In some industries, the bar is set so low that anyone who shows even basic competence looks like a superstar. Case in point: I emailed a prospective vendor with some questions. They responded within a few hours and answered my questions clearly — using no fewer than seven complete sentences, I might add.

From what I’ve seen, most people working in that particular industry are borderline illiterate and severely condescending to customers, which is hardly a great formula for sales success. And yes, the inept jerks manage to get by just fine. Maybe they have strong connections with buyers or there’s only a very limited number of people trying to take their place. No matter what the cause, talented and competent vendors are few and far between.

With the bar set so low, it’s especially nice to find a vendor that actually has a clue how to interact with customers and treats you with respect. I only wish there was something I could do as a customer to help drive more business towards the people that actually know what they’re doing. Unfortunately, when you’re dealing with industries where word-of-mouth is virtually nonexistant, the incumbent bozos are bound to stick around for a lot longer than you’d expect.