Strong-Armed for Loyalty: When Your Jobber Becomes the Problem

As a business owner in the collision repair industry, relationships matter. We rely on consistent support, trustworthy partnerships, and product quality to keep our operations running smoothly. For years, I’ve maintained a solid relationship with this paint company, using their premium line of paint with excellent results. The product speaks for itself — high performance, excellent durability, and strong OEM alignment. But while the paint has never let me down, my relationship with my jobber that supplies it has become a different story.

It’s one of the largest vendors in our region that has been supplying me with both paint and parts. In theory, this should have been a win-win partnership. Unfortunately, over the past year, that relationship has soured due to questionable business practices, lack of local support, and, most recently, a blatant attempt to strong-arm my business when I began exploring other paint options.

Let me be clear: I wasn't planning to jump ship. Another paint company approached me, and I gave them the professional courtesy of hearing them out. That’s what responsible business owners do — we assess our options to make the best decisions for our operations. I wasn’t unhappy with the product I was using, but I’ve had persistent issues with my jobber. Chief among them: they have knowingly sold me expired paint. Not once, but multiple times.

In a city of nearly a million people, that this jobber has almost no local representation is baffling. I run a busy shop, and when I have questions or issues, I need someone who can respond quickly. That simply doesn’t happen. My "sales rep" is basically a delivery driver with no experience who, through no fault of her own, has been forced to carry the burden of this company’s customer service failures.

So when my jobber caught wind that I was considering switching paint lines, I expected a conversation. Maybe an effort to understand what wasn’t working. Perhaps even a proactive solution to earn back my loyalty. Instead, they sent that same delivery driver to deliver a message that can only be described as a threat: if I moved my paint business elsewhere, I could expect my parts discounts — negotiated years ago based on the volume of parts I buy — to be slashed. No more returns, even on unopened products bought less than 30 days ago.

Let that sink in.

The discounts I earned through my buying power are being held hostage. The message is clear: "Stay with us or pay the price." This isn't a discussion; it’s blackmail. And the messenger? A sweet pregnant woman with no power in this situation, doing her job while having to deliver their ultimatums that should’ve come from someone in a position of leadership. Shame on my jobber.

This isn't how good business is done.

Small business owners like me already face enough challenges — shrinking margins, labor shortages, and increasing OEM complexity. The last thing we need is to be bullied by vendors who think they’re too big to fail. And let's be honest — both companies offer high-quality paint systems. But the one trying to win my business has shown me more professional respect in one meeting than my jobber has in the past two years.

What this experience has taught me is that loyalty in this industry often flows one way. When you’re a consistent, high-volume customer, vendors love you. But the moment you start asking questions or thinking independently, suddenly the relationship changes. Instead of earning your continued business, some companies try to trap you in it.

That’s not loyalty. That’s control. I battle enough of that with the insurance companies.

I haven’t made my final decision on switching paint lines. I still respect and value the paint manufacturer and the strong relationships I have built with them. But my relationship with my jobber? That’s broken. And I don’t know if there is anything they can do to rebuild the trust they’ve torched.

If there’s a message here for other shop owners, it’s this: never let yourself be bullied into staying quiet. Speak up. Demand transparency. And don’t be afraid to explore options that truly serve your business — not just the bottom line of a supplier who thinks you owe them something.

Because at the end of the day, we don't owe our loyalty to companies who only value us when they’re afraid of losing us.