Suppliers Grumble?

[PicFrmProd]

Is there such a thing as a Suppliers Gruble? Probably none is needed because all framers are sweet, understanding, patient, nearly god-like. THIS IS A JOKE ! LAUGH NOW !

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Have you heard of my old friend "Common Sense?"

[jframe]

"Nearly god like" oooooh I like that. Maybe next time I order business cards.....LOL.

I would like to hear suppliers grumble. How can I know that I'm causing a problem if they don't tell me? There is always room for improvement from everybody. Why, just a few years ago we framers were saying "Over my dead body will I ever have a CMC", and now those who have them practically arm themselves against anyone who would dare to take it away.We need to be thankful every day for the improvements made in this industry and, for the most part suppliers are the ones who funded those improvements.

[Susan May]

As a matter of fact there is... It is called the "Trade Show". You don't think that they keep their opinions to themselves, do you?

At a PPFA convention, when the class I was in was over, I over-heard some salesmen talking about some "nasty" customers. I reminded them that in earshot of other customers is not the proper place to Grumble, unless they wanted to hear the other side of the story.

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Sue May :)
"Everyone is born right-handed, only the greatest can over come it!"

[MerpsMom]

I agree with jframe that so much has changed in the industry; and just since my incursion into it nine years ago, it's almost cataclysmic. The framers I've met on all the forums and in person are much more sharing and caring than in other careers with which I've been associated. As for the gritching and griping here and elsewhere, I find it useful to listen and mull over points I may not have considered. An old definition of good manners is Grace Under Pressure: blowing off steam, reading others' solutions, and thinking over their advice allows us to reformulate nastiness in private so when we must complain, we can be effectively gracious. Or, we just may decide WE'RE actually the problem, not the supplier. God forbid, we who are as mentioned, perfect!

(Good grief, on a soapbox again: getting off now, boss.) P.S. One roll of ATG tape to anyone who can tell me from what movie the "boss" comment comes. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/smile.gif )

[Mel]

Yeh, well as I recall, that ATG tape you're offering is defective. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/wink.gif Defective products takes us back round to The Grumble issue, but on the gods', er framers', side. So, I'll stay on the subject, sort of, and say I have no idea of which movie MM speaks.

Seriously, grumbles from supplies would very much be welcome. We honestly want good products and good service, and will do what it takes to help our suppliers provide that.
And, in defense of a supplier mentioned in an earlier string, I need to mention that contact with the new CFO of Studio should get the roadblocks out of the system. I had the exact same problems (several times), and was finally routed to Jim Martin. Apparently, his instructions were to let him deal with these problems. He said that he had new policies being implemented that he hoped would make replacement shipments and subsequent call tag and crediting problems go away. I haven't had a chance to see if this is all true, and hope not to, but would hope to learn that it is. Although not intended to end on a negative note, I can't help but mention that shipments that were virtually flawless would eliminate the problem entirely.

[BUDDY]

Framer I would like to formally suggest a new TRADE ONLY FORUM. In this one we would not only invite vendors to participate but we would solicit them.I would also suggest that we make it all inclusive trade only (Vendors ,Storefronts,HB,organizations)I would love to see a forum where everyone ( Myself included ) was answerable for their polocies and statements,infront of God and the Industry.
I thought that BASHING was the repeated unfair negative critisism of an individual.and if we give everyone the ability to explain their polocies and points of view with out hideing behind screen names or getting information second hand,we would be treating all fairly. Isn't the expressing of your opinion subject to rebutal just what the Grumble is about?
I have been told that a lot of vendors monitor the BB incognito,but this would give them a chance to show us why they do things,while we ask questions that bother us.
some times it is hard to see the other guys's reasoning unless it is explained and maybe we could all be better business people if we heard other's points of view.
What do you all think?
Charles"Buddy" Drago CPF cm
I don't mind anyone knowing who I am or what I think.I hope EVERYONE thinks the same.

[TADPORTER]

Great Idea. I must admit that John Ranes post on "short length buyers" has changed my perception quite dramatically. I placed orders with three suppliers this morning and made a point to mention to each of them how I appreciated their efforts. The more info and communication we get from the other side the better we can all work together and make $$$.

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"I haven't been to Michigan since the last time I was here." -Dan Quayle

[Greg Gomon]

John Ranes' observations about ordering length was an eye-opener for me. We buy length for 80% of our orders (chops are limited to metals and some exception orders). I never considered the concept of a short length customer. With few exceptions this defines our strategy. We buy length to control quality, time, and price. It has been an economical formula for us. But we are definitely a short length customer 1-2 sticks per profile ordered at a time. Thanks to John Ranes comments, for the first time I am beginning to think of this thru the eyes of our suppliers. Every time a moulding is handled either by a manufacturer, supplier, shipper, frame shop there is the opportunity for damage. If you have ever been to a warehouse you realize the storage conditions are not "pristine." I would venture to guess when a moulding is stored in your frame shop before being chopped for an order, the conditions are not "pristine." Most suppliers do a great job of packing short length moulding orders for shipping to us. Compare this to the occasions when we have ordered box quantity and the box arrives in the original carton from the manufacturer, I have been amazed how little packing material was used to protect the moulding. Some arrives damaged and we absorb the loss by cutting around it. When a supplier receives a damaged stick, they usually send extra at no additional charge to offset the flawed areas. Now if this flaw is in the area to be used for a frame, no amount of extra material is going to help and the framer is inconvenienced. But is the supplier at fault for trying to anticipate our needs? Several times I have told a supplier the size of our frame and they have sent unblemished length sufficient to make our frame(at length price). If they have sufficient information, most suppliers will accomodate our needs. I have found, with few exceptions a supplier will work with us(for those few exceptions we no longer use them). Communicate your needs and most are very willing to help, it is in their financial best interests to listen.

[Framing Goddess]

I personally don't mind getting a bit extra length with a short length order. We use the extra with which to build a "ready-made" frame (during slow periods) for those "I-need-it-right-now" orders. These frames come in handy at Christmas time also. I like that we do indeed have RM frames- (it is also a great way for new customers to "ease into" a relationship with us) but they are built by us so that they are almost a step in between gift/photo frames and a custom order. And besides, what good does six feet of a not-often-sold profile do tucked away in your shop bins? Just gettin' banged up, is all! (sounds like a blues song, dun it?)
And hey, how about a Grumble for our customers? Now THERE'S something truly scary. I LOVE hearing from members of our Fan Club, but how about those customers that you DON'T hear from... ever again...?

-The Goddess

[BUDDY]

Godess wouldn't you welcome the opportunity to defend your point of vue especially in the company of pther knowledgeble framing people.Or is there something that you wouldn't want others to know?Don't we all make kistakes and shouldn't we welcome tha opportunity to defend or correct them especially in public?
BUDDY

[Mel]

Buddy,

Good idea. If my memory serves, DJ is the only wholesaler I have found to respond on this forum. They didn't seem to have a problem with the open forum, but I can imagine that, if the suppliers do participate, the information could get sensitive.

So, what do you suppliers think?

[Bogframe]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MerpsMom:

(Good grief, on a soapbox again: getting off now, boss.) P.S. One roll of ATG tape to anyone who can tell me from what movie the "boss" comment comes. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/smile.gif ) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's Cool Hand Luke, right? I'll hold you to that roll of ATG, I'm always runing out because people "borrow" the stuff from me!

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Seth J. Bogdanove, CPF
21 years framing and still loving it

[woody]

Did someone mention DJ? As I mentioned in an earlier post, now that I have closed my shop I am working as a rep for DJ. While I may not post much, I am a loyal lurker who reads virtually every post and tries to learn from them as they apply to the new perspective I am gaining. I will stay tuned and pass along information we can learn from.

[BUDDY]

Thanks woody for identifieing yourself now if we can convience the rest of the supplier connected lurkers do the same maybe we can get a straight foward conversation started after we all agree to use our own names and shop names .Beating around the bush doesn't solve anything and we all should want our grumbles heard and resolved ,framers and vendors alike.
Buddy

[This message has been edited by BUDDY (edited August 01, 2000).]

[MerpsMom]

Seth, you win, and it won't be defective tape as Mel mentioned, 'tho I have some. Indeed, Cool Hand Luke is it: do you know the other and much more famous line from this Paul Newman (be still my heart!) classic?

We probably can't start a thread for old movie quotes, but there are some great ones!
I don't think many pertain to framing.

[Bogframe]

: do you know the other and much more famous line from this Paul Newman (be still my heart!) classic?
Wasn't it something like..."I can eat a hundred eggs"?

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Seth J. Bogdanove, CPF
21 years framing and still loving it

[MerpsMom]

Actually, the most famous line is one occasionally applicable to this and other forums in life. It was uttered by the prison warden. "What we have here is a failure to communicate." And that was the sleaziest, scariest warden of a southern chaingang ever!

I won't forget your atg. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/smile.gif

[jframe]

Wasn't that warden Buford Pusser?

[MerpsMom]

Probably wrong, but Buford Pusser was a "good guy"? And...wasn't he real? and had some movie made of his life as sheriff somewhere in the South? Is this too many question marks??

I could never get over that NAME. What WERE his parents thinking of??

[Susan May]

Let's not get started on names... my father went to school with the children of the Lear Jet family. Chrystal Shanda Lear, and her brother Cava Lear. Not sure of the spelling, but not kidding about the names either.

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Sue May :)
"Everyone is born right-handed, only the greatest can over come it!"

[MerpsMom]

SueMay, you started my day with a laugh, and that's worth a day's wages to me! Shirley, You Jest about those monikers: did the kids sue their parents or just take the money and run?

BTW, in a flash of remembrance, I believe the movie about Buford Pusser was Walking Tall.

Thanx again for a bit of the Lear family history. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/smile.gif

[Bob Carter]

Mom-you win the Krispy Kremes. Remember him and his axe handle? I grew up in West Texas, and there was a legendary Govenor by the name of Hogg; he had two daughters: Ima and Ura.

[Le]

Thought a lot of Bill Lear. Didn't know he had such a rotten sense of the appropriate. There was a gas station owner in Chicago who's daughter was Ehtyl. His sons name was Regular.