As previously mentioned, the best partnerships are based upon the understanding that you are both in it for the long haul. This involves a commitment from your vendor to understand your business and act on their newfound knowledge. Your openness and willingness to engage in this exchange is very important, as well.
A worthy vendor should be interested enough in his own industry to stay abreast of relevant trends, as well as demonstrate a good working knowledge of best practices. Ask plenty of questions and request clarity to help you make informed decisions in vendor projects.
No one likes overpaying, even for top quality products and services. How do you know you are getting a good product at a good price from your vendor? Here are a few ways to make that determination.
Customer service should be a priority for any business looking for longevity, but unfortunately it is an offering all too often taken for granted until too late. Many suppliers have an incomplete view of what it means to provide consistently great customer service. It shouldn’t just be lip service.
In this “Evaluating Vendors” series, we’ve summarized five areas (Quality, Customer Service, Cost Competitiveness, Industry Expertise, and Relationship Investment) for assessing your current vendor/supplier relationship(s) since it is integral to the success of any business. Today, we will examine in more detail how to evaluate the quality of work you are receiving from your vendors.
Vendors and suppliers are essential to the success of any company, big or small. From time to time, we must take time to evaluate if those relationships are working optimally or if we are simply on autopilot. In today’s fast-paced business climate, it’s easy to get complacent until a series of disappointments and red flags make a confrontation unavoidable.
