posted January 29, 2013 07:53 PM
I worked in the building & construction industry once-upon-a-time. Company I worked for supplied an important piece of equipment for towers and skyscrapers. I was relatively new. One day a customer (contractor) called to ask where his shipment was. It was way past overdue. My coworkers told me to lie-- say it would be there in only two more weeks, when I saw that it was more six to eight!!What a dilemma! I realized this contractor had put others on hold because of us. His subcontractors could be working around our part of the project while they waited on our equipment to show up.
I took responsibility (braved losing my job) and told the man the "actual" more reasonable date he could expect the equipment. (It wasn't 'our' fault that the shipment would be late; but I say it would have been our fault for giving him misleading information.)
Of course! the contractor was furious and blew up at me. He yelled--- but what was better? Knowing the inadvertable truth, so he could go ahead and PLAN, or submit to my boss and coworker and "lie" like I was told to do?
What ended up happening is that my boss and the co-worker were livid with me!
BIG HOWEVER... I quickly gained a level of 'credibility' among our customers, and with this contractor specifically. He 'trusted' what I told him---, which increased his own productivity, which increased his buying more equipment from our company, which brought a new vein of profitability for my boss.
Toward the end of my stay in that company, I had built a network of trust among a series of subs and contractors. Because we could rely on each other, we were able to coordinate and pull off some amazing tasks in our half of the country.
Right or wrong?
The letter of the law kills; the spirit brings life...
Lindaland
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posted January 29, 2013 01:47 PM
posted January 29, 2013 03:16 PM