Managing Contractors and Vendors: A Practical Guide to Handling Problems
Good facility managers establish expectations, address problems early, and hold their service providers to appropriate standards.
Contractors and vendors play an important role in keeping buildings operating safely and efficiently. From HVAC service companies and plumbers to electricians, cleaning services, and general contractors, facility managers rely on outside professionals to get work done.
When you find a good vendor, that relationship can become one of your most valuable resources.
But even established relationships can run into problems.
Appointments get missed. Communication breaks down. Work quality declines. Invoices become inconsistent or arrive weeks late.
When these things happen, what should you do?
The answer isn’t always to find a new vendor. Sometimes, a direct and professional conversation is all it takes to get things back on track. The key is knowing how to address problems, establish expectations, and recognize when it’s time to move on.
Choosing the Right Vendor
Managing vendor relationships starts with choosing the right people in the first place.
Before hiring a contractor or service provider, take the time to evaluate their experience, qualifications, references, and reputation. Verify that they have the appropriate licensing, insurance, and certifications for the work they will perform.
Pay attention to how they communicate during the selection process. Do they respond to inquiries promptly? Do they provide clear estimates? Are they realistic about scheduling and project timelines?
These early interactions can tell you a lot about what to expect once the work begins.
Of course, even a well-established vendor with a good reputation can experience problems. That’s why selecting the right vendor is only the first step. Managing the relationship is just as important.
Recognizing When a Vendor Relationship Is Going Wrong
Not every mistake is a reason to end a business relationship. Contractors deal with emergencies, staffing shortages, supply delays, and unexpected complications, just like facility managers do.
The concern arises when problems become recurring and communication or accountability starts to disappear.
Here are some common warning signs:
Inconsistent scheduling: Promised service dates or completion deadlines continually change without a reasonable explanation.
Missed appointments: A vendor repeatedly schedules work but fails to show up or notify you that they cannot make it.
Poor communication: Calls and emails go unanswered, updates are difficult to obtain, or you have to repeatedly chase someone for information.
Broken commitments: The vendor agrees to correct a problem or provide information but repeatedly fails to follow through.
Declining work quality: Repairs are incomplete, workmanship is inconsistent, or the same problems keep returning.
Inconsistent invoicing: Bills arrive late, charges vary unexpectedly, or invoices include work that wasn’t authorized or is difficult to verify.
These issues affect more than your relationship with a vendor. They can disrupt maintenance schedules, delay projects, create budget problems, and leave building systems or equipment in less-than-ideal condition.
The sooner you recognize a pattern, the easier it is to address it before it becomes a bigger problem.
What to Do When Things Aren’t Going Right
1. When a Vendor Repeatedly Misses Appointments
One missed appointment may be understandable. Repeated no-shows are a different matter.
When a vendor schedules a service visit and fails to arrive, your staff may have spent time preparing for the work, provided access to a building, or adjusted other maintenance activities around that appointment.
When it happens more than once, explain the impact.
For example:
“We’ve had several scheduled appointments that were missed, and this is beginning to affect our maintenance schedule. I understand that unexpected issues arise, but I need to be able to rely on the dates we agree upon. Going forward, please notify me as soon as a scheduled visit needs to change and confirm a realistic date for completing the work.”
This approach is direct without being confrontational. It acknowledges that unexpected circumstances happen while making it clear that repeated missed appointments are unacceptable.
If the vendor cannot meet the agreed schedule, ask them to provide a realistic alternative rather than continuing to accept dates that aren’t kept.
2. When a Vendor Stops Responding
Few things are more frustrating than waiting for a response from a contractor when you need an answer to move forward with a project or repair.
Start by following up through another communication channel if appropriate. If you’ve been calling, send an email outlining what you need and why you need it.
Be specific and establish a reasonable deadline for a response.
For example:
“I’m following up on the repair we discussed last week. I need an update on the status and an estimated completion date so I can plan our maintenance schedule. Please get back to me by Thursday afternoon.”
If the vendor still doesn’t respond, consider escalating the issue to a service manager or company owner.
Keep a record of your attempts to communicate. If the lack of response continues, you may need to consider another provider.
3. When Communication Is Poor
Good communication is essential to an effective vendor relationship.
You shouldn’t have to wonder whether a contractor is coming, whether a repair has been completed, or whether an unexpected delay will affect building operations.
Establish communication expectations early. For example, require vendors to notify you promptly when schedules change, provide updates on ongoing projects, and communicate any unexpected costs before proceeding with additional work.
If communication begins to deteriorate, explain what you need to see improve.
Avoid general statements such as “Your communication has been terrible.” Instead, describe the specific problem.
For example:
“I’ve had difficulty getting updates on the status of our recent service requests. Going forward, I need confirmation of scheduled visits and notification of any delays or changes. This will help me coordinate the work and keep our building operations running smoothly.”
Clear expectations give the vendor an opportunity to correct the problem and give you a standard against which to evaluate future performance.
4. When Work Quality Is Unacceptable
Poor workmanship requires a different approach because it can affect equipment reliability, building conditions, occupant safety, and future maintenance costs.
If the completed work doesn’t meet the agreed scope or applicable requirements, document the deficiencies. Photographs, service reports, and written descriptions can help establish exactly what needs to be corrected.
Contact the vendor promptly and explain what is wrong, referencing the original scope of work or agreement where appropriate.
Be clear about the corrective action you expect and establish a reasonable timeline.
For example:
“After reviewing the completed work, I’ve identified several items that do not meet the agreed scope. I’ve attached photographs and a list of the deficiencies. Please review these items and let me know when you can return to correct them.”
Give the vendor a reasonable opportunity to address legitimate concerns. However, don’t allow repeated callbacks and incomplete repairs to become the accepted standard.
Critical Building Systems Require Immediate Attention
Deficiencies involving fire protection, electrical systems, life safety, or other critical building systems must be treated with urgency.
These systems are essential to protecting people and property, and restoring them to proper working order should never be treated as routine maintenance with a flexible completion date.
If a vendor’s work leaves one of these systems impaired or not operating as intended, contact the vendor immediately and request an on-site meeting with a company representative as soon as possible, ideally that same day or the following day at the latest.
The purpose of the meeting is to review the deficiencies, establish a corrective action plan, and agree on a timeline for restoring the system to proper working order. Any interim safety measures or required notifications should be addressed immediately, without waiting for the meeting.
Document all communications and agreements with the vendor by email, including the identified deficiencies, corrective actions, responsible parties, and expected completion dates.
Equally important, notify your supervisor or management team so they are aware of the situation, understand the risks, and know that corrective action is underway.
5. When Invoicing Is Inaccurate or Delayed
When Invoices Don’t Seem Right
Invoices should be clear, accurate, and consistent with the agreed pricing and work performed.
If a bill contains unexpected charges, unexplained price increases, duplicate items, or work you don’t recognize, compare it with the original estimate, contract, work order, and any authorized changes before approving it.
Then ask the vendor for clarification.
For example:
“I’m reviewing the invoice and noticed that several charges differ from the approved estimate. Before I process it, could you provide an itemized breakdown and explain the differences? I want to make sure our records accurately reflect the work performed and the agreed pricing.”
There may be a legitimate explanation, such as authorized additional work, material price changes, or an expanded scope. If unexplained charges continue to appear, document the pattern and reconsider whether the vendor’s billing practices meet your expectations.
When Invoices Are Consistently Late
Timely invoicing is important for maintaining accurate financial records, tracking maintenance expenses, and managing budgets.
If a vendor regularly takes weeks or months to submit invoices, explain that delayed billing makes it difficult to track expenses against the correct budget period and can create financial reporting problems.
Ask the vendor to follow a consistent invoicing schedule, such as submitting invoices promptly after completing the work or according to the terms of your agreement. If late invoicing continues, follow up in writing and review the applicable contract or purchase terms.
Knowing When It’s Time to Move On
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, things don’t improve.
You’ve communicated the problem, established expectations, allowed a reasonable opportunity for correction, and documented the ongoing issues. Yet the missed appointments, poor communication, billing problems, or unacceptable workmanship continue.
At that point, you need to evaluate whether the relationship is still serving your facility.
A long-standing relationship doesn’t automatically justify continued business. Familiarity and convenience are valuable, but they cannot outweigh persistent problems that compromise building operations, service quality, or financial accountability.
Before making a change, review the contract, termination provisions, outstanding work, and any applicable notice requirements. Identify potential replacement vendors and plan the transition to minimize disruption.
For critical services, avoid leaving essential maintenance or life safety responsibilities uncovered while changing providers.
You should also consider whether the problem is specific to an individual contact or reflects the company’s overall performance.
Sometimes, changing representatives or establishing a different service arrangement can resolve the issue.
However, when a vendor repeatedly fails to meet reasonable expectations and shows little willingness to improve, moving on may be the most responsible decision.
Final Thoughts
Managing contractors and vendors is about more than finding someone who can perform a particular job.
It’s about building professional relationships that support the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of your facility.
Good vendors understand the importance of communication, accountability, quality workmanship, and keeping their commitments. Good facility managers establish expectations, address problems early, and hold their service providers to appropriate standards.
Another important part of vendor management is having a backup plan. For essential building systems such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, and life safety, avoid relying on a single contractor or service provider.
Whenever possible, establish relationships with at least two qualified vendors for critical services.
If your primary vendor is unavailable, unresponsive, or unable to meet your needs, you’ll have a secondary option to call. Having these relationships in place before a problem occurs can help minimize delays, protect building operations, and ensure critical issues receive the attention they require.
You don’t need to be confrontational to manage a vendor effectively. You need to be clear, consistent, and willing to have difficult conversations when necessary.
Give vendors a fair opportunity to correct problems, but don’t allow repeated poor performance to become the norm.
Your responsibility is to protect the building, its occupants, and the operation. Managing vendor relationships effectively is part of that responsibility.
Willow Facilities — Protecting People. Protecting Property.
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