Do We Ever Forgive And Forget?

joasis

Ok guys, here is a funny one for you to ponder.

Last year, I stopped in a local yard we used to trade with....not my primary supplier, but I gave them about a grand a month in business, and ran some nice remodel jobs through them.....so anyway, 24th of the month, I am in, and after placing an order, to get the offered cash discount, I tookmy checkbook in, and paid the previous month's balance, saving them a stamp......OK? Now, the next day, the 25th, the last day of their billing cycle, one of my guys drops in and gets a hole saw...$24. I didn't get a bill for that month, and never gave it a thought....the next month, on the 27th, my statement arrives with a past due notice for $24 + $5 service charge...and red ink, saying account past due, please help!

I drive straight from the post office, checkbook in hand and ask what this is about....now this is a small mom and pop lumber yard....and we all know each other.....small town living. I am pissed...they know it, and explain it to me. It costs them to bill...and they were sorry they didn't get my statement out, but they were sticking with the $5 service charge.....ok, fine. I write the check, tell them to close my account, and stop all trade with them. The preceding 12 months, we spent nearly 18k with them....so a small account, but still.....

So fast forward....I still don't trade with them, and everyone who works for me knows we don't spend a dime in there. The plumber who I am using again was at our local ball field yesterday, at my request, repairing a water line break, which I am donating the repairs for, meaning I am paying him and the materials. I see a price sticker on a dresser coupling from the lumber yard and ask what is up? My regular yard didn't have it? He said don't worry...it will be on his bill to me....and I said no problem...but you remember my rule? He said I need to get over it.

He just called me about doing the rough in this morning on a new home and I got the pleasure of telling him hold up...I am getting other bids...now he is worried....so guys, do I let him continue or do I send the job elsewhere to someone I know will follow my instructions? By the way, my plumber bids labor only...I buy the materials.

I guess we should all forgive and forget...but the last part of the tale is the guy who owns the yard told a client of mine that he would let me frame a dog house,.......we do shoddy work, etc, etc....and that is BS. So I doubt I will forgive and forget, but if I let the plumber come back on the job site...I might have to paint a sign specifying where the materials come from.....

So how are the rest of you? I say what I mean and mean exactly what I say...or is this too extreme?

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Tom M

5 dollars is pretty petty. It seems extreme. I dont blame you if your being treated second rate but I wouldnt lose sleep over a "conveience account" that I pop in once in a while. Then again the shoddy work thing would eat at me.

bruno002

all of that over 5 bucks

Mud Master

I don't think so. I have the same situation myself. I used a supplier for years, proboly did $500,000.00 or more with them over a period of 3 years. My bill came one the 12th, I took it to the yard, paid it off and went on my way. on the 12th of next month I get my statement saying I have on overdue bill, and that my account is in Default til I pay it. I take it to the yard, show them the bank statement, the copy of the check, and the reciept I got from them stating that I paid it. They said that they apologize but will still have to charge me $30.00 to reprocess it. I said WTF? I said "ok, here ya go and while your at it you can close out my account because were done here"

About a year or so after that I am at my Door/Frame manufacturer pickin up a couple sets of frames for a job. Oh, by the way I forgot the supplier I broke ties with is right next to my door/frame man. The guy sees me and turns his head. I send my foreman in about a month later to pick up a pair of doors. While he is there one of my mechanic's call him to say that the need a couple extra studs, he calls me and asks me if I still have an account there. I tell him no and to go to Building Specialties. He says "thats 30 minutes away, i'm right here, just let it go". I tell him that if he doesn't want to go and pick them up, than I will go and get them and deliver them to the site, but i'll be a few hours, and he'll have to find something to do until then. Needless to say he went himself.

So while he is still there another story unfold's. He says that Allen, the owner of my door/frame supplier, tells him that the owner of Supplies Unlimited(the company I no longer deal with) told him that he shouldn't be dealing with me because I am two-faced and a crook. Now Allen has known me since I was 15, when I was working with my father, and my father went to school with him. So he knew it was a total crock of chit.

Sorry about the long story, but your story got me fired up. But no, I do not believe you are wrong in any way, they screwed you, gave you bad customer service, and did you just plain dirty. And if you tell your men or subs up front not to deal with them than in no way should they. I'd let your plumber sweat it out a bit.. and maybe he won't make the same mistake twice.

My 2 Cents..

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Mike Finley

LOL, that's the small town grudge syndrome, man!!! I know exactly what you mean Joasis

My wife and I were talking about this just the other day the difference between how people act in a small town and a large one. We are both from small towns and we go back to the east coast to visit family back in these small towns and the antics are always entertaining.

Last time we were there my bro-in-law was relating a story to me about one of the local restaurants and how he is boycotting it, all because he asked the owner to donate a $10 dinner certificate to his daughters school fund raiser. The guy never got back to him (maybe he forgot?) and my bro-in-law has never forgiven him! He even tries to make sure nobody he knows gives the guy any business.

My wife and I both laughed about how silly the whole thing is (privately of course) and how foreign it would be to even think about something like that where we live, but of course we both agreed that when we lived there, it would be just as important as it is to my bro-in-law, because that is how small towns work. Everybody knows everybody.

We also came to the conclusion that another part of the syndrome is that everybody in a small town has to have at least 1 grudge ongoing with somebody else at all times. Nobody is allowed to live there without having a grudge going. If you resolve one grudge you only have a 10 day grace period to get another one established or the locals will come have a talk with you, after 3 weeks if you still don't have another one going, they will ask you to consider moving out because you don't seem to fit in with the community.

JMGP

I will have to agree with this being petty...and wayyyyy to extreme... this is a supplier that has policy's in place just like im sure you do... business is business and they follow there policy's... now you know NOT to pay your bill until you get it in the mail.. I think it's better that way anyways... you can keep a better eye on things....

Now... you want to suck your workers into your drama and hold it against them that they use a supplier that you dont... come on!!

with all due respect... get over yourself... why create unnessasary drama.... acting like that will quickly push good workers away from you...

also...

If I heard that someone said that I do shoddy work I would call them out on that statement...I would go right straight down there and start asking questions.... I take those comments seriously... spreading comments like that in this industry can be very harmful to your business.. this is how you feed your family...

dont take this post as an attack or to offend you... you asked...

If you respond to this....please dont use the term "it's not about they money.. it's about principal".. it's not about either... it's just plain rediculous...

Bob Kovacs

I've got to agree with JGMP on this one- waaaay too petty- especially when you're going to possibly destroy your relationship with your plumbing sub just because you have a hard-on for the lumber company.

Turn the tables and look at it this way:

You erect a building for Farmer Brown, and he's not happy with some small piece of the process, which you refuse to change because it's " company policy". Farmer Brown says "fine- here's your final payment, but it's the last cent you'll ever see from me!". OK, so far, so good- Farmer Brown may or may not ever have another building for you to erect, so you chalk it up to experience and move on.

Now, Farmer Brown starts telling all his suppliers for feed, tractors, whatever not to use Joasis Builders, or he's going to stop buying from them. Isn't that taking things a bit too far????

Bob

Mud Master

Maybe firing your plumbing sub over it is a bit extreme, but the whole principal behind what happened between them and the comments made by the supplier is wrong! And to let people know what they did to you and how they are is absolutly necessary.

I've been there and i'd do everything I could to make sure they never sell another sheet of drywall. Or in his case lumber. Maybe not over the $5.00, but after the comment, without hesitation.

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Double-A

In business, time is money. If you're going to survive, then you have to make good use of both.

Paying service charges unnecessarily is not good money management, but taking extra time to go further away so you can buy from a supplier that doesn't offend you is bad time management.

I've been in small town working environments, Jay, so I understand your position. On the personal side I'd feel slighted by his actions, and demand to know why I'm being penalized by him for his accounting mistake.

The agreement was, you'd pay for whatever you were billed for and any past due bills. But, if you're not sent a bill, then how can it be "past due?"

On the business side, I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill. If you need supplies, get them from these folks and pay by check if it saves you time and fuel. If your guys buy from them, make sure they take a check or get a receipt.

As for him badmouthing you, I'd take that up with him immediately. In a small community, you can't have folks choose up sides when your reputation is on the line. No matter what he thinks of your construction skills, you two should still have a good business relationship. There will come a day when you might need each other for some reason or another.

You don't need this holding you back from helping out, or getting the help you, or your family might need in a bad situation. Its just not worth the stress and makes no financial sense.

My advice is to work it out now. Quit letting it fester and rub you the wrong way. It was one incident out of 400 that day, but you chose to clamp down on it like a bulldog, and now everyone that works for you is having to pay for your ill-will toward this place. Time to work it out and put it behind you.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

Magnettica

I don't think it's extreme at all. Rules are rules, and those are your policies. Is it too much to ask that your subs follow your rules? I don't think so.

As far as the supply house charging you $5.00 late fee... what a bunch of bull that is. Now they have lost you as a customer. Even if it is only $18k, that's still $18k not going their way and going elsewhere to another supplier. Hell, if a supplier forgets to include tomatoes on my sandwich I might not ever go back.

I think you did the right thing.

bigchaz

The problem here is that there really is no other good course of action against a supplier that does that to you. If he has to pay the service charge and keeps on buying theres, then the supplier knows he can short you on more bogus charges. Although it seems extreme the only effective action is to stop doing your business there.

POOLMANinCT

jay chill out!!! breaking ties w/ a vendor is one thing, on that its your call... burning a an established labor bridge is something you should really think about..

i think your getting too political in the field

dougchips

If Jay told the plumber that none of his jobs could use any materials from ***x vendor then the plumber is not an asset. Rules are rules.

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To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.

POOLMANinCT

i have plumbing thats been sitting in my bins for 3 yrs also...

unless a splinter cell of liberal painters has sent a covert "WETwork" operative after him ... i couldnt resist

been reading way too much nelson demille & vince flynn this winter

PressurePros

Your plumber doesn't have the issue with this supplier, you do. Setting "rules" is egotistical and non-productive. I'm not saying I wouldn't do the same thing in your shoes, that would have pissed me off but this is business. Business is best conducted devoid of emotion.

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Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Roof Cleaning Services PA

gregj

I can see me doing the same thing Joasis. I don't know if it's a good character trait or a character flaw but if someone crosses a certain "trustworthy" line with me I never do business with them again. If they didn't send me a bill and then insisted on a late fee I would feel like I couldn't trust them. It wouldn't matter if it was 1 dollar or 1 million. Heck, I still wont buy a Toshiba product because they were caught back in the Cold War days selling computers to the Soviet Union that helped them make quieter sub propellers. My brother thinks it's crazy but to me it was a violation of trust and therefore unforgiveable.

But the supplier is really being stupid. If I heard a supplier badmouthing another contractor a little voice in the back of my head would say "I wonder what he says about me behind my back?" A supplier who badmouths customers, even former customers, has got to be scaring away his remaining customers.

dougchips

How about the office equipment company that helped Hilter keep track of the Jews? IB_

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To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.

john elliott

I don't agree with the guys who say to keep emotion etc out of business. That's why I like to be in business for myself, so I can choose who I do business with and who I don't. I'm with Joasis on this one.

John

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Ed the Roofer said "John too, in his crass and blunt demeanor.............."

Ed the Roofer

I strongly suggest contacting Dr. Phil to resolve your long held resentment issues.

You need to be up front with the past vendor about the issues you have been confronted with and discuss it through to at least an amicable parting of the ways, rather than both parties having some lingering bad blood hanging over your mental focus.

I once had a supplier many years ago, not notify me about their consequential actions they were ready to take, until I was doing a new KFC roof. When I called to schedule the delivery of the products I had previously ordered, I was told I was too far behind in my account for them to ship anything else unless I got caught up, immediately. I used to buy between $ 150,000.00 and $ 200,000.00 each year from them, almost my exclusive supplier.

I still use them for 1 order every one or two years, but they will not reobtain the volume I purchased previously due to them not informing me in advance of the issue. They are a group of good people, who made a business decision I did not agree with, which caused me further aggrivation and time delay on a project. But, they are not on my mental hit list. Now, they have to deal with the consequences of their business decision, by only getting $ 5,000.00 of business per year instead of over $ 200.000.00.

Ed

dougchips

Ed, if you step back and look at it you are teasing them. Sort of like telling your kids they can not have lunch and then giving them 5 french fries (instead of the 200).

Why have they never asked "Ed, what will it take to get your good business back?".

We have a local lumber yard with a rude salesperson. Everytime I go in and he determined that I am not standing around for the fun of it, he will ask what I want and I answer another salesperson. I found this to be so much fun that I got other people in on it (everyone finds him rude). After about a year or two I had to grow up and shop somewhere else. The other salespeople would hide when I came in just so I would continue to do it, they thought it was funny.

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To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.