That's HILARIOUS!

So we're contacted by a local interior design(ID) firm. This firm has a reputation around town for being sort of unfocused when it comes to what they are looking for from vendors. And then blaming those vendors when the outcome is not as expected. Call it mind reader syndrome. As in "I'm not a mind reader, please be specific".

We're on vacation and I get an email that basically says "Need items immediately, need to make an appt to come to the warehouse to see several items immediately, need measurements and addl images right away"
Sounds like a rush job.

So I email back, explain that we're not in town but please look at our website for addl images, measurements and pricing until we return.
I was not sure why prices were requested when we provide prices for everything online. But whatever. I get an email back that additional images are no good, "need to see items and take pictures in person". Ok, I understand and that's fine.

I ask which items specifically are under consideration.

There is a real reason for this. When the majority of our business started coming from New York and LA, we made the decision to go ahead and close our retail shop and moved to warehouses last summer. Our warehouses are not set up for browsing, they are set up to warehouse our stock. We get an order, I pull the item, pack it up and it's gone.

When someone makes an appointment to come to the warehouse to look at a specific item I need to make sure the item is down at ground level, unpacked and ready for inspection. We are not set up for browsing. Everything is stored vertically and well wrapped in boxes. We have 10 storage units in several climate controlled buildings within a secure facility. Knowing which items are "on the block" ahead of time is crucial. Again: several buildings, items stored, not set up for browsing.

So when I ask which items are under consideration, there is a real reason. I'm not just deciding whether the potential total purchase is high enough.

When the response is "everything" this presents a problem. It means either the person making an appointment doesn't know what they want and is looking to browse OR wants to buy everything in stock. Which would be wonderful, but unlikely.

So we are aware that when a request comes in for an appointment but a specific item is not of interest, this is most likely about to be a waste of everyone's time. We are not set up for browsing.

We get a lot of messages on the office phone that go something like this "Hi this is so and so, I'll be in town this afternoon and I wanted to make an appointment to come by and look at your store around 2pm?" often this call comes in around noon giving a scant 2 hour window to set it up. Usually when I return the call, thankfully most people confess they just wanted to browse around and kill time. Most are happy to look at the website when I explain that warehouse really means warehouse. Not a cool-industrial-secret-password-warehouse-that-looks-exactly-like-a-retail-store warehouse.

So anyways. after all the immediate rush-rush email business, the ID does not contact me until a WEEK after we've returned to town. Hmm. Then the ID needs to see one item. Just one. We've gone from needing EVERYTHING to just one coffee table.
It's the most inexpensive coffee table we have. It's priced at HALF of it's wholesale price because it has no glass. I have already priced the glass and know what it will cost, the table WITH new glass will still be half of it's lowest retail price.

While looking at the table the ID tells me they just bought a 'truck load" of items from someone in Dallas who I wholesale to regularly.
If I'm charging 400, this person in Dallas is charging 1,600. So, I feel confident that this table will be purchased. It's a documented/known designer piece, it's gorgeous and it's very affordable.

The table goes out on 3 day approval. 5 days later I get an email, they like the table but they can't afford to buy glass for it. Ok. Please bring the table back.
What else can I say?

It is not my responsibility to make items fit a clients budget. When returning the item the ID accusingly tells me that they called for a glass quote and it was going to cost almost as much as the table.

Hmm. Well, A. I obviously got a much better quote and B. the item is clearly listed as "priced without glass". Even including the cost of overpriced brand new glass this table is still HALF it's retail price. Had the ID not snapped at me the ID might have heard who gave me a much better quote. Also, if price really is a problem, I'm not understanding why they are purchasing "truck loads" from someone whom I wholesale to.

The whole experience was weird. This is the second time I've been told by this particular ID that my item is exactly what they want but that it is not in their client's budget. I am not expensive and my prices are not a secret. I didn't like the way this experience went.

I don't think I will work with this ID firm again. It's not worth the hassle. I almost feel better that other local sellers and service providers feel the same way about this ID.