There is an element of trust that comes with being a preferred vendor. The client must be comfortable with the price and services that they've been promised, and confident that they've received both at the completion of a project. Miss the mark on either of those, and the potential of that client coming back for a future project dwindles.

Building a relationship such that a client won't feel the need to bid out a project takes time to establish. Just like any relationship, the relationship between vendor and client usually begins with a toe-in-the-water. This phase can be shopping the vendor around, or rewarding a small project here and there until the client feels cozy enough with the vendor for a larger, more involved project. And as with any relationship, trust is the currency on which its established.

We know what it takes to see a major C-Store fixture project through from start to finish and we've been fortunate enough, with 45 years experience in this industry, to have that time to precisely hone those skills. We have experienced the pitfalls and glories, the failures and successes, of executing a larger C-Store design and build, and we learn from each one to better ourselves. This also allows us to help guide our clients away from those problems that they've yet to experience, building trust.

During that initial phase of the client-vendor relationship, however, we often find ourselves in a bid war with another fixture vendor. (We get it, because we do the same thing before we hang our hat on some of the equipment vendors that we rely on.)  We're forced to look for ways to cut costs by not sacrificing what we pride ourselves on. We often see that when we lose a bid, it's because we weren't able to cut deep enough into the fat without hitting the meat.

Enter our standards. There's a certain point that some millwork suppliers will go, where we dare not. Because when we venture out into dangerous territory such as sub-par building materials, or poorly executed craftsmanship, we know that not only is our reputation on the line, but so is the trust of our client that we hold in such high regard. Sometimes to get the project, when a fixture manufacturer is hungry enough, they're willing to sacrifice more than we are.

You see this when you get up close to a finished project. You'll notice gaps where there should be a seamless top. You'll see sagging doors, or no shelf inside. The countertop may be showing signs of failure under the tremendous weight of the fountain and ice maker. If you're clever enough, you may be able to identify particle board in a wet area where plywood should be. All of these sneaky ways to cut costs to the manufacturer only end up with eventual, if not immediate, client disappointment. Sure the other guy got the project, but at what cost to his name?

Would you trust a vendor, any vendor, that cut costs by sacrificing quality and longevity to the good you were being sold? How would you know before it's too late?

Trust. That's how you know.