supply houses

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Re: supply houses

I agree with all the complaints (I have them too).

Here is another anomaly. They (supply house) don't give you the best price they can. You get the bill. Call them up and negotiate a better price. Waist their time and yours. So now you get them to price everything you buy before you go in. You fax/email them a list. They price it up and send it back. Then you go buy it. How much easier would it be to just give you a reasonable price to start with?

I no longer deal with Graybar just because of that reason. I just got tired of beating them up all the time.
 
Re: supply houses

Originally posted by hardworkingstiff:

I no longer deal with Graybar just because of that reason. I just got tired of beating them up all the time.
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Not to pick on them exclusively, but even if you go to your local Graybar, or CED, or GESCO and set up good pricing, go to another branch and see what happens. Their computers don't talk to each other. The only chain I found that is consistent on pricing is Grainger.
 
Re: supply houses

was just in a contractor's office...he buys a lot from Graybar..he priced a 400 amp switch locally, $475...they did not have it in stock but were transferring it from out-of State..$ 790,,,,,,,,, go figure,,.same chain, same guy handling order,,,,
 
Re: supply houses

Interesting ... the incidents I mentioned above also occurred at my local Graybar distributor.

Another supply house I use does have their products online, so I can check prices before I buy. The online prices are what they have been charging me. On occasion, they cut me a break on some things.
 
Re: supply houses

I hear what you guys are saying about SH's, but I have to say I'd rather pay a bit more for the service. For example, the day before thanksgiving I call my major supplier with an order to be delivered on Friday (day after thanksgiving). I find out that they are closed on that day. This puts me in a major bind. The salesman who deals with my account calls me an hour later and tells me he personally will meet me at 7 am (1.5 hr. drive for him) on his day off, to keep me from going elsewhere. Can't get that from Home Depot.
 
Re: supply houses

Try getting someone from HomeDepot to open up at 2 in the morning to sell you some material for an after hours emergency repair. It ain't gonna happen. The supply house is on your side; even if you do have to sword fight over the pricing a little.
 
Re: supply houses

I deal almost exclusively with a "Ma and Pa" supply house. They stock items that a lot of other supply houses don't. And service is never a problem. They all know me. They also hand price all tickets, and call me when wire prices are going up.
 
Re: supply houses

Although the SH can be a little off kilter with some of their pricing, it comes down to this: ASK for your price. Also pick one person and deal with that person. If you can deal with a second person in the event the first one leaves.
I dealt exclusively with 1 person at the SH and he moved on. Now I am finding most of my pricing is 25%-50% higher than before. I let the branch manager know that the inside salesman is loosing business for him on my account. We'll see what happens!
I will gladly pay for service, IF it is top notch.
 
Re: supply houses

I have a buddy that is a manager at a local supply house. I showed him prices on many common electrical items from HD and Lowes. He showed me their actual cost on the same items at it was way above HD and Lowes. HD and Lowes buy their stuff by the truck load, not just a case or pallet like the supply house so they get the better deal.

He told me that the more business you do at the supply house you get better prices, but even if you are their best customer you won't get a lot of things as cheap as you can at HD and Lowes.

Bottom line, if you have the time to shop around you can save some money! If you don't have time then you are simply stuck with supply house pricing.
 
Re: supply houses

I used to have a friend who worked for Payless Cashways (Furrow) before they went belly up. He told me they bought Romex by the train carload. When I was doing residential, I used to buy all of my Romex there. It was at least 25% lower than the supply house. Plastic boxes, too.
 
Re: supply houses

Although I have been out of it for a while, i never had an account with any one house and subsequently paid higher prices.

I called one place for a quote on a large wire order(for me), about a mile of #1 cu, and some other wire sizes about half that. I quoted a job and got it, went to get the wire and the price doubled. This was several years ago, before price swings were that common. The price ate my labor, profit, and put me in the hole. I shopped around and at one place they could get it for me at below original bid, but the shipping was outrageous. I asked if i could pick itup and they okayed it. About a whole day of driving. Still bought the conduit and pull boxes locally.

Part of the problem was that I was an hour away from any supplier, would never be a regular at the counter. Got to know one guy and he got me a break on prices, but that was only one place. The suppliers each seemed to have their specialties and push come to shove, I needed all of them eventually. Just hated feeling ripped off, sort of like buying gas.

paul
 
Re: supply houses

my experience with supply houses. i had a grade A credit rating with all the major suppliers. each seem to bulk buy certain products --one might do emt - another branch circuit sized wire - or boxes and panels - etc.. now you have to have an assigned salesman to your account. it is your job to keep him honest, which means you have to shop around and keep his prices "in line" until he knows not to jack you around. and of course you will have to check on him from time to time. i always had my prices posted on the signed invoice -- so if i bought something across the counter and not through my salesman - i would have to check the price so not to be applied the "off the street "price. once they know if they don't co-operate with your account they don't get the job --they come around real fast. i had one supply house that i could check their buying price --they didn't like it, but i turned them alot of business!!! the best one was just before i retired -- square D rep had ordered eight large circuit breakers wrong by not checking the actual fuse size of some switchboards disconnects. they were all too large for the wire size. due to building operations we had to install and energize the wrong breakers as a temporary measure. then square D wanted $63,000.00. for the new breakers with no exchange credit since they were energized. this was a flood insurance job and they knew it. the insurance company told me to bite the bullit and order them............. i went to the owner of the supply house and told him i had permission to buy the new breakers --but it would be my LAST purchase and to close my account out! he set a meeting with square D and they accepted the used breakers back ---new price $3600.00 it's a constant battle, but it's money right out of your pocket..........
 
Re: supply houses

also---price fixing to give another contractor the job. i tell them up front-- i catch them - they loose my account!! and it happened twice and i never bought there again. then the manufacturers learn who's bidding a job and they know not to try it on you!! i have seen a 100 per cent markup on a $100,000. switchgear job.
all the other allowable spec manufacturers prices were around $100,000. and square D was twice the price --same spec... i used seimans and was in line for the job -- then the engineer ruled it would have to be square D . i couldn't get the real price with square D. cost me the job. the engineer was in on the deal too. needless to say - my use of square D equipment was halted..... and it was graybar who worked the deal --- no more graybar purchases. the sales accountant was a friend of mine and knew the deal.....
 
Re: supply houses

i couldn't get the real price with square D. cost me the job. the engineer was in on the deal
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If SqD was not spec'd B4 bid, and you had proof your bid was disqualified for using Seimans, after the fact, could you lean on the city attorney for deceptive business practices, or recover your lost time in small claims court; up to $5000.00 in CA?

If SqD was spec'd B4 bid, and Greybar was gouging you - could you have checked other suppliers?

In other words, is there any justice doing this $# !+ as a C-10, or should I remain a union boy all my life.
 
Re: supply houses

the bid spec called for full size neutral - copper bus - etc. etc.. and spec'ed square D,seimans,ge. i used seimans as called for on the spec -- i also had a ge price and they were within $2,000. of each other(seimans). now i'm in a meeting with the general contractor -- and he gets a call and tells me "you got the job but it has to be square D. i call graybar and get a square D price - it was $100,000. higher than seimans. that doesn't happen. i called both ge and seimans to insure they fully met the spec- and they confirmed they had. their price was firm. graybar didn't want to pi$$ me off -- and really didn't want to give me that highball price. the general wanted me to do the job -- we had grown together for years and he trusted me. after we lost the job he told me "sooner or later i'll know if there was a deal on this gear price" --- "and i'll let you know". two years later he told me "there was a deal-for sure"! i didn't buy much from graybar after that.....
 
Re: supply houses

Originally posted by jeff43222:
Interesting ... the incidents I mentioned above also occurred at my local Graybar distributor.

Another supply house I use does have their products online, so I can check prices before I buy. The online prices are what they have been charging me. On occasion, they cut me a break on some things.
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Who has the prices online?
 
Re: supply houses

Require that your tickets be priced. No price, no signature, no sale. It does help and you can compare your ticket with the monthly billing and to other same item purchases over time.
 
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