How to get what you want from suppliers

Published on December 16, 2008 How to get what you want from suppliers

With margins squeezed and competition fierce, many people in business are under much higher levels of day-to-day stress than they once were. It is very easy in periods of extra stress to get frustrated with your suppliers and be overly demanding when you are ordering something, making an enquiry or when you experience delays in receiving product.

The thing that is often overlooked is that these suppliers are businesses just like you and if you are under stress chances are they are too. After all, in most cases they deal with many stressed out business owners every day – not just you.

The secret: customer service  is not just about how you deal with your customers. It is about how you behave as customers too.

With this in mind, the way to get what you want from your suppliers is to go back to basics and the more stressed you are the more understanding you should try and be. Particularly at Christmas. Don’t just demand, ask politely, and when you get what you want, say thank you. Sounds all too simple? It is, and it is always worthwhile to remember this when dealing with any supplier you are working with. A little humility and understanding helps build long term business relationships not simple one-off supplier/buyer transactions.

Here are just some quick tips to get you thinking. You could try when you are next dealing with your suppliers:

1. After you get your products, write them an email and say thank you. If you are impressed by the products or the packaging or their service, tell them.
2. If you receive a positive comment back from a customer who your supplier has drop shipped to, pass it on. When under stress complements matter. Don’t you enjoy receiving them for your business?
3. Suggest something useful that could help them run their business even better – great ideas and suggestions are always appreciated by any business.
4. Refer a customer to them or write them a testimonial for their website – no business would ever turn down that!

Customer service and supplier service is not rocket science. Just good business practice.