Suppliers You Can Trust?

[Bluetongue]

So far, my three in order from the bottom.

Bamboo suppliers - I use the larger stuff for props, I have enough smaller stuff for smaller props. They dont turn up, they turn up weeks late, late at night. The count is low and the product varies in quality. Rated last because different ones appear to play the same way.

Excavator owners and operators - They won't quote for a job only an hourly rate, the owner will say anything to get the job. The operator asks for a bribe to go "off the meter" as soon as the owner leaves. Gets his missus carrying baby to play the sympathy card with your missus, says they have no money to eat, meanwhile he's making 200 per hour then the job drags on and on and you know pay the bribe or not the owner is going to know by the fuel consumption even if she doesn't come back to check the meter. At the end of it if you want to contest in a relatively small way, the verbal bill, you get shown the gun in bill collectors belt. She wont come back because its beneath her, and having bragged to you that she drinks a bottle of 285 every day you know she is probably drunk somewhere, and would much rather she didn't come anyway. But because I've only used one once I cant rate them last, perhaps after I get some more digging done.

Agricultural produce stores staff - Always try and get you to buy more stuff than you need and more expensive stuff. Have never seen your operation but manage to exude to your missus a feeling that they know best. If you ask a question such as about alternatives, they initiate a response not to you but your missus or whoever went with you or an innocent bystander, which is too fast to follow, but always indicates to go with their first suggestion. If I go on my own they are completely unhelpful. Rated 3rd last because I have many alternatives and can vote with my feet. And by watching, listening and seeing what others are doing and buying I feel like I am gradually winning this battle.

[cooked]

It's not about agriculture, it's about Thailand.

[slapout]

Buying farm supploes is kind of like going to a drug store for self medication or a auto dealer, you know what you want, tell them, listen to the sales pitch and either get what you want or go elsewhere. Normally the auto sales girls are good looking vs the ag supply stores (I figure the family is involved more, to hold costs down), plus the wife goes to the same ag store. Product knowledge in most cases , from all of them,seems to be, what was sold to the last customer.

[IsaanAussie]

This topic could run forever. I doubt any of us has escaped disappointment in supplier performance. The apparent "one-up-man-ship" need that Thai people have is universal. Even people you have a developed a good relationship with will just have to give the knife a twist every now and then.

I suppose I look at customer service from the perspective of satisfying the customer and take pride in achieving that end. It appears to me that many Thais seem to treat business as a mean of maximizing their income/face/advantage at the expense of the customer with satisfaction being unnecessary. The other phase that must not exist in Thai is "living up to a commitment".

It is a game and the way to survive it is to play by the rules and under the terms they dictate. Hard to do and very frustrating.

Do I have suppliers I can trust? Absolutely, as far as I can throw them!

[jamescollister]

Have to say never had these problems, built factory and house, all jobs done by quote per individual job. In saying that, there is no time line, it gets done when it gets done.

Ag stores, just order what we want, not there to listen to sales pitches.

My only hate is when I go to a hardware store and ask for something and guy/girl says no have, not in Thailand. Then you look around and there it sits in plain view. Jim

[Bluetongue]

Just to put it into perspective, I have been very happy with;

Tractor man, prompt efficient and fair priced

Labour hire people; bring Cambodians to your farm, supervise them, do what they say on the day

Irrigation shop; allows me to change things brings things back offers good advice

I dont trust them, but I will say they are only as good as the last transaction

Had no problems with the building of the house, but all the subbies were the contractor's problem not mine. The contractor was very good. Also he obviously had ongoing work with his subbies such as the excavator bloke so they would do the work properly to ensure future work I suppose.

I got the hardware shop thing already, now I get the missus to go and ask for something while I prowl round looking for what I want, if I'm on my own, a junior staff member usually follows me, thinking <deleted> is he up too.