None of us likes to have our credibility called into question. In fact, this is one of the reasons that I stress the importance of operating your business with honesty and integrity. People may decide that they do not want to do business with you for a variety of reasons, but I think that some reasons are better than others. If someone things that you are dishonest or incapable of doing a decent job—that is quite different from deciding your prices are too high or that you just don’t offer the services they are looking for. As business owners, we may find ourselves working with vendors and suppliers who let us down. What can we do when we start to question a vendor’s credibility?
The simplest reaction may be to stop doing business with a vendor you do not trust. Of course, this only works if you have other options. Sometimes, we are up against a time crunch and cannot make a change, or there really is not anyone else in our price range that we can turn to. Then, we may need to address the problem with the vendor instead of simply moving on to someone else.
I believe that being direct is the best approach. I also think, however, that you should have documentation to back up any critique or accusations that you may have. If the vendor has done a poor job with delivery, has sold you shoddy goods, or there have been customer service or payment issues, this should all be documented in writing and with photos (when possible.) This way, when you go to the vendor to address the problem, you will have solid proof and can focus on the facts.
When you take your issue to the vendor, try to have an idea of what you want to happen. In order to get to a resolution, you should have concrete requests for how you want the vendor to make amends. Do you want a discount? Replacement product? Additional services? Know going in what the other person can do to meet your expectations and repair the relationship.
I think it also helps to really focus on the facts and keep from being emotional, accusatory or confrontational. Simply stating that you have a problem, telling what it is, and asking for solutions is a far better approach than going in with guns blazing. I think it is completely fair to let the vendor know that you are questioning their credibility as long as you have specific examples to share as to why.