ugh, I need more coffee to deal with this
Fisher is the primary supplier for the UT med school system. We receive a sizeable discount on lab supplies and disposables from them, and given the current fiscal constraints under which we operate, that means that Fisher is the distributor from whom I order many of our day-to-day supplies. We have limited storage space, so I try to keep one extra of large bulk items (like cases of 10-cm culture dishes), and when that is opened, order a new one. I placed an order three weeks ago. For something that was in stock at the Houston warehouse. Has it arrived yet? No. I called a week ago. Was told it'd ship that day, arrive last Thursday. Nope. Called Monday. Was told it would ship Monday and arrive Tuesday. Nada. Called this morning. Was told it would ship today, arrive tomorrow. I'm not holding my breath.
And it's not just this one item. This is the fourth order in a row, over the last three weeks, that I've had items that were in stock just... not ship. Not arrive. Be delivered to some location not in my building. Schedule something that is in stock to be delivered a month after it was ordered. Seriously, Fisher, do you WANT me to take our business elsewhere? I realize it's not much on the scale of their annual sales to UT, but still. Not supplying our orders in a timely manner fucks up our lab plans.
>:/
I'm gonna see if I can work a deal with a smaller vendor, if I can order a bulk quantity of some items, to get a discount. Because at least with smaller companies, they usually are more motivated to make sure you receive your orders and are satisfied enough to make a repeat customer.
Also on a work note, the lovely, shiny, newly renovated dark room? Not so shiny now. Somehow a crack developed in the bottom of a pail of X-Out, the chemical EHS requires us to put down the drain to keep the dark room chemicals from clogging it. It has leaked onto the tile floor and reacted with the tile adhesive, swelling into a mound that is about 4 inches high. Found secondary containment, cleaned up what I could, but wow. Is this really something we want to be putting down the drain? Really? Ugh.
On a happier note: I am going to develop some westerns and stain some cells for confocal imaging, and think about comment-fic involving the items in my icon. And maybe tonight I'll have time to edit and post some fic.
♥
And it's not just this one item. This is the fourth order in a row, over the last three weeks, that I've had items that were in stock just... not ship. Not arrive. Be delivered to some location not in my building. Schedule something that is in stock to be delivered a month after it was ordered. Seriously, Fisher, do you WANT me to take our business elsewhere? I realize it's not much on the scale of their annual sales to UT, but still. Not supplying our orders in a timely manner fucks up our lab plans.
>:/
I'm gonna see if I can work a deal with a smaller vendor, if I can order a bulk quantity of some items, to get a discount. Because at least with smaller companies, they usually are more motivated to make sure you receive your orders and are satisfied enough to make a repeat customer.
Also on a work note, the lovely, shiny, newly renovated dark room? Not so shiny now. Somehow a crack developed in the bottom of a pail of X-Out, the chemical EHS requires us to put down the drain to keep the dark room chemicals from clogging it. It has leaked onto the tile floor and reacted with the tile adhesive, swelling into a mound that is about 4 inches high. Found secondary containment, cleaned up what I could, but wow. Is this really something we want to be putting down the drain? Really? Ugh.
On a happier note: I am going to develop some westerns and stain some cells for confocal imaging, and think about comment-fic involving the items in my icon. And maybe tonight I'll have time to edit and post some fic.
♥