There is an easy fix: Simply have a check box on the order form (net or mail) indicating, "Do you wish only a full order be shipped?" By checking the box, you are agreeing to wait for the entire order to be filled prior to shipping. That is fine with me. I hate paying the extra shipping!

JC

Tom is absolutely correct regarding all the hidden costs. It seems that, in many businesses, many don't understand this; even some people actually running the businesses. I think this is why so many businesses go under. As I try to slowly enter the rodbuilding business, I am keeping all kinds of time-study records, so that I will have a handle as to how much time each activity requres, on average. Unfortunately, until I get faster, which hopefully will come with time, I would be losing money on most jobs if I pay myself $20 per hour. Of course, it is sorta a circular problem, as the more experience I have, the better I will get too, and can charge more. Of course, marketing is really the key. If I can get a lot of positive name recognition, I can charge a LOT more.
For the past 30 years I have been in industrial marketing, and in this area most are "rational buyers". Here in this business, though, no one is a rational buyer (if so, they would all be going to Walmart for their rods). Custom rod customers have many psychological buying motives, and we have to trigger as many of these as we can.

But, I agree with the others about the backorder policy of many suppliers. In my business, industrial belting, we would lose many customers if we charged twice for freight. Many times we have to absord a little bit of cost in such situations, so that we keep the customer over the long term.

There is something that I think folks are forgeting. When you receive an order , do an inventory on it and if it inludes back ordered items immediately call the supplier and cancel the order on the back ordered items. You would think that the eighth largest city in the US (San Antonio) would have someone who stocks some rod building conponents. It doesn't, so I have to order from out of town. When doing this I always do it by phone and ask what all is in stock and make my mind up if I want to on with the order or just tell the supplier to forget it. Gradually build up your inventory of guides, reel seats, tip tops, thread ect so that you don't have to make a special order when you feel the urge to build a rod.

Something else that I feel causes the back order problem is having too many manufacturers of componets, namely guides. Builders see pictures of shiny stuff with glitzy rings and immediately have to have some. This causes the suppliers to have to stock way more stuff than they need to and in smaller numbers, thus causing many of the back orders. I stick to one brand of guides, one that most of the suppliers have in stock..

I learned a long time ago that shipping costa are just one part of the deal and have learned to live it.

Gerald Mc