Anyone else tired of supply chain issues?

[MN Fisher]

12 minutes ago, Koz said:

Exactly what kind of work are they doing now? I'm genuinely curious.

Call centers probably - trying to sell you something.

 

I've gotten 2-3 times as many 'sales calls' per week since the pandemic started than in any year previous to that.

[flyfisher]

14 minutes ago, Koz said:

Exactly what kind of work are they doing now? I'm genuinely curious.

 

Perhaps they have skills that they never tapped into before, but typical manual laborers and fast food workers don't have, say, coding skills or something along those lines that many people do from home. 

Alot are doing customer sevice.  I know many of the call centers are even utilizing work from home business models and it is a natural step up from a lower paying customner service job.

 

[slonezp]

I manage a commercial/industrial HVAC/R supply house. I've been waiting on some parts for over a year. It's been good and bad and by that, I mean I've been able to upsell, sell in bulk, and get PO's quicker. Fortunately, for me, I'm not an OEM. The OEM's are suffering because they can only sell their stuff. For example, the local Carrier distributor sells Carrier gas valves, which are manufactured by White Rodgers. They need to purchase them from Carrier whereas I buy directly from White Rodgers. Carrier ran out of certain gas valves this winter. I have since run out of the White Rodgers valves because people couldn't get them from Carrier. The other advantage I have is I can cross reference many out of stock parts to another brand. The OEM's can't do this. Lastly, I'm smart enough to sell a single stage gas valve as a replacement for the 2 stage valves they(we) are out of. A 2 stage gas valve has a low fire and high fire vs a single stage gas valve that only fires on high fire. Yes, you'll lose efficiency but you'll have heat. The OEM will only sell you what belongs in thee furnace. This summer should be interesting as there is a shortage of compressor components. No components means no compressors and yes, I've been waiting on some compressors for over a year. Again, I have the ability to cross reference to other manufacturers. 

[Bankbeater]

Some of the retail and grocery stores are paying $15-$16-$17 as starting pay, but there is a flip side to this.  I am seeing a lot more self check outs, and more self serves around in the stores.

Are the stores using more self service items due to lack of workers, or are the store using them in place of the workers?

[MN Fisher]

40 minutes ago, Bankbeater said:

Are the stores using more self service items due to lack of workers, or are the store using them in place of the workers?

Lack of workers - local store lost 1/3 of their employees due to various things including COVID, so installed 6 self-checkout slots in place of 3 regular lanes.

[Skunkmaster-k]

14 hours ago, slonezp said:

I manage a commercial/industrial HVAC/R supply house. I've been waiting on some parts for over a year. It's been good and bad and by that, I mean I've been able to upsell, sell in bulk, and get PO's quicker. Fortunately, for me, I'm not an OEM. The OEM's are suffering because they can only sell their stuff. For example, the local Carrier distributor sells Carrier gas valves, which are manufactured by White Rodgers. They need to purchase them from Carrier whereas I buy directly from White Rodgers. Carrier ran out of certain gas valves this winter. I have since run out of the White Rodgers valves because people couldn't get them from Carrier. The other advantage I have is I can cross reference many out of stock parts to another brand. The OEM's can't do this. Lastly, I'm smart enough to sell a single stage gas valve as a replacement for the 2 stage valves they(we) are out of. A 2 stage gas valve has a low fire and high fire vs a single stage gas valve that only fires on high fire. Yes, you'll lose efficiency but you'll have heat. The OEM will only sell you what belongs in thee furnace. This summer should be interesting as there is a shortage of compressor components. No components means no compressors and yes, I've been waiting on some compressors for over a year. Again, I have the ability to cross reference to other manufacturers. 

I use universal parts on what I can, but warranty work is a different story. 

[Koz]

17 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Some of the retail and grocery stores are paying $15-$16-$17 as starting pay, but there is a flip side to this.  I am seeing a lot more self check outs, and more self serves around in the stores.

Are the stores using more self service items due to lack of workers, or are the store using them in place of the workers?

Without a doubt. Look at what Walmart is doing at all of their stores. They take out 2 - 4 cashier lanes and put in 8 - 16 self checkout stations.

[long island basser]

18 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Some of the retail and grocery stores are paying $15-$16-$17 as starting pay, but there is a flip side to this.  I am seeing a lot more self check outs, and more self serves around in the stores.

Are the stores using more self service items due to lack of workers, or are the store using them in place of the workers?

Using them in place of the workers imo.

This has been going on for years , long before any pandemic.

[Log Catcher]

23 hours ago, slonezp said:

I manage a commercial/industrial HVAC/R supply house. I've been waiting on some parts for over a year. It's been good and bad and by that, I mean I've been able to upsell, sell in bulk, and get PO's quicker. Fortunately, for me, I'm not an OEM. The OEM's are suffering because they can only sell their stuff. For example, the local Carrier distributor sells Carrier gas valves, which are manufactured by White Rodgers. They need to purchase them from Carrier whereas I buy directly from White Rodgers. Carrier ran out of certain gas valves this winter. I have since run out of the White Rodgers valves because people couldn't get them from Carrier. The other advantage I have is I can cross reference many out of stock parts to another brand. The OEM's can't do this. Lastly, I'm smart enough to sell a single stage gas valve as a replacement for the 2 stage valves they(we) are out of. A 2 stage gas valve has a low fire and high fire vs a single stage gas valve that only fires on high fire. Yes, you'll lose efficiency but you'll have heat. The OEM will only sell you what belongs in thee furnace. This summer should be interesting as there is a shortage of compressor components. No components means no compressors and yes, I've been waiting on some compressors for over a year. Again, I have the ability to cross reference to other manufacturers. 

I know what you are talking about on crossover parts. Where I always ran in to trouble was when they built something to some odd specs. I had to have bearings replaced in the motors on some exhaust hoods several years ago. They made them an odd size and the only way to get them was to order from the original manufacturer. I couldn't find a replacement motor that would in this design. I ran in to this on several other pieces of equipment we had but it was a lot easier to get what I needed for them.

[Spankey]

On 3/28/2022 at 7:38 PM, slonezp said:

I manage a commercial/industrial HVAC/R supply house. I've been waiting on some parts for over a year. It's been good and bad and by that, I mean I've been able to upsell, sell in bulk, and get PO's quicker. Fortunately, for me, I'm not an OEM. The OEM's are suffering because they can only sell their stuff. For example, the local Carrier distributor sells Carrier gas valves, which are manufactured by White Rodgers. They need to purchase them from Carrier whereas I buy directly from White Rodgers. Carrier ran out of certain gas valves this winter. I have since run out of the White Rodgers valves because people couldn't get them from Carrier. The other advantage I have is I can cross reference many out of stock parts to another brand. The OEM's can't do this. Lastly, I'm smart enough to sell a single stage gas valve as a replacement for the 2 stage valves they(we) are out of. A 2 stage gas valve has a low fire and high fire vs a single stage gas valve that only fires on high fire. Yes, you'll lose efficiency but you'll have heat. The OEM will only sell you what belongs in thee furnace. This summer should be interesting as there is a shortage of compressor components. No components means no compressors and yes, I've been waiting on some compressors for over a year. Again, I have the ability to cross reference to other manufacturers. 

I hear that man. Some real simple stuff I’m pulling my hair out on. But I’m at the point now I can only do so much. A lot of after market parts are out of where factory parts come from. I didn’t create the situation. But it plays on your mind some when all you want to do is get something up and running. 

[Spankey]

20 hours ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

I use universal parts on what I can, but warranty work is a different story. 

I’ve been able to find a few machine parts recently on eBay. I hate eBay. I don’t like the lack of direct contact, and overall process. I recently had a guy that was not willing to ship something faster when I was gonna compensate him for doing so. Wanted 2nd day if possible. 
 

I talked the guy into doing it. In return all he wanted was a gift certificate to Applebees for him and his old lady. I’m still shaking my head on that one. Applebees suck to boot. 
 

im still shaking my head as to how that yo-yo even had the part I needed. The heck with that or where it came from. I’m up and going and that’s all I care about.