Getting satisfaction from your suppliers

Buyers - Do you expect enough from your suppliers?
Suppliers - What do your clients expect of you?

We are conducting a series of short surveys concentrating on what distinguishes a great supplier from a poor one. In Part 1 - Getting Information, we asked a series of questions to find out what you find exemplary, acceptable or just downright awful when contacting suppliers initially.

See below for results

RESULTS

PART 1 - GETTING INFORMATION

1 - When contacting a supplier by phone, how quickly should a telephone be answered?

A = 53% B = 46% C = 1%

2 - When contacting a supplier by e-mail what is an acceptable response time?

A = 10% B = 48% C = 42% None indicated a longer period.

3 - If the person you need to speak to is not there how quickly should your query be answered?

A = 20% B = 39% C = 41% None indicated a longer period.

4 - If an e-mail proposal or confirmation document, etc. is required, how quickly would you expect to receive it?

A = 24% B = 40% C = 36% Exceptions were only where a timescale had been agreed, e.g. longer for larger projects.

5 - If you require a hard copy sent by post, how quickly would you expect to receive it?

A = 23% B = 66% C = 11%

6 - How do you expect to have the hard copy information presented?

A = 56% B = 44%

7 – This was an optional question to allow respondents to air what most irritates them when making contact with suppliers.

We have taken out any responses that were similar to one another.

· The supplier being unsure of his or her own product (unless new and training, but this must be stated). I just love working with people who know their business and are quick and efficient with providing this information. I do realise sometimes that further information may need to be sought by my contact, but if they let me know this in a very quick and efficient manner and respond quickly I am equally impressed. I hate nothing more than having to chase suppliers if I am getting quotes for work. I do not always go with the quickest or cheapest, but with those who show me they can supply great service. Equally sounding good does not make a difference if you cannot follow up. Thanks for the opportunity to air.

· Automated call functions so that you have to press loads of buttons without getting to talk to a human being. Also, when you submit a query by say, fax or e-mail and having no confirmation that a response will be forthcoming.

· People not calling back.

· Failure to look "outside the box", i.e., thinking ahead to a customer's possible needs, or the next question the customer might ask when the supplier gets back to them with their information.

· Is very frustrating if there is no-one to answer the phone and go through to answer machine, or if the person you are speaking to cannot give you a quotation or at least help with your enquiry or if you have to keep ringing back to chase the information you are waiting for.

· Another respondent noted the following:
I) Irrelevant information, one size fits all.
II) Not thinking about how we are going to present on e.g. not having pictures, etc.
III) Not having internal communication processes so that the left arm and right arm know what is required and goods turn up in the wrong packaging.
IV) Not returning calls/responding to requests once the initial order has been confirmed.
V) People who don't listen and presume they know what you want
VI) People asking us to call back - our clients would have a fit if we did that!

· Impersonal approach and having to speak to a different sales rep when I call and having to go over the same basic details each time.

· Not understanding that I am the customer and that they should be doing everything to help me. Not summarising and concluding the nature of my call and agreeing an acceptable plan of action anybody who tells me they are busy not my issue.

3 - If the person you need to speak to is not there how quickly should your query be answered?.

Depends on complexity, often it is enough to know that the query can be handled and a solution will be put forward. This frees us up to do other things rather than worrying about whether we need to look for an alternative supplier/s. Responses such as "I'm sorry they're not in today, can you call back tomorrow" are guaranteed to get them removed from the database)