Giving Your Printer A Tongue-Lashing Can Cost You Money In The Long Run

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, March 15, 2001

Relationships with printers need to be built on trust and goodwill, says Alex Brown, president of Printmark. Don't fly off the handle if your printer makes one mistake. In the long run, major blowouts will only hurt the quality of your service--and they affect price. For instance, let's say your printer fails to insert a reader service card.

From that point on, the error-in your mind--turns into a galvanizing picture of failure and ineptitude. You charge that the printer knows nothing about his business, and tell him that you expect everything to be perfect all the time. But how about cutting him a break instead? Voice your concerns, but endeavor to keep the goodwill needed for a successful long-term relationship. Brown says a tongue-lashing actually does affect price because a customer is perceived by the printer as prone to making unrealistic demands and inclined to major confrontations. "I'm not saying a printer should be allowed to make a host of mistakes, but it's important to keep them in perspective," says Brown. "Don't let a volcanic eruption destroy a relationship." After all, there aren't as many vendors out there as there used to be.