in business