Buying fittings online

realliveplumber

Our local supply houses will stock most of the "A" numbers, fewer B and C numbers.

For years I've dealt with them saying, I can have it tomorrow morning.

Then I figured out, so could I.

Im fortunate be within 15 miles of Supply House. For a small fee, cheaper than what it probably costs them, I can get a same day delivery of a $10.00 item.

If my order is over $500, the delivery is free. Many times I will add a bunch of pro press or copper sweat fittings, we stock anyway to qualify for free delivery. They text you when the order is leaving, then they call your office and cell. Then they text and call when the order has arrived.

They set the bar pretty high for the competition.

I am a big proponent of buying local. But SupplyHouse has the locals beat, by far.

Mad Dog_2

A Terrible, unnecessary decline we are witnessing. Its very hard to watch.  Mad Dog 🐕 

Mad Dog_2

My two suppliers in particular are The Last of The Mohicans..they have a deep a wealth of stock. Its SAMEDAY service and they'll tell you how to rewire  boiler control.  Both owners are 50 and more...No sons Learning the business   when they retire... .hmmm.  Mad Dog 🐕 

Mad Dog_2

Grainger has two big problems:  They NEVER have it at THAT store...even with their expensive warehouses..." Ok..we'll bring it in from our Newark store.... two days!"  Next, I have sent emails & spoken to upper management about their strange, proprietary names for common plumbing & heating supplies. It can take 20 minutes to locate an
 1 1/2" x 12" Flanged Tailpiece on their search engines.  They will have the wackiest, most convoluted names for stuff. Very simple fix I've told them.  Hire an old timer to come in and give you all the proper names that ANY regional supply would know.. Mad Dog 

dko

@Mad Dog_2 Grainger is an odd one.
If you buy at grainger/zoro at the price listed on the website you're just a chump.

Even if you know what price other customers get it for, they will not lower it for you until you have loyal history. But the whole reason most don't even start to buy is because the listed prices are ridiculous.

BUT. If you need and use most of what grainger offers (most of our electric, pump, and motor companies exclusively use grainger), it is in your best interest to grab their sales rep and get talking. You will not get better prices anywhere once you're in the "in" pricing.

realliveplumber said:

I am a big proponent of buying local. But SupplyHouse has the locals beat, by far.

In your situation wouldn't supplyhouse.com be considered a local supply house? haha

dko

~ ot

AdmiralYoda

When I finally do re-pipe my boiler (and I've been saying this for a few years now), I'll be going with supply house. As a homeowner I'm not even aware of the mom-and-pop supply shops around, if they even exist anymore.

Grainger is horrible. McMaster gets my vote for industrial supply. The pricing isn't in my favor but they have everything you'd ever need!

geo_1111

I started this thread so here's my 2 cents, one local supplier called me back and informed me my order was in. I requested a quote and never placed an order, he commenced a sad story that I put the brakes on and abruptly bid adieu. I was on a roof at the time, but called him back; not to inform him his shoddy salesman bs was unwelcome, which I feel would have been appropriate. I called him back to assure him I didn't want cause a problem and would most assuredly make it clear in the future my intent; even though the the email sent to me clearly stated it was a guote. Big turnover at that supplier don't know anyone. My counter guy at the other supplier patiently went through the take off with me and honestly claimed domestic can't compete with the imported and furthermore local supply can't compete with the online competition. 40 years in the business his assessment means a lot to me. In closing my experience with supply house .com was fine, I'm not looking to restart this, competition keeps us alert, honesty keeps us straight forward and easily understood. Thank you.

Jamie Hall

My two cents worth. I would very much prefer to buy local. However, as you know, I'm not a "professional' in the trades -- and it is not at all uncommon for me to walk into a local supply house with my needs well thought out and all in order -- and to be ignored for hours, if I'm ever waited on at all, while professionals come and go and come and go in droves.

There may be good reasons for this -- but if I can buy on line (supplyhouse, Graingers, etc. not just Amazon) with quick delivery and friendly service... guess what. I run into the same thing, interestingly, in another area -- we have a good deal of farm and logging equipment, and it is much easier and quicker, not to mention better and more knowledgeable service -- to go on line for parts.

I'm as much for mom and pop as the next guy -- but they are going to have to up their game to stay in business.

geo_1111

Jamie Hall I am not familiar with navigation on this website, I posted a comment with pictures under the errant heading Dunkirk psb2 (3)close boiler piping. If you read and comment it would be appreciated. 

EBEBRATT-Ed

@hot_rod said"

"Small shops failed because the larger “chain” wholesalers have better buying power. They can weather bad economies better, and probably better access to credit."

This to me is the problem.

I am not going to name supply houses but the biggest one around that covers. MA, CT. VT, NY,NJ NH and maybe more by now has always have/had the worst service.


They had a small branch in a town in VT where we had a $1,000,000 job going on. We sat down with them and asked them to stock steam traps and CI fitting and we would give them all the business on that job.

Nope. Didn't care. We had all the pipe delivered from 2 hours away. I picked up all the fittings for the following week when I went home for the weekend (stayed in a motel up there for 8 months. Worked 4 10s

geo_1111

Doesn't add up and I shortened my list of puzzles to solve. My present one is associated with the previous comment. By the way you could very well be referencing supplier #1, supplier #2 is not particularly stellar but the guy at the counter is.

Mad Dog_2

I give my two,   go-to Mom & Pop, Brick & Mortar shops first crack. They are always upfront if they can't get it et cetera. I haven't checked their prices in many, many years.  There is a Trust...they are Fambly now..  Then I go to SupplyHouse.com.  F.W. Webb is doing it right, the others should imitate them.  Its all about learning who the Go To guys are...the ones u see all the time at Trade Events et cetera....this says alot..They are on the cutting edge, and in many cases really care & help you. 

After a while you learn who the really good guys are.  Its a mutually beneficial relationship. They're there for me on a Saturday night for a text or a phone call, and I'll be super loyal to them and their company & products. The more active you are, the more industry people you meet and relationships you develop.

Dan, in his infinite wisdom did this FOR us many moons 🌙 ago.  We learned, we broke bread 🍞,  we laughed & cried, over Deaths Births, et cetera  - we enjoyed our  Cocktails and got through life and the business with all the friends Dan brought together.  I've made close personal friends here at The Wall and at Seminars...especially the Out of Town Weekends where we could really unwind.  This is what networking will bear.  I would likely never know many here with out this sanctuary on the Net...I also probably would not have Presidents of many of the major plumbing & heating manufacturers' Cell #s and personal email.  You can't buy access & friendship like that....Mad Dog 

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Mad Dog_2

JMHO but Webb is horrible. I went to one of their larger stores (it is located almost next door to the shop I worked at before I retired) so I was in there all the time because of convenience, not because I liked them.
I was looking for a gauge glass kit for a side job. I walked around for a while looking and then somewhat irritated went to the counter to ask. There were a couple counter people and 1 supervisor of some sort and when I told them what I wanted I got the deer in the headlights look. No no gauge glass kits.

"go get the fittings and make one up" the supervisor told me. I walked out the door and bought one down the street.

And this is one of their largest stores.

And the answer wasn't "were out of them" just "we don't have them"

And the city I am talking about has a lot of steam.

They have a lot of stuff and sell a lot of stuff but don't stock what you nedd and many times you go their for common fitting and they are out, "We have a truck coming from central distribution in 3 days"


The company that really know how to run a supply house is Graybar Electric Supply. Call there office by 5pm and if they do not have what you need and do have it in Central Distribution it will be at your store at 600am. They run their trucks all night. So now you can guess what company. my first post was about

Mad Dog_2

I have Found Frank Urbano in The Bronx outstanding.  They are moving in directly across from  The Old Davis & Washoe (now Ferguson) in Maspeth on the Superfund Newtown Creek. Yes..there ARE fish 🐟 in there..just don't eat em!!!  Ha ha 😂 🤣 😆. They are going to take a ton of business from Ferguson..me thinks.  Ferguson is avoided by many...I tried a few tines
..walked out in frustration.   Mad Dog