Entrepreneurial Tightrope: Supplier woes? Time to get tough

— -- Hi Gladys, I own an auto repair shop. I am very dependent on suppliers to deliver parts on time. Unfortunately, I find myself tied up in knots when a customer who has a scheduled appointment for a repair arrives with and the supplier is late bringing the necessary part. I have tried explaining why I need them to be prompt with delivery of the parts. So far it seems as if I'm being ignored. What do you do when the inefficiency of your suppliers makes it impossible for you to provide good customer service? — C. H.

Start acting like a customer to your suppliers. Sometimes we get so caught up in serving our customers and doing a good job we forget that we also are customers to someone.

Make a list of the things you need from a supplier. Don't skimp on anything. If you need a supplier that is open at certain hours or available on weekends, etc., make note of it. Need overnight or last-minute delivery? Jot that down, too.

Next step: Make a complete list of the things you need to serve your customers. Then you're ready to call your suppliers and schedule a meeting.

Take your lists along. Tell your suppliers exactly what your needs and expectations are and ask point blank if they can fulfill them. You do not need to explain or justify anything.

All you need to know is, can they meet your needs? Isn't this what your customers do with you when they come into your shop for an oil change or new brakes? They don't want to know anymore than, can you do the job in a timely fashion, effectively and at a reasonable cost.

Once you make yourself heard, let them know you have been dissatisfied with their service. Also let them know that you are accepting a portion of the blame since you had not previously spelled out your requirements.

Tell them that since you have alerted them in detail as to what you expect, you must put them on time-limited probation. And of course, you decide what amount of time is enough for them to shape up.

In the meantime, be prepared by making a backup list of suppliers that you can call in the event you need to replace your current ones.

And remember, technology allows us to live, think and act in a global environment. In other words, don't think you are forced to deal with suppliers in your locale. You are not!

The Internet can lead you to hundreds of suppliers. And next-day air is what FedEx was created for.

Put your late delivery suppliers on notice that you will replace them if necessary. There are plenty of companies that would jump through hoops for your business.

Stop putting up with nerve-shattering behavior. Spend your money with the folks who believe that your business is important to them.

Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds, founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh, is a private coach/consultant in business development and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, published by Viking. See an index of Edmunds' columns. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.