Burning Bridges

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In business your word is everything as that is what all relationships are built on because without that you have nothing. Relationships can take years to build and can be destroyed in seconds. I am very careful who I team up with which takes moths of research and why I value them so highly. Your service partners are the lifeline of any business and why when you find a very good one they should be looked after.

In November we had an issue with our client who delayed payment due to themselves having a outstanding payment which created a knock on effect. One of the service providers that I had spent months finding was hung out to dry and I was naturally upset. Thankfully that was resolved fairly quickly, but I refuse to use them until I know the danger has passed. If I had carried on the risk that the trust was going to be broken was fairly high and the one principle I never do is tell lies or lead people on because that never ends well.

The relationship is built on trust which goes both ways and I have told them the account is on hold until I give them the go ahead to continue. This decision they obviously respect as I am negating their risks and at the same time our relationship has grown even stronger due to the trust factor. They are a family business like we are and I would never let them down or put their business in harms way due to a poor business decision that is out of my control.

Obviously everyone still wants to use them because they are that good and the prices are half of what everyone else is charging. When this happened our client used another service provider who is clearly not great and is double the price. This is what you get and I would call them bog standard because 99% of the service providers are all the same. My client showed their hand though at how quickly they changed service providers and told me immediately they have no idea what they are dealing with.

I was asked this week if I have anyone else as back up as clearly this is not working as efficiently or economically as what was in place with my service provider who I have placed on hold. I am not about to jeopardise another service provider until I see an improvement. Good companies do not grow on trees and you do not use and abuse good companies that offer you the services they promised and have kept their side of the deal.

I think the penny dropped at how bad their new service provider is not only on cost, but the service or should I say non service that is being provided. There are several outstanding deliveries since the 19th December which means our client only gets paid for the entire order which is serious value at the back end of February. The next orders are already due to leave tis week and I am wondering if those will make delivery before month end. If you consider my service provider was working on a 48 hour turn around for delivery there is a huge difference in what is happening now.

No one knows it was me who put them on hold and even though this is short term pain this is far better than burning a relationship which we need in the near future. Knowing you have someone in your corner that has your back and can print you profit from day one versus what we are seeing now highlights just how valuable they are. Only when I see an uptick in the financials will I give the go ahead to continue and only expect that to happen in March.

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