Trouble with your vendor? Talk it out

You have a business that relies on vendors to be on time and to get you the right products. Unfortunately, you’ve found that one of your vendors is falling behind regularly and leaving you rushing to make ends meet. You’ve had to get supplies from local stores and from other vendors just because this one can’t deliver in a timely manner.

You have a contract with the vendor, and they simply aren’t sticking to it. What should you do? Is it a good idea to file a lawsuit against them?

Before you decide on the steps to take next, remember that many situations like this can be resolved amicably. To help that happen, you should gather information about the contract and the times that it has been breached. Then, meet with the vendor in person to talk about the issues that you’re having.

You may want to take the time to restate the issues you or your employees are seeing and listen to your vendor’s explanations. Acknowledge the problem and work with them to negotiate a solution. For example, if the vendor had trouble purchasing the items needed because of a national shortage, you may want to ask them to let you know about shortages in advance, so you can opt for alternative products.

You don’t have to let a problem with a vendor grow into a frustrating situation. Address problems as they arise, and be willing to talk to the vendor in person. If they are unable to meet the requirements of your contract or break the contract in a way that costs you money, then you may want to consider filing a lawsuit to seek compensation from them that will mitigate your losses.