Reasons you should stay with the vendor you're currently working with:
- They understand your company and processes, making projects more efficient
- Their pricing is transparent
- They hit their deadlines
- They fix problems as they arise
- They show up when you need them
- They do things as well as or better than you would do yourself
- They pay attention to little details
- They are proactive in identifying prospective issues
- They have good ideas and make good suggestions
- You're happy to see them
Reasons you should find a new vendor:
- Even after working with you for awhile, they still don't get your processes or company culture
- You don't understand how they price things and they aren't clear when you ask
- They miss their deadlines
- Fixing problems is a problem
- They are hard to get ahold of when you need them
- You do most of their work for them
- They only do what's in their contract, nothing more
- They don't see the problems on the horizon until they smack you in the face
- They are yesmen (or women) that don't offer insight of their own
- You dread spending time with them
What other reasons make you stay or make you go?
Speaking from the vendor side, I can say that I consider #1 and #2 the main reasons I've been able to stay in business. When your clients know that you understand their work processes and can envision the final product (especially in multimedia and e-learning), it adds an incredible level of comfort. And pricing... nothing drives me crazier than getting an estimate from a vendor that looks like it came from an auto repair shop. If a vendor can't write a detailed proposal explaining the work to be performed, what they're going to charge, and why they are the right person/company to do that work, then you probably shouldn't be working with them. I always assume that clients expect the same level of detail and professionalism from me that they would give to their own clients.
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