In market research (and almost any other industry), our supporting partners/vendors play an important role in making sure that our projects run smoothly and our clients are happy. When a vendor delivers on their promises, their success is our success and our clients’ success. But what happens when things don’t go as planned?
Vendors lacking in quality can easily delay deliverables, cause missed deadlines, bring about unexpected expenses, and even put your company’s reputation at risk. Dealing with unreliable vendors can be a frustrating challenge for any market researcher. Below are some red flags to watch out for in the vendor selection and management process. The red flags can apply to almost any industry and almost any type of vendor you are looking for.
Vague or lacking details: only providing a base price with little explanation of what it includes, not outlining additional costs that clients most often need until it is asked of them.
For example, we were considering renting equipment for a research project, but the potential vendor only provided the costs for the equipment rental itself. Only when asked did they provide the freight cost of getting the equipment to the facility. The freight cost was an additional $1,000+ since this would’ve been a large piece of equipment traveling a long distance! If we had not asked about the freight cost and moved forward with the vendor, we would have a surprise bill at the end!
Poor communication: hard to contact when needed or needing multiple follow-ups to obtain a response.
While we understand that people are out of the office for many reasons and emails can get lost or unintentionally put in spam, this should not be the norm where we need to ask multiple times for something to get done or to get an answer to a question that we have.
Below average documentation: refusal to take the extra step to put quotes/proposals or other important documents on official company letterhead even when prompted; responses that appear lazy such as “the quote written in this email should suffice” and having to push the potential vendor to put their quote on their company letterhead is a red flag.
This type of attitude shows “We don’t really care if we get your business or not,” and is not someone that we would want to work with.
Does not meet delivery deadlines with no communication about the delay.
Overall, a vendor should be able to provide what they say they will at the time they stated. If there is a delay in the delivery of a product or service, the vendor should contact you as soon as they anticipate the delay. They should also provide an updated delivery time and check in to make sure that the new delivery date still works for you. Clear communication means that you can work together as a team and make plans together.
Poor quality work: deliverables do not meet the expected standards; frequently delivers incorrect or defective items, needing multiple chances to “improve” the deliverable. When we select a vendor, we are entrusting that they will deliver a high-quality product or service without needing multiple revisions. Revisions to a product or service can result in delayed deliverables to your clients.
Dealing with vendors who provide less than ideal service is never easy, but it provides valuable lessons in what to look out for when selecting future vendor partners. By catching these red flags early in the vendor selection process, you can decrease the likelihood of a subpar vendor having a negative effect on your company or your client. It is okay to sever business relationships with a vendor who, after multiple chances, fails to deliver a product that is acceptable to your business needs.
Written by: Linda Mui, Senior Training & Research Coordinator