And then there was World War II. It pulled technicians out of the workforce, disrupted production, and created what we would now call a labor shortage. Though we ended up the victors, everything lost in between, leaving many unsure where to go next. 

The strain on both labor and supply was real, and the frustration that followed feels very familiar. 

That brings me to this piece from 1946. This time, the frustration isn’t just coming from the writer — it’s coming from the industry itself. Specifically, from contractors. 

Before you jump in, I want you to think about a few things. Use this as a bit of a gut check, and if you’re willing, share your answers with us online or on social media. The goal here is simple: figure out how much has actually changed.

• Are today’s supply chain challenges worse, better, or the same as past disruptions? 
• What causes more stress today: labor shortages or equipment delays? 
• Do you trust manufacturers and distributors to be transparent about inventory? 

Now, take a look at what HVAC dealers were saying in 1946.

Dealers Aren’t Very Happy About Things Today

For the prize understatement of 1946, we nominate the above headline. Not in the writer’s memory — no, not even in the dark days of 1933 and 1934 — has the morale of appliance dealers been at a lower ebb than it seems to be now.

Frustrated people — that’s what they are. Apparently it isn’t nearly so discouraging to have insufficient orders as it is to have too many orders and no merchandise.

During the last few weeks we have attended several dealer meetings in different localities. Wherever we’ve gone, the attitude has been the same: an almost hopeless sort of despair.

Many dealers are quarrelsome. They harbor the jealous suspicion that their distributors are holding out on them, are playing favorites. Others insist on believing that the manufacturers are deliberately stockpiling — waiting for a break from the OPA. Many more blame strikes and low labor output.

These latter are 100% right. The former two suspicions are 99% wrong.

There’s one aspect of the picture which has misled many dealers, we believe. That is “multiple shopping.” A prospect who needs a refrigerator, or a range, or water heater, may place orders with two dozen dealers. Now, that prospect doesn’t want two dozen refrigerators. She just wants the first one she can get.

Some few distributors who have taken the trouble to check names and addresses of “firm orders” placed have found considerable repetition of the same names among their own dealers. And they conjecture that these repeaters have also been around to see dealers who handle competitive lines.

Like political machines in some big cities, these “voters” are simply stuffing the ballot boxes.

All this pyramids up into dizzy pictures of demand.

Of the fact that the demand is there, and that it is larger than anything known heretofore, there is little question. But is it anything like as big as many dealers and distributors believe it is?

Pressures on field salesmen, and on distributors, are in geometrical proportion to those visited on dealers. And if you’re a factory sales manager — well, you’re on a very hot seat indeed.

No home appliance merchandising man — anywhere up or down the line — can be comfortable nowadays, or in a happy frame of mind.

All we can do is counsel patience. Every man in the business has frayed nerves today — but this is no time for short tempers or recriminations or accusations.

Everybody is in the same boat. Manufacturers are eager to sell all the goods they can, and so are distributors and dealers. To each the deficiency in supply is a nightmare.

Some day people will feel like working again. And when that happy day comes, we’ll all be back in business.

After reading this, you tell us: Are we really that far removed from 1946?