Sigh - How not to do business..

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So i had previously recommended a place called Pheonix metals in the atlanta area as some where to get steel and Aluminum.. Well guys you can skip them.I wanted to grab one stick of 6063 Al Tube 1x1x.125 - Figured i would buy the whole 21'1" of it as well Cheaper than getting it online and paying shipping. Not to mention these guys are 5 miles from my house. Save me a trip to the steel yard down town.The quote... $ 7.19 lft o.OSeriously? I can buy it from RIP you OFF online metals by the foot for half that. and if i get more than a foot i can get it down to almost 1/3rd of that cost. The response i got when i asked him about it:"For 1 pc I am dead serious. If you want to give me a serious bill of goods and some info. on your company then we can discuss further. "Nah Ill just give my business to someone else. I will how ever laugh every time i drive past your place to buy AL at Tull Ryerson or IMS ga Steel.
Reply:200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:I got a quote from my local supplier for 1x1x1/8 6061 at about $3 per foot in 20' lengths.  1-1/2 sq x 1/8 wall tube was about $5 per foot.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I couldn't buy one single stick of AL from my supplier for a decent price.  I ended up upping the order to THREE sticks, for the SAME price as the single stick.  They go by weight.
Reply:Originally Posted by brendonvI couldn't buy one single stick of AL from my supplier for a decent price.  I ended up upping the order to THREE sticks, for the SAME price as the single stick.  They go by weight.
Reply:I'll contrast your experience with my own relationship with my local steel supplier; Buckeye Metals.I frequently need small pieces for gussets or fish plates and the like.  I walk in, say hello to the owner, and then ask if I can get some drops from their saw area or shear.  Then I pick through the pile, grab the 3 or 4 pieces of 5/16", 1/4", 3/16", or 1/8", random sizes, but all about 1/2 square foot.  The owner says $10 for the lot, and I pay him and walk out.  On a couple occasions I needed a short length of pipe or tubing, and he's handed it to me and said have a nice day.His prices on full sticks or sheets might not be quite as low as the large suppliers in Dayton, but I'll buy everything from him just because the service is everything you could want.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:You have to look at the economy's of scale.   his overhead for handling, processing and pulling one 20' is fairly close to the cost of pulling 30 of them.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:Originally Posted by DualieYou have to look at the economy's of scale.   his overhead for handling, processing and pulling one 20' is fairly close to the cost of pulling 30 of them.
Reply:We have multiple metal suppliers that are reasonable. If they tried hosing customers, they wouldn't have any. Word of mouth travels fast.
Reply:Originally Posted by DualieYou have to look at the economy's of scale.   his overhead for handling, processing and pulling one 20' is fairly close to the cost of pulling 30 of them.
Reply:It's funny how everybody likes to think their time is gold, however, the guys at the metal service centers should work for peanuts, and make a profit doing soHey, it's a free world.   If you don't like it, go somewhere else.   Obviously, the place you went to, decided they couldn't make a profit, selling you one stick, for the price you decided that one stick was worth.   Very possibly, their decision was made on past history, they just decided you were not worth doing business with.   It's not like it's Walmart, after all.   Obamananana would probably disagree with me here, but I never felt any vendor of mine was a public service, they are after all in business to make a profit, and paying somebody $20 or $30 per hour to go take ONE piece out, tag it, do the paperwork, load it on your truck, is pretty much a profit killer.  Think about this one a bit, think about what YOU make per hour (probably overpaid), and think about the true costs of your employer paying you whatever, it's a lot more than you think.   If the internet supplier can do it cheaper, why complain about it?  Just use him.
Reply:Originally Posted by socoj2so that gives him more of a reason to be a douche? The place i normally buy is 4-5 times his size and gives me the same prices whther i buy 1 or 500 with out the douchyness.
Reply:wow why would they be so expensive?
Reply:Originally Posted by snappy101wow why would they be so expensive?
Reply:Originally Posted by jsfabIt's funny how everybody likes to think their time is gold, however, the guys at the metal service centers should work for peanuts, and make a profit doing soHey, it's a free world.   If you don't like it, go somewhere else.   Obviously, the place you went to, decided they couldn't make a profit, selling you one stick, for the price you decided that one stick was worth.   Very possibly, their decision was made on past history, they just decided you were not worth doing business with.   It's not like it's Walmart, after all.   Obamananana would probably disagree with me here, but I never felt any vendor of mine was a public service, they are after all in business to make a profit, and paying somebody $20 or $30 per hour to go take ONE piece out, tag it, do the paperwork, load it on your truck, is pretty much a profit killer.  Think about this one a bit, think about what YOU make per hour (probably overpaid), and think about the true costs of your employer paying you whatever, it's a lot more than you think.   If the internet supplier can do it cheaper, why complain about it?  Just use him.
Reply:Originally Posted by jsfabSo,,,,,   the question is, why didn't you go there, instead????     Is it possible, that place also, is getting tired of your penny-pinching and micky-mousing, and you just don't want to admit it here?????
Reply:Originally Posted by socoj21. I have NEVER done business with this company before so they dont know me for adam. They also dont know if im buying 700 feet or 20 feet. i asked what their price on 1x1x .125 aluminum square tube.2. Did i ever complain about them making a profit or something?hmm $20 an hour to load metal. Speaking of someone over paid.. I bet he is a union worker. Probably gets full benifits as well. $.33 a minute x 3 minutes worth of work.... vs $1.59 of labor. If he had charged me $2.50 a foot and not been a douche i would have bought it. he is making at least $.60 a foot times 20' feet. $10 gross profit for 3 minutes worth of work... Discounting his entirely over paid employee. I guess now you are going to complain about the cost of the shop electricity cost of his business license etc.. etc...Did i insult your children or something? Phillip is that you?
Reply:Originally Posted by MetarinkaI like how this becomes an anti union rant based on an assumption.  I highly doubt the metal loader/ drop saw attendant is union, if so I don't even know what union that would be.   Anyways assuming he's the owners top dawg, goto guy does a bangup job and is faster than anyone else. if he's lucky to be making 20/hr or even 10/hr there's still about $15/hr+ in overhead on any employee. I wish our overhead is that low it's closer to $50/hr but we aren't a fab shop. that means a guy sweeping our floor is costing us $50/hr + his pay.have you ever shopped there before maybe they are calculating in a minimum or they are a big supplier and not setup for the little guys.   A lot of shops in my area won't take one-off work from the little guys, they have minimum orders and won't sell single sticks just because they aren't setup to process those order.  Order 20 and the price is competitive and they'll deliver for free. Order one and you'll pay for 5. It's nothing personnel they just aren't the walmart of stores and don't want to deal with the general public.I do have a nice local supply house that does offer good prices only charges $.25 a cut and have a "drops" area full of left over pieces they sell at scrap weight that I always scavenge for goodies. I go there when I want to get a single stick cut down accurately to my working length for cheaper than I could do it myself.  I goto the big suppliers on work projects when we need full drops 100+ sticks.
Reply:gosh, douchy supplier is douchy supplier.  I bitch about them all the time, too.