Upinions appreciated

Ken_40

A wholesaler? A manufacturer? A dealer? A contractor?

Define "supplier" please.

"Price Book"? A trade price book like Weil McLain's list price book? A flat rate contractor's price book?

Define "price book" too please.

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Bob Sweet

If a supplier asked

for the price book of another supplier would you consider that to be ethical, would you do it?

This happens to be a good friend asking for the price book.

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Larry (from OSHA)

if the prices are confidential

then the answers are no and no

just my $0.02 worth.

Larry

Bob Harper_2

federal laws

Probably a Federal Anti-trust law violation. Even if not, it is unethical.

Jeff Lawrence_25

I have walked in

To some of my wholesalers and seen a Johnstone Supply and/or RE Michel catalog sitting on the shelf or even open on the desk.....

Maine Doug_64

Knowing competitors

pricing is market competition. Getting together and setting pricing might fall into the anti-trust arena. There are no inspectors from the feds going into businesses and searching for what is on the shelf in the way of catalogs.
Reading your emails and listening to your phone conversations maybe but inspecting catalogs- don't think so. At least not at the moment. Gotta go, someone is knocking at the door.......

Keith_8

I wouldn't

Business and friendships are 2 different animals.

I wouldn't ask a friend to jeopordize his relationship with another vender.

Now on the other hand, if in the course of negotiating a contract I would give a friend the benefit of the doubt.

Too tricky and not worth it in MHO.

Keith

Bob Sweet

Hey Ken, a wholesaler,

he's looking for the prices another wholesaler is giving me on equipment. The reasoning is that he wants to be competitive in the market.



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Keith_8

Feedback

Bob,
If 2 venders supply quotes for a similiar product line on a project that I'm bidding. I'm awarded the project and I make a decision to go with one vender over another. I don't think it's out of line for the vender who ended up without the order to ask why?

Maybe it was price, Maybe it was the timely quote, Maybe it was product knowledge, Maybe it was delivery schedule, Maybe it was payment terms.

Every buying decision doesn't necessarily come down to price.

I try and get back feedback from my proposals. Even a project not awarded to me (it happens ) should be a learning experience. After all I spent the time and money to provide the quote and most of the time the legwork to layout a job the way I think it should happen why not learn something?

To me this scenerio is different than someone asking for the pricing up front. It seems to me that you should earn that valuable information and then expect the feedback.

Keith

Ken_40

Now I understand the question...

I had a personal relationship with my prime wholesaler. We were both business and personal friends. He did not get all our biz, just most. On a few occassions he would ask why we went with someone else on a job. It was always price; as long as it was equals. He understood, knew the margins he needed to be profitable and would frequently mention he thought the other wholesaler's price was a "low-ball" to entice me to give them more business. I'd reply, "Ya think so"? Knowing that may or may not have been so.

Come to find out, it wasn't so! Most of the time one place moved so much pipe and fittings, they got better pricing than my guy. The savings went to me.

When it was a big job, we'd do an Excel spread sheet RFQ and ask each wholesaler to quote as if we were going to pick and choose items, not the whole order. Frequently, some materials were way under or over the other's prices.

On more than one occassion a wholesaler would say, "You bought from him"? "Why didn't you call me back and ask for a competitive price - I would have beat that quote you chose, in a heartbeat."

To which my boiling blood would reply, "Look, I am a 2 - 10, net 30 payer. I haven't missed earning the discount in 20-years. You know you will have the money for the materials before you even get invoiced from the manufacturer"! "I want the best price, the first time asked - always"!

"I have no time to play games with you." "I want the sharpest pencil all the time - every time." "I will not play 'make a deal' on any orders." "Whatever your first number is, is THE number - period." "No second chances, no waffle room, no fishing trips, no golf outings, no free tee shirts or sweat shirts - just the right price - makes the world go round."

All our pricing became as good as it can be. You want good prices from wholessalers without begging? ALWAYS earn and take the 2-10, net 30.

Ya think you have cash flow issues? You should see the monthly nut these guys float...

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Bob Sweet

Thanks for the input

I'm not going to do it. This may end a relationship, but it's not going to happen.

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Bob Sweet

Thanks for the input

I'm not going to do it. This may end a relationship, but it's not going to happen.

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Supply House Rick

Trade Price Books

Are handed out like candy. It the customer's multiplier is where it gets tricky. This is based on loyalty, bill paying and volume, etc. Everyone cannot get the best price, it's not profitable. Some contractors provide competitive quotes all the time from other suppliers. Pricing should never end a relationship. "It's business, not personal"

Rick