Why Small Orders Deserve Respect: A Buyer’s View on Johns Manville and the Vendor Relationship

I think small buyers get the short end of the stick—and that has to change.

When I took over purchasing for our 20-person engineering firm in 2022, I figured the vendors would treat us fairly regardless of order size. Naive, I know. I manage roughly $60,000 annually across 8 vendors—everything from insulation to office supplies. And nothing has frustrated me more than the way some vendors handle small orders. Everything I’d read about B2B purchasing said “it’s just business,” but in practice, I’ve found that many suppliers treat smaller buyers like an inconvenience. I think that’s shortsighted.

It’s not just about price – it’s about being taken seriously.

Our most common purchases from Johns Manville are for attic protection and small bathroom remodels—like the Johns Manville GoBoard Shower Pan Kit (90029474) or a bundle of their attic protector. These aren’t big-ticket items individually. A GoBoard kit runs maybe a few hundred dollars at cost. But here’s the thing: we order those kits regularly. Maybe 10-15 times a year across our projects. That’s consistent revenue for any supplier. But too often, I’ve been treated like I’m wasting someone’s time.

I remember once calling a well-known distributor to ask about a $400 order—a mix of Johns Manville duct insulation and some fasteners. The sales guy’s tone shifted when I mentioned the total. He said, “For that size, you might want to just check our website.” That felt dismissive. (And honestly, that call probably took less than 5 minutes.) I ended up ordering from another place—one that didn’t make me feel small. Our relationship with that second vendor? Still strong two years later.

The real cost of ignoring small orders: lost future business and bad word-of-mouth.

Here’s a concrete example from early 2024. We needed a specific item—a solenoid valve for an HVAC project—but it wasn’t something our usual supply house stocked. I found a small vendor that carried it and placed a $180 order. They shipped on time, included a handwritten note confirming the specs, and followed up a week later asking if everything worked. I was honestly surprised (and grateful). Fast forward six months, and we needed a bigger quantity of a similar valve for a new construction project—about $2,500 worth. I went straight back to that same small vendor. That $180 order turned into thousands. Small doesn’t mean unimportant—it means potential.

In contrast, I had a different vendor for glass cutter and tool supplies who completely botched a $90 order. They sent the wrong size cutter, then argued with me about the return. The time I spent sorting it out was more than the cost of the tool (ugh). I had to eat $14 in return shipping out of our budget because they wouldn’t cover it. They lost any chance at our future tool orders, which across 2-3 years would have been $1,500+ easily. All over a $90 item.

I get it – small orders are less profitable, but there are smarter ways to handle it.

I know the math is challenging. Processing a $200 order probably costs the same in overhead as a $2,000 one. But great vendors handle it transparently. Some charge a small order fee ($10-15) and clearly state it upfront. I respect that. What I can’t respect is the silent treatment—delayed responses, no tracking, or the bait-and-switch where they quote you one price for a larger quantity but won’t even acknowledge your small inquiry.

When I was starting out in this role, I made a mistake that still bothers me. I needed Johns Manville attic protector for a quick job. The usual vendor had a 10-bag minimum, but we only needed 4. I skipped the local supply house that would have done a special order and went with a national chain instead. They delivered late (three days), and the bags were damaged. And I had paid $28 extra for “expedited shipping.” Now I always verify the vendor can handle small split orders before I place anything. (I should add that our regular JM distributor can accommodate these orders without issue—once you build that relationship.)

The counterargument: “Small buyers are picky and don’t bring repeat business.”

Some might argue that small order customers are often one-offs, or they’ll just compare prices online. And sure, some are. But my experience across 200+ orders says that treating a small customer well creates loyalty that’s worth more than the first transaction. Our company has switched some big-ticket insulation orders (thousands of dollars) to vendors who treated us well on tiny trial orders. Conversely, I’ve completely blacklisted suppliers who acted like our small orders were beneath them.

Good business means treating every order as an investment in a future relationship—not just a transaction you tolerate. I’ll keep using Johns Manville products because they’re reliable (their data sheets are solid, and the GoBoard pan kit is a great pre-sloped solution that saves install time). But I’ll go out of my way to buy them from a distributor that respects my $400 order just as much as my $4,000 one.

If you’re a vendor reading this: don’t be the one who loses a long-term account because you couldn’t be bothered with a small order. And if you’re a buyer like me: stick with the suppliers who make you feel like a partner, even when you’re just starting out.