The 5-Minute RFQ That Cost 5 Weeks of Delays

We all move fast these days. Emails fly. RFQs stack up. And when you're juggling multiple projects, it’s tempting to go with the first quote that checks all the boxes:

✅ Cheap
✅ Fast
✅ “No questions asked”

But here’s the hard truth we see far too often:

The fastest quote can turn into the slowest job.

Let me tell you a quick story.

The RFQ That Looked Straightforward

We got a call from a new buyer, we’ll call her Emily. She was frustrated, behind schedule, and stressed out. She had sourced a simple-looking aluminum bracket from a large vendor known for fast turnarounds. The quote came back quickly. The part was cheap. They placed the order.

No questions were asked. No red flags raised.

It was supposed to ship in 7 business days.

Then Everything Went Sideways

Day 9: No parts.
Day 11: Parts arrive—but they’re wrong.

• Two critical holes were undersized

• Surface finish was rough and uncoated

• One corner radius was machined too sharp, causing a crack during installation

The vendor apologized and said the print didn’t specify the finish clearly. The corner radius? “Oh, our CAM software just followed the edge.” As for the holes “We assumed a press-fit, not clearance.”

Sound familiar?

Emily was now 3 weeks behind schedule and had to go back to her boss and explain why this “simple part” was holding up the whole assembly.

Enter Mills Machine Works

She sent us the original print with a short note:
“Can you help?”

Before we quoted it, we:

• Called to ask about fit and function

• Clarified surface finish expectations

• Checked the mating components

• Suggested a slight design tweak to eliminate a weak feature

• Quoted the job with real timelines, based on real capacity

Parts were delivered in 6 business days, and worked flawlessly.

What Went Wrong the First Time?

It wasn’t the machine.
It wasn’t the drawing.
It was the assumption.

Too many shops treat quoting like a race. Whoever replies first wins.
At Mills, we treat quoting like an engineering process. Whoever understands the job best wins your trust.

Final Thought

Fast quotes are great, until they cost you 5 weeks of delays, 2x the cost, and your credibility with your team.

At Mills Machine Works, we quote to solve problems not just to win the job. We’d rather ask the tough questions up front than hand you a part you can’t use.

👉 Send us your next RFQ. We'll quote it fast—but we’ll quote it right.