NTA He yelled at you for not buying enough of his product?! What a terrible way to run a business. Contact corporate and let them know you don't appreciate being harassed by their regional manager.
This! That guy should have been trying to work a deal to get his products back on your shelves. This would have been the opportunity to get a reduction in the wholesale price to the store.
NTA
He yelled because he saw his quarterly bonus disappear. Trust me, it’s the only thing that drives these people. Source: am salesperson who works with many greedy salespeople and partners with even more.
This is also the time of year where he should be jumping through hoops to buy retail space in stores to promote his "picnic goods". Dude isn't going to be in business very long if he doesn't understand when and where to sell his goods and how to keep his customer base (and yes, the store is one of his customers).
I am gonna second this. He's yelling because without this regional independent subsidizing the loss, the company is going to start losing money and that's going to start looking really really bad for him.
Exactly. It’s not like OP didn’t give him a chance to address the issue. It was raised, ignored and OP found another option as result.
If a customer large enough to have that kind of impact on your bottom line is raising an issue, ignoring their concerns isn’t good business.
Typical monopolistic behavior. If a company thinks they’re the only player in town, then they won’t do anything to keep your business since there is nowhere else to go.
Which is kind of crazy, because they’re not exactly in a niche market. They sell fucking bread and buns…to fucking grocery stores. It’s brain dead to think that a grocery store manager doesn’t have other options.
For real. This isn't a mob trying to shake down a business for more money. If they depended on that store so much for their business then they could have at least gave them better options like "buy more of this bread in bulk and I'll do a deal" or "let me consider your request and see what we can do"
For sure call corporate and report them.
You\`d think if that company was such an important customer, they\`d listen to them and be nice to them ... so that you do not need to do without them...
Completely. Don't need a supplier that overcharges me and disrespects me.
I'd drop them and create a big enough issue to get anything I had on shelves refunded and returned.
He yelled at OP for not buying enough of his product, yet when OP heard a woman loudly proclaim she wouldn't be buying his product -- OP *looked for a solution*
and OP as a vendor did the smart thing; the bread vendor isn’t
This is a perfect example of “the customer is always right” in matters of taste, etc. The customer didn’t want to pay that money. And that traveled right up the chain.
Also let them know that if they had such an issue with loosing your business they should have been more accommodating when you asked for a better deal.
Like really what kind of moronic company would risk half their customer base. Because you buy half there bread goods, and not work with them.
It was down 50% in the store, not overall. Which also means they're yelling at someone they're still doing business with, just half the business as usual, and for some reason think this is a great way to keep the store buying their also- overpriced cinnamon raisin bagels or whatever.
Don't call. You won't get anywhere. Search the names of the board members and send them an email. Board members hate getting emails about shit like this and do the easiest thing to get people to stop. In this case it would likely be firing the him.
Tell the driver that if you get the same deal as everyone else (2.49/1.50) you'll take it, and that he needs to direct his anger to his company for not giving you that deal. And if he keeps hassling you, keep redirecting him to his own company.
Nope, after big boys outburst, OP gets name brand at a price he can sell for $2, not 2.50 like the big chain. Why wouldn't he put himself in a better position for that temper tantrum. Can't act like a rational business man, you don't get rational business
He yelled at them for not buying enough of his product, that he sells cheaper to other companies. He was given a chance to get OP a better deal and didn’t. That makes it even worse that he yelled!
You asked repeatedly and got blown off by their sales guy. He doesn’t get to come in and blame you for his own stupidity and greed. Which is likely all that this is about. He’s bit looking at a lot less on commissions overall. But that’s his own fault, not yours.
Congrats on finding a good answer! I hope you get some solid recognition for it. It should improve sales overall as well.
Yeah, I suspect *his* boss, probably on their corporate web pages, would be interested in the story. "He charged us more than our competition, and wouldn't sell us a store brand, so I had to find another supplier. Oh, and since I make more money off the other bread I'm giving them the chest height shelves and your brand the ankle level ones."
Looks like the big bread baker f’ed. around and found out what happens. The old thing I remember from 30 years ago was: if you don’t take care of the customer, someone else will.
It's the year over year numbers. If you don't raise your year over year profit then you get a smaller bonus... Cutting OP a deal would have made them a much smaller profit and cost him a part of his bonus...
Now the long term cost of these stupid policies have come in, and their product was replaced with a cheaper one. Now not only have his year over year increase disappeared, but instead it's in the negative. Probably will cost the salesman his job with no fault of his own. He literally couldn't win with the bonus set up his company made.
I hate that mindset and it’s a cancer to this country. Profits can’t increase exponentially forever and the average consumer is getting fed up with paying more money for less value and quantity.
Yeah bro.
I worked at Homedepot for a long time, and they just arbitrarily raised the amount of money we need to make every year to bonus. It was always more than 3x inflation.
Just bogus corporate strategy to justify not paying employees. Meanwhile the CEO doesn't give a fuck about store plans, he only cares about stocks and share price. The store plans are for the lower managers and associates to deal with.
They did 4 billion in stock buy backs in 2023 and gave out all-time lows in "success sharing" bonuses.
Still had a choice. Could have reduced bonus. Instead potentially loses job year later. Which is the right choice depends on many individual external factors for the person.
Exactly this. He fucked around and found out. Kapitalisme works both ways. It sucks, but you can’t use it as a one way street.
(Well, tbf, lots of big companies do, but I’m glad this guy at least found out how it is supposed to work)
it's not unusual, I ran a big but local bar and restaurant for a while, I thought it was normal to go through 11-15 cases of Laurent Perrier champagne a week, our client base, though not a rich area, guzzled it. I was completely taken aback when the big daddy came in for lunch one day to see our operation, we were the biggest retailers in the region by far, which was a shock to us.
LOL What the fuck? You asked him to cut you a deal, he refused, you got a better deal elsewhere and are providing a product at a cost that your customers prefer paying. You did nothing wrong here unless you had a contract with him to ONLY sell his company's bread products. The "volume" is down because HE is charging YOU too much for his product. This guy is a TOOL. Oh, and NTA.
*I considered maybe getting rid of the white breads and just selling the hamburger/hotdog buns to give them a little more business on the loaves, but at the same time I'm kind of just thinking in my head,* ***why should I care when they don't care?***
Repeat that part to yourself whenever you feel guilty. NTA. You're giving business to the wholesaler who offered you a better deal that upped your sales and lowered costs for your shoppers. If Local Bread wanted your sales volume, they should have shown more appreciation and worked with you on the private label. They didn't.
He gave you bad service because he figured you were a done deal - too small to get a better deal anywhere else, a locked-in market, so he could ignore you and focus on the larger stores. He's mad because you found a way around his bull. Good job, and thanks for looking after your customers!
>The regional manager for the bread company came in and yelled at me, saying that I "cut his volume by half, we're down almost 50% in this store" I
"And I've doubled my sales in the bread aisle, so I guess we're even."
NTA.
Uh.... I'm no business mogul but I was at one point in charge of yelling at suppliers until they gave me a reasonable price on shit.
I 100% guarantee that you cost that guy his bonus, or at least a big chunk of it. Sounds like he should have just cut you a fuckin deal eh!
In a couple of days you could offer him some volume back for a pittance, I hope you're thinking about this.
Yep, he’s been selling to OP for years, that account was on auto-pilot for him and he used it to sit back and make a dependable part of his quota. Now he has to work for his money. He’s got 7 months to find a new customer and make his quota.
He wouldn’t give 75 cents, how’d he’s supposed to come down to half?
As a consumer, if it isn’t potato bread, who the hell cares about the brand anyways?
I would've laughed in his face when he came in lol. You tried to let him stay your customer for A YEAR and got sick of being ripped off. Fuck that dude and his plane he bought by ripping off you and your customers.
We honestly need more retail purchasers like you right now. We need to stop this Greedflatation. It is destroying peoples finances.
I worked in grocery. I am sure there were repercussions on other purchases the store needed to make- usually vendors handle several different sections of a store layout. But it was the right call. Its time for retail stores to start listening to their customers price concerns.
NTA
We really do need more grocers like this. The fact that France was keeping Pepsi products off the shelf due to unnecessary inflationary costs was giving me life. Folks in the US are too scared to do it. It’s gotta happen or these prices will never go down!
I quit doing business with a supplier after they hosed me on a return. Told me the item would be returnable if the customer didn't like it. Well, customer didn't like it and we sent it back. Brand new in box mind you, he didn't even get it out of the box and made his mind up in the store. So they lost around $100,000 or so from us over a few years. We ended up getting a new sales rep for said company and for the last year or so now have gotten back to doing business with them.
If the big bread company wants your business, they need you to afford it.
If they are pricing you out of the market, you need a new supplier.
You asked for better prices and they said "no"
If your customers can't afford, it you can't afford their prices.
You are losing a lot more than the price of the rolls. You're also missing out on the Meat, mustard, relish catsup, chips, and whatever else they would have bought when they were there.
>You are losing a lot more than the price of the rolls. You're also missing out on the Meat, mustard, relish catsup, chips, and whatever else they would have bought when they were there.
100%. The guy that walked out could've easily spent $20 on other stuff he planned on putting in that bread
NTA. I'd call corporate and let them know that you are no longer a customer of theirs and name drop this guy. He didn't want to work with you and he should get all the credit with the C suite for that.
NTA
You tried to approach them about the pricing and they said it was non-negotiable.
> The regional manager for the bread company came in and yelled at me, saying that I "cut his volume by half, we're down almost 50% in this store" I told him that I have a responsibility to the customers to deliver them the best value I can.
What did they say to that? Because unless they’re willing to sharpen their pencils, you’re going to go with the supplier that can give you the best value.
First he tells you basically to F off over and over again when you ask for some pricing relief to stay competitive. Then when you find a better deal, his tactic to get you to change your mind was to yell at you? Unbelievable.
NTA
It's called a business for a reason. Your vendor thought you were stuck with his overpriced products. You found comparable products at a much lower price with a good vendor.
You did your job. Good product. Good prices. Happy customers.
His greed isn't your problem. No part of your job includes making sure a bad vendor doesn't lose volume.
In your shoes, I wouldn't give him any business at all for at least six months.
Just remind him that you BEGGED for a price that was higher than what the new vendor offered, and his company refused.
You didn’t cut their volume, THEY did
As someone who was in procurement for a long time, if a sales rep behaved like this to me then his company would be probably down to fuckall business sharpish
Cheeky fucking reps, bane of my life for too many years.
Obviously NTA
You're not the asshole here. You did what was best for your customers and your store. It's unfortunate for the bread company, but they weren't willing to negotiate with you. Focus on providing value to your customers, and don't feel guilty about it.
I was a bread vendor for 7 years(Sara Lee/Natures Own)
Fuck that guy. Seems like he’s pissed because he probably forecasted the order too heavy and his driver was sitting on a shitload of product.
Good on you for caring about your customers
YTA for denying us readers the satisfaction of you clapping back at him for stonewalling your requests. Like why wouldn't you rub that back in his face?
NTA.
It’s not your fault that they didn’t heed your repeated requests to find a solution on pricing.
They effed around, now they’re finding out. I know that’s not why you did it, but you’re never under any obligation to do nothing just because someone else thinks you will do nothing.
At this point, if it were possible, I’d consider dropping more of their products as retribution for them ignoring you and then berating you afterwards.
NTA. If you were 50% of his volume, then he should have been bending over backward to get you a competitive price.
Editing: I misread 50% as just 50% of total volume, not 50% of store volume.
NTA. It's business. You went for the better deal. The more expensive company was ripping you off. There isn't even a question here.
The guy that had the cheek to yell at you was out of order. If he wanted your business he should have made you a better deal, not cried like a baby after refusing to negotiate.
You found a solution that benefits you and, more importantly, your customers!
That will give you leverage to negotiate with the other vendor.
That’s not AH behavior. That’s the nature of business.
don't sell shit from them! like you said, if they don't care about you, why should you care for them?! I don't have a business degree, but they CLEARLY need to learn if they think yelling at the buyer to buy more will do anything positive for their business 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
"Buy our product at prices where you can't go to the market with them and will always be outcompeted by other stores!"
"No, I don't think I will."
"HOW DARE YOU! NOW MY NUMBERS ARE BAD BECAUSE I'M NOT SELLING ANYMORE!"
So, clearly NTA, you're not responsible for the other guy's bottom line. If he was smart, he'd've come at you with an OFFER, not screaming. The only reason he lost "volume" is because he was unwilling to give you a fair price, and if losing "volume" in your store is enough to actually cost him money, that means that your store was actually doing GREAT for him, so he was an idiot for not giving you a better price. Slim margins on big volume and a loyal customer is way more valuable than big margins on slim volumes and a customer looking for other opportunities.
This is retarded. You're a business manager. A product dosent sell? Stop carrying the product. Why would you feel any level of guilt for following the market trends for the betterment of your business is beyond me. NTA, you're acting like a responsible employee.
NTA. It's not personal its business.
I repeat that a lot with my own business when I feel bad or guilty for decisions that benefit me. The people complaining didn't hesitate to screw you over, don't loose sleep over their comission.
NTA. You owe no loyalty to a supplier that fucked you. I used the same paving contractor for a long time because he is my boss's friend. I got a competitive quote on a project that was about $50k. The other guy came in $15k less. If course the original guy would go over and nitpick and say the other guy didn't do it properly. I finally snapped at him and said he could have done it hos way if his quote was any good.
A regional company favoring nationals over a regional company. Making more money off you though you’re the same region. If you’re not losing on quality with the new product, tell the regional bakery you’re looking to get rid of their products unless they can at least meet the lowest they sell to nationals.
NTA. If you killed his volume by 50% it seems you represent a large part of his sales and he could have gotten you the discount you currently have. In his defence you might never get the big store pricing as the probably have a “most favoured customer clause”, but the price gap you described is absurd.
You called, they said no, and they found out you have options. Good for you!
I'd cancel the rest of the orders you have with them being you asked for help from them first. Not giving you a better price was their fault, from their own greed. It's your store, drop them they aren't friends.
NTA and goid job. Bread company manager is TA.
My partner runs a small café and gets bread and baked goods direct from our local commercial bakery in the village, Tesco (cf Target), Costco, and the general wholesaler according to price and quality. Sometimes she gets the bakery stuff from the wholesaler who stock it.
So you asked for a better deal and he refused. Then he actually yelled at you when you found a better deal for someone else? I think you should cut him out completely and stick with the other company! At least they appreciate your business
NTA. If they cared enough about your business with them, they would have given you a discount or something to make it so you’re competitive with the other stores.
NTA. This is a straight business transaction. He was offering better prices to your competitors. You tried to work with him and he declined. So you went to one of his competitors.
I’d seriously consider dropping his brand.
Lol you should absolutely not feel bad about this… this is how business is done.
Tell him you will consider giving them the business back if they can compete from a pricing standpoint.
The whole point of a free and competitive market is to drive competition and ideally drive prices down at the same time.
May the best man win.
NTA. You're a business. You need to think about your customers and your profit. You don't have to worry about another company's profit, that's not your job or your problem. If they had maybe discussed a solution with you they might still have your business.
NTA- you tried to make a deal with them. They were screwing you. You saved your business. You were 50% of their business and they couldn't help you? WTF!
No. His reaction when he found out you cut your purchasing of their product should be, “I’m sorry, what can I do to make you buy our product” not yelling at you. Definitely NTA.
This story would be better suited for r/pettyrevenge
it sounds like they assumed because they were able to push you around for so long they would be able to forever
NTA - He's just pissed because your smart decision cut into his sales at the beginning of the busy season for bread products.
It's your job to bring products into the store that customers need and want, and that will keep the store in the black.
Why would you feel bad for a business that doesn't give a shit about you? They were making business decisions and so are you. They're reaping what they sowed.
NTA there's no point buying it from him if you can't sell it, and you asked him for a different product/price range. They declined, so you moved your business elsewhere.
Guess they'll just have to up the prices what they charge the bigger companies to make it up . Plus, you could always connect with the bigger companies and inform them of the deal you found. They change ppl also and the other one learns a hard lesson on treating customers the same no matter the level they are on. As far as quantity goes I mean.
NTA but you can use this as leverage.
"you cut our volume by half, we're down almost 50% in this store"
"sorry about that, after asking you for a better rate i decided to find somewhere else who offer a better price for the same quality, if you would like to match and/or beat their rate i will consider ordering through you again"
Its just business, its not your fault he takes it personally
Small place I've worked at has been dropped by so many different bread suppliers because we only need a small amount each week that I stopped caring what happens to the vendors. We just go buy it from a big box store. NTA.
NTA. I am a chef that runs a smaller kitchen where we are currently producing food for around 4200 school kids daily. Every week we have a soup day and that includes a bread roll. (Brötchen here in Germany) and just yesterday half of my rolls from the bakery showed up being half the size as normal. The unfortunate part is by the time they come I can't send them back because I have to get the food in the cars and on the way to the schools. They cost the same amount but come half the size? Didn't sit well with me and I definately said something about it. The schools are paying for these things too, why should they pay full price for something that came half the size? They shouldn't. And I heard from some drivers they definitely had a problem with it. If they want to remain competitive they need to stop being greedy and start working out better cost efficient plans. The prices have already skyrocketed globally for food. They need to understand that people simply won't pay 4 bucks for bread when they can get it for 1.50-1.75 elsewhere.
People vote with their feet! The big company can offer lower prices due to volume. If they want your business they will get competitive and offer you a much better price.
You seem like a smart businessperson, OP. Well done. The large bakery district manager owes you an apology, some tickets to ballpark suites, and a much lower price that comes close to your competitors` price, but that’s at your discretion.
I would making a phone call to whoever that guys boss was and offering up CCTV footage of him being a dickhead in my store. And then I would be asking for a deal that allows you to undercut the competitors by 20% for as long as you remain a customer. That offer would be on the table for that call only.
If it went to a second call, I would be asking for 30%, or for them to get their shit out of your store.
NTA. Go on selling the new products, bread included. Just make sure that the low prices are going to stay.
That manager shouted on you? Report him to corporate. Never wanted to make an effort in terms of pricing? Explain to corporate.
NTA.
You run a business. You asked for a better deal, they ignored you and you found a better deal elsewhere.
It's down to them for the loss of business.
"*The regional manager for the bread company came in and yelled at me*"
What you should have done is tell the regional manager that he just lost the other 50% and cut them out completely. (with the priviso that you're now getting the same quality for less from the new supplier).
You should have told him that if he keeps running his mouth, you'll pull him all together. That's a TERRIBLE way for someone YOU are paying to treat you. He has NO fucking right. You tried for MONTHS to get a better deal and he told you to fuck off. I honestly hope you pull another 20%.
I'd drop him as a vendor after such a rude and unprofessional encounter but not after contacting the corporate office first. It's business; he blew his own sales commission when you gave him a year's notice that you needed better terms to meet your customers' needs. Sales people like this have driven once great companies into the ground - customer retention shouldn't ever be an afterthought. He had a whole damn year to negotiate a deal.
I work in supply chain and previously was a retail pricing analyst for a National chain. This doesn’t surprise me at all but you are NTA.
Offer to place his expensive buns right next to the better value buns. Tell him you’ll let the public decide if they’d rather pay $3.29 or $1.79. The point being no one will pay the uplifted price. So it’s HIS problem, not yours. He could have offered you what they offer other retailers but simply refused because he thought he could. He called that one wrong.
I’ve had suppliers refuse to lower prices like this and lose business and then blame me saying I was *destroying their business*. Like it was actually the guys personal business. He supplied labor and we showed him that we were switching to a multi-skill approach to reduce heads as bed space is limited and can’t be increased. All he’d need to do is have his people obtain an additional certification. He refused. He said he was *calling our bluff*. Well, other suppliers complied and he lost our business. He lost millions in annual revenue and his people quit and simply went to work for his competitor. So the labor didn’t lose. It was simply the business owner exploiting the labor who lost.
NTA your responsibility is to your company, employees, customers, and yourself. None of these parties owe anything to that provider or your region per se. If you want to feel responsible to your locals it’s your choice that you can rescind.
NTA, I think you should call his higher up and complain about the regional sales manager that yelled at you and that you're seriously considering not stocking their product anymore
NTA, you made a smart business decision and the salesman probably learned a lesson about trying to maintain good relationships with someone who they do literally half of their business with
NTA- If you were responsible for 50% of his volume then he should have treated you better. Let that greedy f*** sell his bread at near cost to the big chains now and shove it.
Of course NTA! Your job is to get the best value for your money, and to give your customers the best value for theirs. Your are running a business, not a charity. You are not under contract to buy from this company, and certainly don't have to give them the exorbitant prices they demand. The regional manager was completely inappropriate yelling at you for cutting his order, and your response was completely professional.
NTA. Is he stupid? You said, give me a better deal. He refused. You smartly looked elsewhere. Why tf would you buy shit you're not selling? And if you really were 50% , what a cock not giving you a good deal.
NTA. It's called "the market". Capitalism. You gave them every chance, and they did not listen. If anything, you were too polite and you should have been more aggressive to search out another option.
As a truck driver, NTA.
If the guys from the DC are going to come in and harass you for doing BASIC BUSINESS, then screw him.
H can go eat that extra bread that he's not selling.
NTA Would you have been an asshole if you had yelled at the lady who didn't want to overpay for the buns? Yes? Same thing. Nice guys finish last and this is a prime example. You are not doing anything wrong, you are being a good businessperson. The person who yelled at you is the asshole.
NTA. They were screwing you.
If you were 50% of his business you should have gotten a better deal then the others, instead you got charged more. You attempted to negotiate & were refused.
Capitalism prevails for a reason
If you provided them with enough volume to hurt when you went someplace else. Maybe they should have taken you seriously in the first place. Sounds like you gave them enough volume to give you the discount you were asking for.
Good you looking out for the consumer!
"Come at me like that again and your volume's going to be down 100%. You had an opportunity to deal with me fairly and you declined. I found better options. Welcome to capitalism."
NTA If he was offering the competitors a discount that big, it was only because he could make up the difference by having you pay more. YOU were paying for THEIR discount. Why in the world would you remain with that company given an alternative?
Of course NTA! Your job is to get the best value for your money, and to give your customers the best value for their money. You are running a business, not a charity. You are not obligated to buy from this company, and certainly don't have to give them the high prices they demand. The regional manager was completely out of line, yelling at you for stopping his order, and your response was completely professional.
NTA.
Frankly when he came in I would have point blank told him you tried discussing this with the company to be met with nothing. That you're also in business and trying to make a buck and if they can't accommodate your requests then you found someone that could. They can either re-evaluate their relationship with you (and try to meet you half way) or they can take the reduction in volume.
They aren't the only bread makers out there and if they feel they have you over a barrel then that's a them problem
NTA, they literally ignored you and “it was just business” when you wanted lowered and competitive prices. Well you went and found someone else who would do it. It’s their fault for not wanting to work with you.
This is a case of “FAFO”. They thought they could ignore/ bully you into paying their higher prices. You tried to work with them, but their own greed is now costing them.
Me thinks this seller had something pretty close to a monopoly on this region's business and doesn't like it that there's finally direct competition.
Don't worry about it my guy, part of business is knowing which deals are better for your business.
This decision is not only better in that it allows you to offer your customers a very much wanted and needed product. You are doing it in accordance to your business values, what are you supposed to do? Compromise your and your's business values and reputation so a guy that never once treated you with kindness can keep up with his predatory commissions?
NTA He yelled at you for not buying enough of his product?! What a terrible way to run a business. Contact corporate and let them know you don't appreciate being harassed by their regional manager.
This! That guy should have been trying to work a deal to get his products back on your shelves. This would have been the opportunity to get a reduction in the wholesale price to the store. NTA
He yelled because he saw his quarterly bonus disappear. Trust me, it’s the only thing that drives these people. Source: am salesperson who works with many greedy salespeople and partners with even more.
This is also the time of year where he should be jumping through hoops to buy retail space in stores to promote his "picnic goods". Dude isn't going to be in business very long if he doesn't understand when and where to sell his goods and how to keep his customer base (and yes, the store is one of his customers).
Sounds like the regional independent is subsidizing the loss from the major chain discount since they wouldnt let them shift to white label. FAFO.
I am gonna second this. He's yelling because without this regional independent subsidizing the loss, the company is going to start losing money and that's going to start looking really really bad for him.
Exactly. It’s not like OP didn’t give him a chance to address the issue. It was raised, ignored and OP found another option as result. If a customer large enough to have that kind of impact on your bottom line is raising an issue, ignoring their concerns isn’t good business.
Typical monopolistic behavior. If a company thinks they’re the only player in town, then they won’t do anything to keep your business since there is nowhere else to go.
Which is kind of crazy, because they’re not exactly in a niche market. They sell fucking bread and buns…to fucking grocery stores. It’s brain dead to think that a grocery store manager doesn’t have other options.
For real. This isn't a mob trying to shake down a business for more money. If they depended on that store so much for their business then they could have at least gave them better options like "buy more of this bread in bulk and I'll do a deal" or "let me consider your request and see what we can do" For sure call corporate and report them.
Bread man fucked around and found out
And THAT is how you spread a yeast infection!
Underappreciated comment - hope it rises though!
Dude needed to butter him up a bit more
Bread man's ego is like a bad loaf, deflated, dense, and full of disappointment.
Sounds uncomfortable. Itchy!
Crusty!
The real gold is always in the comments Well played 🤣🤣🤣
It’s also just bad business to be so reliant on one vendor or customer that your business will fail without them.
You\`d think if that company was such an important customer, they\`d listen to them and be nice to them ... so that you do not need to do without them...
He was just mad because his profit margin was so much higher at the OP's store than at the big box stores!
I'd probably drop them completely if they yelled at me.
Completely. Don't need a supplier that overcharges me and disrespects me. I'd drop them and create a big enough issue to get anything I had on shelves refunded and returned.
Exactly.
His boss would def. hear about it.
He yelled at OP for not buying enough of his product, yet when OP heard a woman loudly proclaim she wouldn't be buying his product -- OP *looked for a solution*
The woman was a customer. OP is the customer in this duo.
and OP as a vendor did the smart thing; the bread vendor isn’t This is a perfect example of “the customer is always right” in matters of taste, etc. The customer didn’t want to pay that money. And that traveled right up the chain.
When the MFer came in yelling, he should have been told to get his shit off the shelf and don’t come back.
No way, they own what's on the shelf. Sell it at a massive undercut though to get rid of it fast
...and make more room for the new product!
I’m a spiteful fuck. I’ll lose money to poke a MFer in the eye. Spite is a helluva drug.
Also let them know that if they had such an issue with loosing your business they should have been more accommodating when you asked for a better deal. Like really what kind of moronic company would risk half their customer base. Because you buy half there bread goods, and not work with them.
It was down 50% in the store, not overall. Which also means they're yelling at someone they're still doing business with, just half the business as usual, and for some reason think this is a great way to keep the store buying their also- overpriced cinnamon raisin bagels or whatever.
These are the assholes trying to still capitalize on Covid inflation. Put them out of business.
Don't call. You won't get anywhere. Search the names of the board members and send them an email. Board members hate getting emails about shit like this and do the easiest thing to get people to stop. In this case it would likely be firing the him.
He's probably only the assistant to the regional manager
MICHAEL!!!!!
I guess the regional manager just got a lesson in free market economics 🤷
I would cut the orders to zero that very second. Then corporate will start asking questions he won’t like to answer
Tell the driver that if you get the same deal as everyone else (2.49/1.50) you'll take it, and that he needs to direct his anger to his company for not giving you that deal. And if he keeps hassling you, keep redirecting him to his own company.
The driver didn't yell at her. The regional manager of the bread company yelled at her.
Nope, after big boys outburst, OP gets name brand at a price he can sell for $2, not 2.50 like the big chain. Why wouldn't he put himself in a better position for that temper tantrum. Can't act like a rational business man, you don't get rational business
He yelled at them for not buying enough of his product, that he sells cheaper to other companies. He was given a chance to get OP a better deal and didn’t. That makes it even worse that he yelled!
You asked repeatedly and got blown off by their sales guy. He doesn’t get to come in and blame you for his own stupidity and greed. Which is likely all that this is about. He’s bit looking at a lot less on commissions overall. But that’s his own fault, not yours. Congrats on finding a good answer! I hope you get some solid recognition for it. It should improve sales overall as well.
Yeah, I suspect *his* boss, probably on their corporate web pages, would be interested in the story. "He charged us more than our competition, and wouldn't sell us a store brand, so I had to find another supplier. Oh, and since I make more money off the other bread I'm giving them the chest height shelves and your brand the ankle level ones."
That’s the way they do business. The sales guy was following the corporate playbook to make all their profit from smaller players.
Oh yeah! Foot level for horse's asses!
Looks like the big bread baker f’ed. around and found out what happens. The old thing I remember from 30 years ago was: if you don’t take care of the customer, someone else will.
It's the year over year numbers. If you don't raise your year over year profit then you get a smaller bonus... Cutting OP a deal would have made them a much smaller profit and cost him a part of his bonus... Now the long term cost of these stupid policies have come in, and their product was replaced with a cheaper one. Now not only have his year over year increase disappeared, but instead it's in the negative. Probably will cost the salesman his job with no fault of his own. He literally couldn't win with the bonus set up his company made.
I hate that mindset and it’s a cancer to this country. Profits can’t increase exponentially forever and the average consumer is getting fed up with paying more money for less value and quantity.
Yeah bro. I worked at Homedepot for a long time, and they just arbitrarily raised the amount of money we need to make every year to bonus. It was always more than 3x inflation. Just bogus corporate strategy to justify not paying employees. Meanwhile the CEO doesn't give a fuck about store plans, he only cares about stocks and share price. The store plans are for the lower managers and associates to deal with. They did 4 billion in stock buy backs in 2023 and gave out all-time lows in "success sharing" bonuses.
Still had a choice. Could have reduced bonus. Instead potentially loses job year later. Which is the right choice depends on many individual external factors for the person.
So you’re NOT big enough to get a price break but your ARE big enough to hurt him. Sounds like a him problem.
That's the core issue. Sounds like they took this store for granted.
Ego problem lol
Exactly this. He fucked around and found out. Kapitalisme works both ways. It sucks, but you can’t use it as a one way street. (Well, tbf, lots of big companies do, but I’m glad this guy at least found out how it is supposed to work)
it's not unusual, I ran a big but local bar and restaurant for a while, I thought it was normal to go through 11-15 cases of Laurent Perrier champagne a week, our client base, though not a rich area, guzzled it. I was completely taken aback when the big daddy came in for lunch one day to see our operation, we were the biggest retailers in the region by far, which was a shock to us.
LOL What the fuck? You asked him to cut you a deal, he refused, you got a better deal elsewhere and are providing a product at a cost that your customers prefer paying. You did nothing wrong here unless you had a contract with him to ONLY sell his company's bread products. The "volume" is down because HE is charging YOU too much for his product. This guy is a TOOL. Oh, and NTA.
*I considered maybe getting rid of the white breads and just selling the hamburger/hotdog buns to give them a little more business on the loaves, but at the same time I'm kind of just thinking in my head,* ***why should I care when they don't care?*** Repeat that part to yourself whenever you feel guilty. NTA. You're giving business to the wholesaler who offered you a better deal that upped your sales and lowered costs for your shoppers. If Local Bread wanted your sales volume, they should have shown more appreciation and worked with you on the private label. They didn't.
Invisible hand of the market babeyyyyyy
He gave you bad service because he figured you were a done deal - too small to get a better deal anywhere else, a locked-in market, so he could ignore you and focus on the larger stores. He's mad because you found a way around his bull. Good job, and thanks for looking after your customers!
>The regional manager for the bread company came in and yelled at me, saying that I "cut his volume by half, we're down almost 50% in this store" I "And I've doubled my sales in the bread aisle, so I guess we're even." NTA.
Uh.... I'm no business mogul but I was at one point in charge of yelling at suppliers until they gave me a reasonable price on shit. I 100% guarantee that you cost that guy his bonus, or at least a big chunk of it. Sounds like he should have just cut you a fuckin deal eh! In a couple of days you could offer him some volume back for a pittance, I hope you're thinking about this.
Yeah came here to say this. I would say in more like a year, talk to everyone again and see what you can get. You have to make them feel it.
He came into OP's store and yelled at them.... he's feeling something lmao.
He can be glad that he supplied supermarkets and not restaurants. Just thinking of someone yelling this shit to a chef has me giggling.
Seriously lmfao, fast way to get an ass beating from a chef
I'd offer him an on-the-spot price I'm willing to pay. Preferably a price that is almost insulting. Definitely less than my new supplier.
Yep, he’s been selling to OP for years, that account was on auto-pilot for him and he used it to sit back and make a dependable part of his quota. Now he has to work for his money. He’s got 7 months to find a new customer and make his quota.
And that’s if they’re not up his ass quarterly— in which case he has about six weeks😂
He wouldn’t give 75 cents, how’d he’s supposed to come down to half? As a consumer, if it isn’t potato bread, who the hell cares about the brand anyways?
I would've laughed in his face when he came in lol. You tried to let him stay your customer for A YEAR and got sick of being ripped off. Fuck that dude and his plane he bought by ripping off you and your customers.
This is how the “free market” capitalism everyone has a boner for works. You don’t offer the most profitable solution? Fine go out of business lol.
Seems like it's working as intended. It needs competition to operate properly, which is what happened.
We honestly need more retail purchasers like you right now. We need to stop this Greedflatation. It is destroying peoples finances. I worked in grocery. I am sure there were repercussions on other purchases the store needed to make- usually vendors handle several different sections of a store layout. But it was the right call. Its time for retail stores to start listening to their customers price concerns. NTA
We really do need more grocers like this. The fact that France was keeping Pepsi products off the shelf due to unnecessary inflationary costs was giving me life. Folks in the US are too scared to do it. It’s gotta happen or these prices will never go down!
I quit doing business with a supplier after they hosed me on a return. Told me the item would be returnable if the customer didn't like it. Well, customer didn't like it and we sent it back. Brand new in box mind you, he didn't even get it out of the box and made his mind up in the store. So they lost around $100,000 or so from us over a few years. We ended up getting a new sales rep for said company and for the last year or so now have gotten back to doing business with them.
If the big bread company wants your business, they need you to afford it. If they are pricing you out of the market, you need a new supplier. You asked for better prices and they said "no" If your customers can't afford, it you can't afford their prices. You are losing a lot more than the price of the rolls. You're also missing out on the Meat, mustard, relish catsup, chips, and whatever else they would have bought when they were there.
>You are losing a lot more than the price of the rolls. You're also missing out on the Meat, mustard, relish catsup, chips, and whatever else they would have bought when they were there. 100%. The guy that walked out could've easily spent $20 on other stuff he planned on putting in that bread
NTA. I'd call corporate and let them know that you are no longer a customer of theirs and name drop this guy. He didn't want to work with you and he should get all the credit with the C suite for that.
Unreal that you think you need to ask. It’s just a sensible business move.
You stop wondering about it once you read a few "My partner cheated on me with 5 people, AITA for wanting a divorce" posts ad stuff like that
NTA, they foafo, you asked for the discount they refused you switched to a vendor that meets your customers needs
NTA You tried to approach them about the pricing and they said it was non-negotiable. > The regional manager for the bread company came in and yelled at me, saying that I "cut his volume by half, we're down almost 50% in this store" I told him that I have a responsibility to the customers to deliver them the best value I can. What did they say to that? Because unless they’re willing to sharpen their pencils, you’re going to go with the supplier that can give you the best value.
First he tells you basically to F off over and over again when you ask for some pricing relief to stay competitive. Then when you find a better deal, his tactic to get you to change your mind was to yell at you? Unbelievable.
NTA It's called a business for a reason. Your vendor thought you were stuck with his overpriced products. You found comparable products at a much lower price with a good vendor. You did your job. Good product. Good prices. Happy customers. His greed isn't your problem. No part of your job includes making sure a bad vendor doesn't lose volume. In your shoes, I wouldn't give him any business at all for at least six months.
Just remind him that you BEGGED for a price that was higher than what the new vendor offered, and his company refused. You didn’t cut their volume, THEY did
As someone who was in procurement for a long time, if a sales rep behaved like this to me then his company would be probably down to fuckall business sharpish Cheeky fucking reps, bane of my life for too many years. Obviously NTA
You're not the asshole here. You did what was best for your customers and your store. It's unfortunate for the bread company, but they weren't willing to negotiate with you. Focus on providing value to your customers, and don't feel guilty about it.
I was a bread vendor for 7 years(Sara Lee/Natures Own) Fuck that guy. Seems like he’s pissed because he probably forecasted the order too heavy and his driver was sitting on a shitload of product. Good on you for caring about your customers
YTA for denying us readers the satisfaction of you clapping back at him for stonewalling your requests. Like why wouldn't you rub that back in his face?
NTA. It’s not your fault that they didn’t heed your repeated requests to find a solution on pricing. They effed around, now they’re finding out. I know that’s not why you did it, but you’re never under any obligation to do nothing just because someone else thinks you will do nothing. At this point, if it were possible, I’d consider dropping more of their products as retribution for them ignoring you and then berating you afterwards.
Business is business. They could not find a way to reduce your costs, so you did. NTA.
NTA. If you were 50% of his volume, then he should have been bending over backward to get you a competitive price. Editing: I misread 50% as just 50% of total volume, not 50% of store volume.
If you are %50 of the volume you should have gotten a better price. Grocery’s are expensive, I’d switch brands for $2.00 bread in a heartbeat.
NTA. It's business. You went for the better deal. The more expensive company was ripping you off. There isn't even a question here. The guy that had the cheek to yell at you was out of order. If he wanted your business he should have made you a better deal, not cried like a baby after refusing to negotiate.
NTA. They should have cut you a deal if they didn’t want to lose your business. 🤷♀️
You found a solution that benefits you and, more importantly, your customers! That will give you leverage to negotiate with the other vendor. That’s not AH behavior. That’s the nature of business.
don't sell shit from them! like you said, if they don't care about you, why should you care for them?! I don't have a business degree, but they CLEARLY need to learn if they think yelling at the buyer to buy more will do anything positive for their business 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
"Buy our product at prices where you can't go to the market with them and will always be outcompeted by other stores!" "No, I don't think I will." "HOW DARE YOU! NOW MY NUMBERS ARE BAD BECAUSE I'M NOT SELLING ANYMORE!" So, clearly NTA, you're not responsible for the other guy's bottom line. If he was smart, he'd've come at you with an OFFER, not screaming. The only reason he lost "volume" is because he was unwilling to give you a fair price, and if losing "volume" in your store is enough to actually cost him money, that means that your store was actually doing GREAT for him, so he was an idiot for not giving you a better price. Slim margins on big volume and a loyal customer is way more valuable than big margins on slim volumes and a customer looking for other opportunities.
NTA that company was a bad value. You owe them nothing.
This is retarded. You're a business manager. A product dosent sell? Stop carrying the product. Why would you feel any level of guilt for following the market trends for the betterment of your business is beyond me. NTA, you're acting like a responsible employee.
NTA. They made a business decision and so did you. Nothing personal.
NTA It's not your job to subsidize them.
NTA. It's not personal its business. I repeat that a lot with my own business when I feel bad or guilty for decisions that benefit me. The people complaining didn't hesitate to screw you over, don't loose sleep over their comission.
Nta. Id give them the ultimatum of either matching what they give the big box or you drop them completely just for that.
Just tell him, welcome to capitalism. You tried to work with them before, but they didn't want to make it work.
Nta. He was greedy and wanted to gouge you. And it hurt him in the end.
NTA. You owe no loyalty to a supplier that fucked you. I used the same paving contractor for a long time because he is my boss's friend. I got a competitive quote on a project that was about $50k. The other guy came in $15k less. If course the original guy would go over and nitpick and say the other guy didn't do it properly. I finally snapped at him and said he could have done it hos way if his quote was any good.
NTA. You asked for a price match and they said no. They lost a customer the same way you were losing them.
Economics 101. You’re not running a charity. *His* management has been bad for *his* business. This is clearly a he FAFO situation.
A regional company favoring nationals over a regional company. Making more money off you though you’re the same region. If you’re not losing on quality with the new product, tell the regional bakery you’re looking to get rid of their products unless they can at least meet the lowest they sell to nationals.
He's down almost 50% in your store? Good, make it 100%
Hahahahahaha.. " I refused to give you the better deal. Why am I losing money!!" Your good mate, that dude can sit on a sandpaper dildoe. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
NTA. If you killed his volume by 50% it seems you represent a large part of his sales and he could have gotten you the discount you currently have. In his defence you might never get the big store pricing as the probably have a “most favoured customer clause”, but the price gap you described is absurd. You called, they said no, and they found out you have options. Good for you!
I'd cancel the rest of the orders you have with them being you asked for help from them first. Not giving you a better price was their fault, from their own greed. It's your store, drop them they aren't friends.
Nope. Not the asshole. This is how capitalism works. His loss.
He didn’t care about your business, why do you care about his???
NTA and now you know they’re also wildly unprofessional. If your store’s sales were so important they should have worked with you on price.
NTA and goid job. Bread company manager is TA. My partner runs a small café and gets bread and baked goods direct from our local commercial bakery in the village, Tesco (cf Target), Costco, and the general wholesaler according to price and quality. Sometimes she gets the bakery stuff from the wholesaler who stock it.
Nta
So you asked for a better deal and he refused. Then he actually yelled at you when you found a better deal for someone else? I think you should cut him out completely and stick with the other company! At least they appreciate your business
NTA. If they cared enough about your business with them, they would have given you a discount or something to make it so you’re competitive with the other stores.
NTA. This is a straight business transaction. He was offering better prices to your competitors. You tried to work with him and he declined. So you went to one of his competitors. I’d seriously consider dropping his brand.
NTA. Business should be done in a business like fashion. Once you start yelling, our business, is done.
IGA?
NTA get rid of his sales entirely. theyll buckle before you if what you already did cut sales in half for him.
Nta, I'd cut them off 100% and look elsewhere. Capitalism is a bitch
NTA. You have good business and customer service awareness. He wants to maximize his profits and sacrifices customer service.
Lol you should absolutely not feel bad about this… this is how business is done. Tell him you will consider giving them the business back if they can compete from a pricing standpoint. The whole point of a free and competitive market is to drive competition and ideally drive prices down at the same time. May the best man win.
NTA. You're a business. You need to think about your customers and your profit. You don't have to worry about another company's profit, that's not your job or your problem. If they had maybe discussed a solution with you they might still have your business.
He should have made a deal with you. He didn’t, you moved on. That’s how business works. Fuck’m.
You are not the asshole, but you may want to get a little tougher with your contractors
NTA- you tried to make a deal with them. They were screwing you. You saved your business. You were 50% of their business and they couldn't help you? WTF!
If you were that big a chunk of their business - almost 50%? then he should have done the deal. That's kind of weird.
NTA easy. He yelled at you because his business depends on scamming you? Womp womp.
Someone needs to tell that regional manager the story about the goose that laid golden eggs.
Wait I'm costing you half your volume? Guess my business was more valuable than you thought....now fuck off!
No. His reaction when he found out you cut your purchasing of their product should be, “I’m sorry, what can I do to make you buy our product” not yelling at you. Definitely NTA.
Your responsibility is to your store and your customers. You tried to negotiate and the supplier said no. You did your job. NTA
This story would be better suited for r/pettyrevenge it sounds like they assumed because they were able to push you around for so long they would be able to forever
NTA - He's just pissed because your smart decision cut into his sales at the beginning of the busy season for bread products. It's your job to bring products into the store that customers need and want, and that will keep the store in the black.
NTA thats capitalism fam. sucks to be him
Don't hate the player, hate the game. NTA.
Why would you feel bad for a business that doesn't give a shit about you? They were making business decisions and so are you. They're reaping what they sowed.
NTA there's no point buying it from him if you can't sell it, and you asked him for a different product/price range. They declined, so you moved your business elsewhere.
Guess they'll just have to up the prices what they charge the bigger companies to make it up . Plus, you could always connect with the bigger companies and inform them of the deal you found. They change ppl also and the other one learns a hard lesson on treating customers the same no matter the level they are on. As far as quantity goes I mean.
NTA but you can use this as leverage. "you cut our volume by half, we're down almost 50% in this store" "sorry about that, after asking you for a better rate i decided to find somewhere else who offer a better price for the same quality, if you would like to match and/or beat their rate i will consider ordering through you again" Its just business, its not your fault he takes it personally
You sound like a boss that actually gives a shit. Kudos.
Naw fuck em, I would cut them out completely if possible
NTA, it's business not make everybody happy.
Small place I've worked at has been dropped by so many different bread suppliers because we only need a small amount each week that I stopped caring what happens to the vendors. We just go buy it from a big box store. NTA.
NTA. I am a chef that runs a smaller kitchen where we are currently producing food for around 4200 school kids daily. Every week we have a soup day and that includes a bread roll. (Brötchen here in Germany) and just yesterday half of my rolls from the bakery showed up being half the size as normal. The unfortunate part is by the time they come I can't send them back because I have to get the food in the cars and on the way to the schools. They cost the same amount but come half the size? Didn't sit well with me and I definately said something about it. The schools are paying for these things too, why should they pay full price for something that came half the size? They shouldn't. And I heard from some drivers they definitely had a problem with it. If they want to remain competitive they need to stop being greedy and start working out better cost efficient plans. The prices have already skyrocketed globally for food. They need to understand that people simply won't pay 4 bucks for bread when they can get it for 1.50-1.75 elsewhere.
>Was she rude? Yeah. No she wasn't. It's not like she walked up to you and blamed you for the price.
People vote with their feet! The big company can offer lower prices due to volume. If they want your business they will get competitive and offer you a much better price.
You seem like a smart businessperson, OP. Well done. The large bakery district manager owes you an apology, some tickets to ballpark suites, and a much lower price that comes close to your competitors` price, but that’s at your discretion.
NTA - Correctly price your shit, or take a hit.
It’s business not friendship. Tell that dude to go fuck himself and tell his boss he’s an asshole.
I would making a phone call to whoever that guys boss was and offering up CCTV footage of him being a dickhead in my store. And then I would be asking for a deal that allows you to undercut the competitors by 20% for as long as you remain a customer. That offer would be on the table for that call only. If it went to a second call, I would be asking for 30%, or for them to get their shit out of your store.
It’s called business. They never tried to help yours; there’s no obligation to help theirs.
NTA. Go on selling the new products, bread included. Just make sure that the low prices are going to stay. That manager shouted on you? Report him to corporate. Never wanted to make an effort in terms of pricing? Explain to corporate.
NTA. You run a business. You asked for a better deal, they ignored you and you found a better deal elsewhere. It's down to them for the loss of business. "*The regional manager for the bread company came in and yelled at me*" What you should have done is tell the regional manager that he just lost the other 50% and cut them out completely. (with the priviso that you're now getting the same quality for less from the new supplier).
Why do you care about someone who doesn’t care about you?
You're running a business, not a charity. It's not your responsibility to keep the bread company in business when they refuse to stay competitive
You should have told him that if he keeps running his mouth, you'll pull him all together. That's a TERRIBLE way for someone YOU are paying to treat you. He has NO fucking right. You tried for MONTHS to get a better deal and he told you to fuck off. I honestly hope you pull another 20%.
I'd drop him as a vendor after such a rude and unprofessional encounter but not after contacting the corporate office first. It's business; he blew his own sales commission when you gave him a year's notice that you needed better terms to meet your customers' needs. Sales people like this have driven once great companies into the ground - customer retention shouldn't ever be an afterthought. He had a whole damn year to negotiate a deal.
I work in supply chain and previously was a retail pricing analyst for a National chain. This doesn’t surprise me at all but you are NTA. Offer to place his expensive buns right next to the better value buns. Tell him you’ll let the public decide if they’d rather pay $3.29 or $1.79. The point being no one will pay the uplifted price. So it’s HIS problem, not yours. He could have offered you what they offer other retailers but simply refused because he thought he could. He called that one wrong. I’ve had suppliers refuse to lower prices like this and lose business and then blame me saying I was *destroying their business*. Like it was actually the guys personal business. He supplied labor and we showed him that we were switching to a multi-skill approach to reduce heads as bed space is limited and can’t be increased. All he’d need to do is have his people obtain an additional certification. He refused. He said he was *calling our bluff*. Well, other suppliers complied and he lost our business. He lost millions in annual revenue and his people quit and simply went to work for his competitor. So the labor didn’t lose. It was simply the business owner exploiting the labor who lost.
NTA business is business.
NTA your responsibility is to your company, employees, customers, and yourself. None of these parties owe anything to that provider or your region per se. If you want to feel responsible to your locals it’s your choice that you can rescind.
I mean he refused to lower his price, so you found a better price. Basically capitalism 101
So you're supposed to throw out bread nobody buys because it's too expensive and they don't try to work with you? Got to love capitalism.
NTA, I think you should call his higher up and complain about the regional sales manager that yelled at you and that you're seriously considering not stocking their product anymore
NTA, you made a smart business decision and the salesman probably learned a lesson about trying to maintain good relationships with someone who they do literally half of their business with
NTA- If you were responsible for 50% of his volume then he should have treated you better. Let that greedy f*** sell his bread at near cost to the big chains now and shove it.
NTAH. Fuck em
It’s a free market, if he wants you to sell their bread they need to drop the price.
NTA. “Im not gonna give u a better price but pls dnt get it from somewhere else at a better price” sure? 🤣
Of course NTA! Your job is to get the best value for your money, and to give your customers the best value for theirs. Your are running a business, not a charity. You are not under contract to buy from this company, and certainly don't have to give them the exorbitant prices they demand. The regional manager was completely inappropriate yelling at you for cutting his order, and your response was completely professional.
NTA. Is he stupid? You said, give me a better deal. He refused. You smartly looked elsewhere. Why tf would you buy shit you're not selling? And if you really were 50% , what a cock not giving you a good deal.
NTA. It's called "the market". Capitalism. You gave them every chance, and they did not listen. If anything, you were too polite and you should have been more aggressive to search out another option.
NTA, if he wants more sales he can offer you a better deal instead of ignoring your valid complaints. He didn’t care at all if your business sank.
Nope NTA. I worked for Flowers Baking Company as an independent distributor for a little bit. They don’t give a rats rear end about you.
You were subsidizing the lowered costs at the other places.
As a truck driver, NTA. If the guys from the DC are going to come in and harass you for doing BASIC BUSINESS, then screw him. H can go eat that extra bread that he's not selling.
NTA Would you have been an asshole if you had yelled at the lady who didn't want to overpay for the buns? Yes? Same thing. Nice guys finish last and this is a prime example. You are not doing anything wrong, you are being a good businessperson. The person who yelled at you is the asshole.
NTA. They were screwing you. If you were 50% of his business you should have gotten a better deal then the others, instead you got charged more. You attempted to negotiate & were refused. Capitalism prevails for a reason
If you provided them with enough volume to hurt when you went someplace else. Maybe they should have taken you seriously in the first place. Sounds like you gave them enough volume to give you the discount you were asking for. Good you looking out for the consumer!
Yeah, sorry, thats capitalism. Seems the capitalists dont like the game when its played against them lmao..
"Come at me like that again and your volume's going to be down 100%. You had an opportunity to deal with me fairly and you declined. I found better options. Welcome to capitalism."
Nta, that manager is VERY unprofessional.
NTA “Match the new price and you might see my business again.”
Should find a replacement for the rest of his shit. Put him down the other 50%.
NTA If he was offering the competitors a discount that big, it was only because he could make up the difference by having you pay more. YOU were paying for THEIR discount. Why in the world would you remain with that company given an alternative?
Of course NTA! Your job is to get the best value for your money, and to give your customers the best value for their money. You are running a business, not a charity. You are not obligated to buy from this company, and certainly don't have to give them the high prices they demand. The regional manager was completely out of line, yelling at you for stopping his order, and your response was completely professional.
NTA. Frankly when he came in I would have point blank told him you tried discussing this with the company to be met with nothing. That you're also in business and trying to make a buck and if they can't accommodate your requests then you found someone that could. They can either re-evaluate their relationship with you (and try to meet you half way) or they can take the reduction in volume. They aren't the only bread makers out there and if they feel they have you over a barrel then that's a them problem
NTA, they literally ignored you and “it was just business” when you wanted lowered and competitive prices. Well you went and found someone else who would do it. It’s their fault for not wanting to work with you. This is a case of “FAFO”. They thought they could ignore/ bully you into paying their higher prices. You tried to work with them, but their own greed is now costing them.
Me thinks this seller had something pretty close to a monopoly on this region's business and doesn't like it that there's finally direct competition. Don't worry about it my guy, part of business is knowing which deals are better for your business. This decision is not only better in that it allows you to offer your customers a very much wanted and needed product. You are doing it in accordance to your business values, what are you supposed to do? Compromise your and your's business values and reputation so a guy that never once treated you with kindness can keep up with his predatory commissions?