A quote for foundation - recent experience

[sipa]

I normally buy my foundation from Peter Kemble at KBS. I know it's expensive but it really is the best coupled with great service, never had any problems.

I was looking to place an order for another 1000 sheets of national brood wired, so this time I thought I'd put it out to quote from a few of the main players.

KBS
Thornes
Maismore
C Wynne Jones
National Bee supplies
Abelo

Thornes offered 5% discount
C Wynne Jones couldn't quote for the product I wanted.
Abelo Couldn't quote for the product I wanted.
National Bees Supplies never replied.
Maisemore quoted the best price by far, but when I asked for two sheets as a sample, they couldn't spare them and proceded to lecture me on the quality of their wax. I didn't like their tone, patronising and lacking in customer service skills.

So, KBS got my order as usual. I paid more money but am perfectly happy.
None of the others who actually quoted, deserved my business.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

May I ask what (if anything) you found unacceptable with Thornes?

 

[sipa]

Gill at Thornes based her quote on my purchasing activity with them in the past.
I buy very little from them, apart from odds and sods that I might pickup directly from their Stockbridge operation.
Again I thought it odd that would determine the level of discount offered rather than the potential of more business on offer. the discount offered wasn't a big enough incentive to give them the order. I only ever ask once.

They too get rather snotty if you ask them to discount for volume, as they did when I recently asked them to quote for 2000 first quality frames, they suggested I wait for the sales and buy seconds !

 

[wightbees]

The frames I find are worth buying ( seconds) especially if you wait until nearer the end of the sale. Out of 400 only two where not of any use, the rest went together as normal. Wax I went with maisemores but only to save on postage as I bought loads of poly BB from them. I have not used it yet though as I'm still using up thorns wax.

 

[SDM]

Maismore have a foundation shortage. I've been waiting on 300 odd sheets for 2 weeks already. Apparently i might see it around the 6th.
That might explain why they didn't want to/couldn't send a sample.

 

[sipa]

KBS shipped same day as ordered.

Are you seriously saying Maisemore could not spare two sheets of foundation.. come on.

As for the frames if I'd wanted to buy seconds I'd ask for them.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Gill at Thornes based her quote on my purchasing activity ............... !

Thanks for reply....interesting. I saw some KBS wax some weeks ago from a supplier in Southern Ireland, it had a beautiful scent...hopefully not entirely synthetic! It was beautiful wax without a doubt.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Maisemore quoted the best price by far, but when I asked for two sheets as a sample, they couldn't spare them and proceded to lecture me on the quality of their wax. I didn't like their tone, patronising and lacking in customer service skills.

I have always found them exceptional in their customer servicr skills and always go 'the extra mile'
Makes me think maybe they were just reacting to the tone they got. It would be a heck of a faff and some cost to safely package and despatch gtwo sheets of wax.

 

[sipa]

Makes me think maybe they were just reacting to the tone they got. It would be a heck of a faff and some cost to safely package and despatch two sheets of wax.

Well, Johnathan obviously thought better of his email to me, as shortly afterwards emailed an apology.

 

[Swarm]

I don't see why you didn't just stick with KBS in the first place. The best quality, great service, stick with what you know.

 

[sipa]

I don't see why you didn't just stick with KBS in the first place. The best quality, great service, stick with what you know.

I'm always willing to give others a shot, but if they want to prise me away from my usual suppliers then apart from the quality of the product, the price and availability, how they handle the transaction is important too.

Businesses that fail to recognise the value of customer relationships and the potential rewards that offers, are often run by people who think they have the market to themselves.

 

[daroco]

Gill at Thornes based her quote on my purchasing activity with them in the past.
I buy very little from them, apart from odds and sods that I might pickup directly from their Stockbridge operation.
Again I thought it odd that would determine the level of discount offered rather than the potential of more business on offer. the discount offered wasn't a big enough incentive to give them the order. I only ever ask once.

I suppose they know that customers will flit around between suppliers looking for the best price - and by entering into a competition over wax prices with other suppliers they stand to lose out, so it would only make sense to offer a bigger discount to a regular customer.

 

[SDM]

Are you seriously saying Maisemore could not spare two sheets of foundation.. come on.

.

Just telling you what they told me. That they couldn't meet a paid order for 300 sheets for 3 weeks.

 

[Beefriendly]

Maismore have a foundation shortage. I've been waiting on 300 odd sheets for 2 weeks already. Apparently i might see it around the 6th.
That might explain why they didn't want to/couldn't send a sample.

That might possibly be because they also supply several of the other smaller bee companies with their foundation that they then sell on to you. And when it comes to selling a few grands worth of foundation vs a few hundred then I can figure who gets priority.
Maismore can be very slow to send stuff out. I had an order with them that seemed to take for ages....when I rang them they said they said they were busy getting things ready for one of the bee conferences....
I pointed out they seemed to be treating potential customers better than customers who had already paid them two or three weeks previous. They gruffly said we'll see if we can fit you in. I was not impressed with their attitude, although to give them due credit the order did turn up three days later....about three weeks after ordering and only after I complained to them.

 

[Hachi]

I normally buy my foundation from Peter Kemble at KBS. I know it's expensive but it really is the best coupled with great service, never had any problems.

I was looking to place an order for another 1000 sheets of national brood wired, so this time I thought I'd put it out to quote from a few of the main players.

KBS
Thornes
Maismore
C Wynne Jones
National Bee supplies
Abelo

Thornes offered 5% discount
C Wynne Jones couldn't quote for the product I wanted.
Abelo Couldn't quote for the product I wanted.
National Bees Supplies never replied.
Maisemore quoted the best price by far, but when I asked for two sheets as a sample, they couldn't spare them and proceded to lecture me on the quality of their wax. I didn't like their tone, patronising and lacking in customer service skills.

So, KBS got my order as usual. I paid more money but am perfectly happy.
None of the others who actually quoted, deserved my business.

So what? comes to mind, you got your wax and all is well with the world.....

You might also wish you update your original post reflecting the "apology" you received from Maisey's?

 

[Stiffy]

Needed 14x12 and checked prices from several suppliers. C. Wynne came out best and I ordered from them. When they arrived, I was surprised to see the foundation sent by C. Wynne was Thornes.
S

 

[sipa]

So what? comes to mind, you got your wax and all is well with the world.....

You might also wish you update your original post reflecting the "apology" you received from Maisey's?

Think you are missing the point.

 

[Hachi]

Not missing the point at all.

Whatever your motive(s) you have presented it in such away to attack Maisies knowing full well they had already issued you an apology.

You got your wax, vented your anger, now let it go, life's too short.

 

[beebopper]

Needed 14x12 and checked prices from several suppliers. C. Wynne came out best and I ordered from them. When they arrived, I was surprised to see the foundation sent by C. Wynne was Thornes.
S

Visited Wynne's whilst up that neck of the woods.
Surprisingly small operation but my what a beautiful location.
The owners were so nice I was completely blown away and asked them to give be a ring if ever they are selling up.

 

[Fusion_power]

Foundation is certainly available on flee bay and from dozens of small suppliers right up to the businesses that make it. I needed at least 1000 sheets of 10 5/8 (270 mm) foundation for the hives I've been building over the last 1.5 years. I called Dadant and spoke to the guy who is in charge of manufacturing foundation and requested at least 600 sheets of 10 5/8 in 5.1 mm cell size wired with hooks. He told me the minimum order would be 200 pounds and that it would take at least 9 months to get to the point they could run it. At 5.1 sheets per pound, 200 pounds works out to just over 1000 sheets. I didn't even ask what the total price would be because I knew who I was dealing with and knew they would do the job right at a reasonable price. It was 10 months before they changed their machines over to run 5.1 foundation. I received it in February of this year. Final cost including 25 pounds of wired shallow foundation was no more and no less than their standard price for wired brood foundation on a per pound basis. The foundation supplied is good quality and the right cell size. My point is simple. Deal with reputable suppliers. It has been my experience that you get what you pay for.

Here is a picture of 225 pounds of foundation in the boxes as received

And this is a sheet of 5.4 laid on top of a sheet of 5.1 to show the difference.