subject: Best Practices In Negotiation: Dealing With The Rude, But Cheap Vendor [print this page] Best Practices In Negotiation: Dealing With The Rude, But Cheap Vendor
Not long ago, my wife and I were despairing over the soaring price of oil.
Well that's partly true. We were really meditating on the prices retailers get for oil PAINTS. Being a professional artist, paints plus canvasses are the key raw materials from which she creates masterpieces.
I know from whence I speak, sitting as I am in the studio, surrounded by no fewer than 50 splendid renderings.
Frustrated, we resolved to buy better, reducing her cost structure while freeing her to paint as many wonders as she wishes. Searching the Web, we identified some promising suppliers, the very cheapest of which was located in Los Angeles, about 90 minutes away.
"Perfect," we thought, anticipating that we could visit the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and also cruise over to a favorite Chinese restaurant, a few miles from there.
Anticipating our savings, we figured we could have a first-class excursion, stock-up on supplies, and still come out ahead. Fortunately, the directions to the store were spot-on, and we had no problem, traffic-wise, commuting on a Sunday morning.
What we didn't anticipate was the impatient, unhelpful, "Take it or leave it" tone of the proprietor. He knew the primary draw to his establishment was the low price, but he seemed to also say, "Don't expect a smile, too!"
Which raises this question:
How much of a bargain is it if you have to wade through emotional muck to get it?
One client of mine, who opened his own mutual fund advisory service, stated his view on the matter: "Life is too short to deal with unpleasant people."
So, he would simply pass on deals nasty folks brought to him, calculating that the stresses and hassles and untidy emotive stains caused by mixing with crazy-makers, just wasn't worth a monetary gain.
Since our economy has weathered The Great Recession, I wonder if he moderated his views on the matter, deciding more business of any character is worth the effort.
From my view, the bad pushes out the good. If we tolerate abrasive vendors, we pay a high price, spoiling our energies on them, while distancing ourselves from other, better sources.
Scoring your vendors and suppliers based on "affability" or "personality" may seem abstract, and to some, irrelevant. It may even be a luxury, in certain challenging times.
Nonetheless, it should be done, because one way or another, a toll is being taken by the company we keep.
Happily, there are ways to negotiate better customer service, but we'll save that topic for another day.
