There is a lot of advice for vendors on how to improve on their relationship with the consumer and yes it comes with sentiment.

The only thing is you want to make them happy and satisfied even at your own dissatisfaction.

I will give a few tips on how to improve the relationship.

1. Learn what they want:

Throughout the course of the work, make sure that you know exactly what you can do to let the vendor do their job and try your best to give it to them. Do it without hesitation. 

2.  Make your demands known early enough:

Don’t blame the vendor for the mistake of not delivering on time, make sure you make your demand 48hrs earlier so that they won’t be disappointed and delayed when it is time for deliverables.

3. Don’t mix business with pleasure: 

But keep them as friends and embrace the partnership for the long term. It works better that way so you can make your demand as a vendor and also make your demand as a friend on different levels.

4. Don’t ever trash talk them:

Don’t be rude to them or speak in a bad manner, remember they are human too especially in the public, be careful about how words come out of your mouth especially when you’re angry. If you wouldn’t say it to someone face to face, don’t say it on the Internet or behind their back. It can and will come back to haunt you.

5. Knowing their SLAs is very important too:

You need to know the responsibilities of the vendors, One of the keys to having a good relationship with a vendor is to know what they must do, and to not expect them to do anything more. Your contract should lay that all out very clearly. If it does not, you need to find out quickly and get the contract clarified.

6. Look at things sometimes from the vendor perspective, understand their demands: 

A Lot of vendors don’t understand what the consumer wants, consumers act as if they own a vendor or that they are the vendor’s only customer. Sometimes, the person you want to work with is helping another customer and you need to deal with someone else, so patiently understand what they want.

7. Always check up on them:

 It is very essential to know about the state of your consumer as much as it looks like it is not your business, it is also a sign of empathy that you care about them not just their money or what they want to buy from you. Care in a time can keep that relationship as long term.

8. Be truthful, open, and transparent:

Sometimes they make demands based on their own needs, but they actually might not need it so don’t sell it to them because you want to make money, tell them the truth, be transparent about every transaction, not just for a one-off deal but for future purpose.

9. Keep lines of communication with them very open:

Make sure that you are reachable at every point, if you know you won’t be available for some time please send a memo, so that your customer won’t see you as unserious and just go to another vendor. Don’t create a bridge between you and your customer.

10. Make them feel comfortable:

sometimes seek their opinion, don’t just leave them in the dark, and when they ask questions don’t make them feel uncomfortable about it, make yourself trustworthy and be at your best with them all times.

If you can build on these keys effectively and efficiently be sure to have a great vendor-consumer relationship in fact you are in for the best transaction.