Suppliers, Can't Work With'em Can't Work Without'em

sage

Bad start today (currently on a kitchen remodel), My tile supplier tells me that they do not have my tile ready (supposed to be installing today), it's out in some unmanned warehouse in east bumble bee. She told me that the tiles were moved from the bumble bee location to the showroom last week, Guess again. She's always been good to me so I'm not mad at her.

I have a very tight schedule on this remodel and now I'm porked, the HO put her two 90 # Shepard's up at someones house so I could set the tile on the floor without interference.

Finish paint goes on Saturday and cabinets go in Monday, no work allowed Sunday.

This sucks!

I have some guys on another job, but I have those that are working with me cleaning the shop as I sit here typing and hoping for the phone to ring.

I hate it when a plan doesn't come together.

Any of you have stories of getting jammed up by suppliers, on purpose or inadvertently.

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Mike Finley

How many do you want? That's the name of the game for me, doing the other persons job for them so they don't screw me. Just in tile I've had wrong boxes of tile in a shipment, missing quantites of tile in a shipment, completely wrong orders where you get somebody elses tile, I've had them confirm something is in stock in the warehouse at time of placing the order, a week later you pick up the order and the item they swore was instock is now on back order for you...

the last granite install I did the scheduler called me the morning of to ask if it was okay to send them 3 hours early because the installers had finished early (yeah, right! That's more likely a cancelled job if you ask me) told her it wouldn't work out since we weren't going to be there until the scheduled time. 2 hours before we are scheduled to be there the homeowner is calling me saying she has 3 mexicans on her lawn, with only one barely speaking English, and they are upset because I'm supposed to be there!

... it never ends...

IHI

LOL, yep siding/shingles that are supposed to be in stock items are'nt in stock so then we wait. cabinets/windows/doors that are supposed to be in on X date end up being a week or two behind inital delievery date.

Last big tile job was also tight schedule wise with jobs i had starting the afternoon we were "scheduled to finish" Customer special ordered tile that was supposed to take 5 days to come in so I scehduled start date for them around that delivery date and made production so it would all be fluid....well 3 weeks later and still no tile we were already going storn on the next bigger project and then finally tile shows up. We were knee deep in the project at hand so I had to hire a sub to come in and install the tile so there was money I lost out on. Then the tile guy called me to let me know with the broken tiles due to shipping they were short and were also missing 1 box of rope molding tile. So another 2 weeks goes by before replacements and missing tile shows up and now I have to pay the tile guy ANOTHER trip charge to go back for an hours work since I did'nt want to get in the middle of a job another guy had done 80% of already should a problem ever arise I can pin it on him.

Gotta love the headaches and now we refer back to the "how do you sleep post" LMAO!! Nothing I hate more than relying on anybody since that is ALWAYS the downfall of my jobs.

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A+Carpenter

I had Allside do that to me on a military job for the senior officers.

Jammed up on a train bound for nowhere. 800 SQ to be onsite Monday morning.

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skylands

I have all the war stories too. But I was thinking that maybe you could get those two Shepards and take a spin to the showroom and ask....."and where are my tiles??????"

And having had a few shepards myself, I might suggest feeling perfectly comfortable having them help you install the tile. Shepards are quick learners and happy to do anything you ask them to do. I had one that use to open the slider by herself. We taught her to close it after she went out.

.....what's this thread about again? Oh yea. I'm back now.

ron schenker

I picked up 40 boxes of tiles from the manufacturer about a week ago. Job is done, looks great, but there were 22 broken tiles that I know were broken before I picked them up. Luckily, I had planned for more wastage than I actually did. At $2.13/tile that's almost 50 bucks lost I doubt they'll give me a credit, but it's worth a try

Gordo

I learned a long time ago that if it is 'special order' then it will most likely be a jumble f. We do not even schedule jobs until the orders are in, checked, and at job site. Sounds harsh but it reduces the schedule headache=money made or lost. HO always thinks you are a DA when the supplier screws up even though it is not your fault. Prep HO to expect delays.Mark and labor up is also higher with SO. My biggest problems come from SO plumbing fixtures not having correct/insufficient parts. The factory monkeys do not care.

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Looks like some pros were here.

Tscarborough

I have my hands on both ends of this stick. Here is my advice:

Hints for contractors:

Put every special order in writing, with a supplier initialed date when that the order was given to the supplier.

Schedule work with a safe margin. One to 2 days for regular material deliveries, at least a week for special orders.

If you change a special order, the original lead time is from the date of the change, NOT the initial order.

If the job is time critical, make sure you have the material in your possession before you commit forces to utilize it.

Waste and breakage should be figured into your initial job costing and your order.

If you call and check stock one day and want that to be yours at some point in the future, expect to pay for it right then.

Call in advance of projected ship date to ensure that the order is on track.

Piss-poor planning on your end does not constitute an emergency on my end.


For the supplier:

Don't tell the customer what they want to hear, tell them what is possible and what is likely (which are two distinctly different things).

Do not check stock on the computer for an item, check physical, and when the order is placed and paid for, mark the material as sold and to whom, and at the same time arrange for transfer/transport to the facility that will be making the job site delivery (or customer pickup).

If an issue arises, call the customer as soon as you find out; alternate plans can be made by the contractor, SO LONG AS HE KNOWS AHEAD OF TIME!

Always make sure that you have 2 phone numbers and names for every order: The person responsible for the order and the person on the job site.

Require all special orders in writing, and make sure that an estimated lead time is included on the paperwork.

Piss-poor planning on your end does not constitute an emergency on my end.


I have been screwed by suppliers and have inadvertently screwed contractors. It is never on purpose, but is always able to be handled in a mature business-like manner. As a rule, you will receive the level of service that you offer, and that holds for both ends.

IHI

LMFAO!! Now this I can relate too. Our Rott has always been an exceptionally smart PITA. Taught him when he was young how to open the fridge (sock on handle) and get a beer for me...he was even smart enough to know the difference between the Pepsi and Miller Lite. It came go time for the real can (testing cans were all empty) Jack did great, told him to "get me a beer", he runs in opens the door chomps down on a full can, nudges door shut and soon as he's within a foot of delivery he's pumped up and bites down beer fuzz ALL over the place LMAO.

He found out how to open the chain link gate by nudging the latch up so it forced us to install a lock in it. Then we'd come home and see him running around the side lot-we'd leave entry door open for fresh air and he figured out how to nudge the storm door handle to get out.

Then we started coming home finding him in the house (nice days he gets put outside) one night sitting in the living room the lil bastardd figured out how to push open the sliding door to let himself in Worse than pigs on a pig farm LOL!!

This new house I installed a terrace door and a lever type handle not even thinking...yep, SOB pushed the door handle up and let;s himself in that one too. so now we gotta keep the deadbolt locked when he's out.

Scarey smart sometimes

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Tscarborough

I just wish they would learn to close the door.

skylands

I had a framer that would bring his Rott. Every time the guys would toss a board in the dumpster, the dog would bring it back. It was endless. I didn't balk at having the dog around because inspections were quick, easy and always "Passed".

skylands

.......sorry Sage. We just got off the topic a bit. It's a dog lovers thing.

sage

Just had to install dead bolts for a client whose Goldens figured how to open the new front and rear entry doors I put in. They had me install door handles with the wave levers, took'em (the dogs) about two days to figure it out.

Oh ya, still no tile yet.

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-Lead from the front, or dont lead at all-

sage

Still here, no tiles

__________________
-Lead from the front, or dont lead at all-

IHI

LOL, what about now??

I feel your pain

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A+Carpenter

Hey IHI you like my new AVATAR?????? LMFAO

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sage

Ayup. Still here, no tiles

__________________
-Lead from the front, or dont lead at all-

IHI

Quoted by rapper Lil John- "yeeeeaaaaah" ...hope ya know who that is otherwise dat chit aint funny

Same pimp, different limp


Sage, UPS guy just dropped off a bunch of tile here at home? Shipping label says Connecticut? how da heck did this end up here in corn coutry?? ohwell, I didnt need it so threw it in the trash, if color would've been different I could've used it somewhere, oh well. Hey if I hear bout your tile anywhere I'll let ya know.

Least you know where the ball got dropped (you think) I tend to get the run around with all fingers being pointed when I launch my own investiagtions to track missing items down, vendor blames supplier, supplier blames vendor, vendor blames home owner, home owner blames me. So if you need to know who screwed up, it's always you!!

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sage

RightO! And I got a better place for you to have put that tile, right up the old corn h

Just kidding

Ya I got the call at 3 PM, lots of good that chit does me now.

Another lesson learned, Still really trying to pin it down though.

Tile tomorrow,
See Ya

__________________
-Lead from the front, or dont lead at all-