Am I being an Ar** hole?

[David Stevenson]

This probably isn’t going to help but we can all make mistakes, unfortunately no ones perfect (except me). I’d just take it on the chin, get the job sorted and carry on. Yes it’s a pain in the a4rse that it happens, sh1t happens on occasions. Frustrating and all as it is I find it’s sometimes it’s easier on the mind just to let it pass. I’ve spent too many nights sitting at home with my family frying my head with work stuff that doesn’t deserve a second thought. We’ve just had to replace part of a large sign that the customer didn’t like after it was fitted. This was after she sat with us in the office and seen samples of how her sign would be put together. The job was worth £2300 which included a decent profit. Replacing the parts she didn’t like set us back about 300 quid. It wasn’t ideal but she’s happy and not bad mouthing us around our relativity small town. The signs in a prime location with thousands of vehicles passing it daily. We’ll not be long in making the £300 back I’m fairly certain

[RobertLambie]

There is nothing worse, Martyn. I am very busy at the moment and I am experiencing similar to you, mate, deep breaths! 😬
Suppliers, Manufacturers, Installers etc. all F**k up at some point, “as do we all”. 🤨
The key is how well the supplier deals with fixing the problem that they have created for you!
Ranting down the phone won’t make you feel better and will only spoil your business relationship with the company. And the reality is, that the person on the phone “might” not be to blame, it could be some lad in the warehouse doing the picking, converting, boxing, or even the delivery that is to blame. So all the ranting and energy is towards the wrong person.

Pictures, or even a phone video and sending it to your customer via WhatsApp or email, showing the box, the I.D. label, and vinyl series while saying “You are trying to manufacture their graphics for the installation and on opening the box, it is the wrong material that has arrived, and you just wanted to let them know ASAP of the situation, and can you reschedule a new day to fit the graphics” they may surprise you and say that it is not a problem. then when you do finish the job, stick a bottle of wine or whiskey on the front seat apologising for the inconvenience. Small gestures go a long way, and let’s hope your vinyl supplier empathises with your situation and is as generous.

As for sending an invoice and ranting via a letter. I would save your energy mate, it will only alienate you from that supplier should you ever need their products again in future.
The best thing you can do is to source your products elsewhere and keep them as a secondary source.
They will chap your door, or give you a call at some point asking why you no longer buy from them or if you are interested in their new products or whatever. at that point, you can explain why.

None of what I have said is getting your job done on time, I appreciate that. But at least you have dealt with it as professionally as you can.

Now that said, if they are a local company, drive by their place late at night and use your OLFA knife on the side-wall of all the delivery vehicle tyres. 🤣🤣 I am Joking of course, Honest! 😏

[Martyn Heath]

😂😂

Thanks for the response guys. You are all correct and i know its not the salesman’s fault but like you say someone in the warehouse. Reality is if i hadn’t saved my own arse i would now be losing the contract with massive effects on my business. I am a man of my word and never let people down so its frustrating when your business model is effected by outside sources. Like you say thats life and take it on the chin.

Anyway i better get over to fit this lorry!

Have a good week chaps

[Phill Fenton]

Yes I know how frustrating this can be, that’s why I always try and makes sure I order vinyl well ahead of time and (crucially) check when it arrives that the right vinyl has been sent. Same applies to when buying in any products such as chapter 8 kits etc. As others have already said, no point in getting upset by it all. No one has died. And at the end of the day we all strive and do our best to avoid letting anyone down. Your supplier probably feels the same even though it was a picking error of some sort in the warehouse and nothing to do with your sales contact. You’re probably mad at yourself for not checking the delivery when it arrived so don’t beat yourself up about it.

[Graham Scanlan]

Phill, you are spot on, check your goods when they arrive, and stock more of what you sell.

We all make mistakes and having the time to put them right is often a luxury, but every little process in between can help.

[Martyn Heath]

yes i have always got larger jobs like this ready a few days before fitting, just incase. In 20 years this is the first time I’ve made the graphics the day before which made me uncomfortable but late design decisions caused this. So all this time i thought i was being a “stress in a dress” getting jobs ready ahead of time but seems i was right.

Anyway like you say, no one has died (only because the supplier is 3hrs away 🙂 the job got done and my customer was chuffed so on to fight another battle.

[David Hammond]

Yes s**t happens, but it’s nice when suppliers hold their hands up and try and resolve it.

A friend of mine ordered a roll of media in anticipation of a last minute order, went to collect it from the unit, no delivery. Calls the supplier and asks that it be put on a pre-noon for Tuesday to be told “we can try but can’t guarantee anything”, arrives at the unit again no delivery, resulting in a last minute dash to a local supplier to get a roll of media, leaving the printer running unattended, and returning late in the evening to finish it ready for the courier collection today, and delivery tomorrow to London.

The original supplier doesn’t seem to give a hoot about that… if he let that one customer down on that one job, they’d likely not return to him for future projects.