Vendor Reference Checks

Do you know the right questions to ask?

For example, of the following eight (8) questions, four (4) are good, and four (4) are not so good. Do you know the difference?

  • What’s your relationship with the vendor?
  • How well has the vendor worked out for you?
  • Would you recommend the vendor?
  • Describe a situation where the vendor disappointed you and how they rectified the situation.
  • What are some things you’d like the vendor to do differently?
  • Have you had any major problems with the vendor?
  • Give one reason you wouldn’t recommend the vendor.
  • How do you interact with the vendor?

If you don’t know which of the questions will yield the answers you need to make a good decision in vendor selection, check out Charles’ recent piece on Vendor Reference Checks: Worthless or Worthwhile, because it’s not only what you ask, but how you ask it. (After all, a vendor will never give a bad reference.)