Event planners who plan similar events over and over sometimes stick with the same vendors because there is a loyal relationship. Every so often you should really look at the cost of that relationship. Get quotes from other vendors to see if they can offer you a better deal. If you really want to keep your original relationship, but find a better deal somewhere else, let your vendor know that they need to be competitive to keep you as a customer. Status quo is unacceptable and hard on your budget!
Recently, I had to order 20 tables for a career fair and my company has always ordered tables from the same party rental vendor. I looked at the previous bill and didn't understand why it seemed so expensive. Apparently, this vendor charges a $100 fee for the delivery person to bring the tables upstairs, even using an elevator. After calling two party rental companies I discovered that one of them did not charge extra to bring the tables upstairs as long as there was an elevator. The other company said that there was a charge of $.75 cents each way per table, meaning an extra $1.50 per table. Which is still dramatically cheaper than $100!
I decided to go with the company that charges $1.50 per table because the cost of each table was less expensive than the other two vendors and I got 10% off the total order for being a new customer. At the end of the day, the quote they sent me was the most affordable and I ended up saving my company $150. I am taking a risk because I've never worked with them before, but they have been amazing so far. I have the feeling that I've developed a beneficial new relationship that will continue to save the company money.
Good Job Nicole! That's the way to deal. It sure does payoff to search for the best deal and should be a practice among all businesses. Let me know how it turns out.
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