I have a rule when I do business: treat your vendors and service providers like your partners.
Their success and your success are linked.
For example, if you leverage them on price, are unrealistic in your demands, or expect steak when you paid for hamburger, it is likely that relationship will be shortlived. You should focus on winning together.
I worked for a professional services company in an industry where our customers treated us with disdain. They rarely communicated in advance regarding volume trends, they constantly rolled grenades into our office, expecting us to jump on them, and when they made an error they would invoke "the partner" card, and expect us to share the financial burdens for their errors. Their tactics lead to the failure of many of their vendors. They simply had a revolving door of providers. It ultimately cost them significantly in dollars and labor.
They taught me everything I know about how NOT to treat a service provider.
I was talking with a dear friend recently whom I worked with for many years. She reminded me of my rule and thanked me for instilling that philosophy in her. You see, she interacted with a service provider on her job where there was a mutual failure. She could have been heavy handed and required him to bear 100 percent of the loss (in fact, he offered to). Instead, she did the right reasonable thing-each person contributed their fair share. The service provider was pleasantly surprised, having become accustomed to being leveraged previously by other clients in similar situations.
Fast forward a year or so.... My friend is looking to relocate back to her home state to be closer to family. The service provider, with a lasting impression of the integrity and character of my friend, recommends her for a job close to her home. She not only got the position; she was able to increase her compensation and was able to continue to work with that service provider.
Treating your vendors like partners has long term positive consequences not only on your business but on your relationships.
Make decisions for the long haul-being nice pays long-term dividends!
Learn more about enhancing your Critical Relationships in the new book I wrote with Sherri Sutton called The EARN Method: Performing with Purpose.