Project Management

Engaging with Contractors #3

Rachel Cobb discusses the importance of maintaining fair, respectful relationships with vendors. Learn why overusing the same contractors without awarding work can damage trust, how to set clear expectations, and why honest communication and balanced partnerships help ensure reliable bids and support when you need it most.
Soft Skills
Best Practices
Communication
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Transcript

 Another thing is don't consistently call out the same, um, contractors and vendors to bid work and then don't give them anything. They're gonna stop bidding for you. It's just human nature. They're gonna take care of those who take care of them. So if you constantly use them for a third bid or your throwout bid, or you give them absolutely no work.

Don't be surprised if they don't pick up your phone calls anymore or if when you have an emergency and nobody else will answer you that they won't answer. You either try and have good partnerships across the board. You know, maybe you figure out that this particular trade or supplier is really good at doing roofs and this one's really good at doing drywall repairs.

Um, but they also bid everything else for you. Well, you can have that understanding of you're not gonna get all my work, but I'm gonna give you what's in your wheelhouse as long as you're able to give me a fair price and that you're authorized to do that. 'cause you do wanna have fair partnerships across the board and you don't wanna monopolize it because.

People leave jobs. Companies go under all the time. If you put all your eggs in one basket and then that person who is your rep moves to another state, leaves the company or does something else, you start back at square one all over again. And now you might have already burned some bridges from, uh, other trades that you've just run around.

And, uh, you know, trades talk suppliers talk. I hear other ones say that, Hey, did you go out and bid this? Did you go let, oh, they're not giving it to anybody. They're just running us around. That's when you won't get people to answer your phone calls. They won't be able to get you any bids in. And then you have those above you that are asking why you don't have bids in.

It's 'cause they have been and feel like they have been treated unfairly. So do try and treat those that you invite to your property to bid work fairly and be honest with 'em. Like if you know that they're not gonna do that project this year, tell 'em that. Some of 'em are still gonna bid you because they know that you need those budget mon numbers to get done.

But if you tell someone you're going to have it like next week, those are gonna be the people that are gonna call you and bug you constantly. 'cause you told 'em that that project was gonna be awarded next week. Um, set fair deadlines, you know, if you're telling 'em, Hey, I need this back by Friday. Make sure you're communicating that to all three of your.

Your suppliers that are coming out to bid for you. I prefer to have stuff in writing myself so I don't have to remember what I told, um, A, B, or C. I want 'em all to know the same thing. And so that way, if I have it in writing, I know for sure that that's what I told contractor A, B, and C, and they all should be bidding the same thing.

And be having it come in at the same time for me, and also ask 'em a timeframe, right? So maybe the pricing is good, the scope is good. How quickly can you get to my project if you have pressure coming from above you that this needs to be repaired quickly. You don't wanna go with the person that says that they're four weeks out right now, right?

That's gotta factor into decision because a lot of times they're looking for you to make a recommendation 'cause you met with them, you walked the scope, and yes, you helped get the bids in, but you know, who do you think is more qualified to get this done in a timely manner? I hope this helps guys. Stay tuned for more videos with us.