On 1 January 2013 18:01, Paul English <[email protected]> wrote:

> Do you receive frequent cold calls from vendors? Offers of lunch at the
> local steak house? (always a tad off-key for a vegetarian) Just checking in
> to see if your IT needs are being met calls?
>
> I've had cold callers I've never spoken with muscle our receptionist into
> forwarding to my desk with the "need to continue a conversation with your
> IT manager.."
>

If they're dishonest just to get through, I'll ask them to never call me
again, and
will make a note of their business name so that I can never buy from them,
ever.

Where I worked last we made an effort to build a close business relationship
with our storage supplier, and it really paid off in the long term. Superb
support,
quick responses and they really put the effort in when we were planning new
projects, or had major changes to implement. I believe "the Toyota way"[1]
involves this kind of active/active supplier relationship building as well.

Unhealthy supplier relationships are bad for everyone. Starting with lies is
probably not going to encourage a good supplier relationship.

If they seem like they're good guys, I'll talk to them, but I'll be honest
with
them too - if I'm very unlikely to need their services I'll tell them so,
politely.
Works both ways, and I like to remember that they're just doing their job
too.

John

[1] The Toyota Way - Jeffrey Liker. Fascinating reading, recommended.
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