Situation
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Regardless of what you do in this instance, hopefully you've at least learned a lesson :)
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Customer-A & Customer B are into joint venture. Customer-A's manager directly interacts with us on a product. Customer-A is a long time one, so he pays only 20% of the product's cost. Customer-A introduces Customer-B. Since they are in JV, I assumed, everything is transparent. Over a conversation, Customer-B asks, how much we charge for Product-X for customer-A. I say the discounted cost. i.e $200. (When actual cost is $1000) Just after a day, Customer-A dials and warns me not to disclose the discount details. He says it's a disgrace for their brand to pay such a low amount for the product/service, (but he wouldn't pay the $1000 as well :| ) He wants to project to customer-B that he's paying $1000, the actual cost. But, now that I had already shared the details to customer-B. What a mess! :doh: Now I'm just keeping quiet. Should I go back to Customer-B & say the shared info was wrong. or should I dial back customer-A and say it's too late to correct this. (Please excuse the unprofessional data sharing. This is how things working here in mini-start-ups, since we tend to be customer friendly, we end up getting roughed up like this. But personally both these customers people are nice behaving)
Okay so you made the mistake of telling B how much A pays. However in your favour, B really should not have asked you to disclose how much A was paying and you were probably caught off guard. The best thing to do now is let your manager deal with the fallout and apologise to your manager. We all mess up and $800 is not a huge amount. Treat it as a a lesson, don't beat yourself up over it and stand up straight and take what comes to you - it will make you a stronger person.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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Customer-A & Customer B are into joint venture. Customer-A's manager directly interacts with us on a product. Customer-A is a long time one, so he pays only 20% of the product's cost. Customer-A introduces Customer-B. Since they are in JV, I assumed, everything is transparent. Over a conversation, Customer-B asks, how much we charge for Product-X for customer-A. I say the discounted cost. i.e $200. (When actual cost is $1000) Just after a day, Customer-A dials and warns me not to disclose the discount details. He says it's a disgrace for their brand to pay such a low amount for the product/service, (but he wouldn't pay the $1000 as well :| ) He wants to project to customer-B that he's paying $1000, the actual cost. But, now that I had already shared the details to customer-B. What a mess! :doh: Now I'm just keeping quiet. Should I go back to Customer-B & say the shared info was wrong. or should I dial back customer-A and say it's too late to correct this. (Please excuse the unprofessional data sharing. This is how things working here in mini-start-ups, since we tend to be customer friendly, we end up getting roughed up like this. But personally both these customers people are nice behaving)
It's customer A's fault - they should have told you not to discuss anything with customer B. Since they didn't and you're not telepathic... It's not your responsibility to manage the relationship between the two customers.
Keep your friends close. Keep Kill your enemies closer. The End
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If it's too early to call you an idiot, just let me know... I can wait until later.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013 -
Customer-A & Customer B are into joint venture. Customer-A's manager directly interacts with us on a product. Customer-A is a long time one, so he pays only 20% of the product's cost. Customer-A introduces Customer-B. Since they are in JV, I assumed, everything is transparent. Over a conversation, Customer-B asks, how much we charge for Product-X for customer-A. I say the discounted cost. i.e $200. (When actual cost is $1000) Just after a day, Customer-A dials and warns me not to disclose the discount details. He says it's a disgrace for their brand to pay such a low amount for the product/service, (but he wouldn't pay the $1000 as well :| ) He wants to project to customer-B that he's paying $1000, the actual cost. But, now that I had already shared the details to customer-B. What a mess! :doh: Now I'm just keeping quiet. Should I go back to Customer-B & say the shared info was wrong. or should I dial back customer-A and say it's too late to correct this. (Please excuse the unprofessional data sharing. This is how things working here in mini-start-ups, since we tend to be customer friendly, we end up getting roughed up like this. But personally both these customers people are nice behaving)
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Okay so you made the mistake of telling B how much A pays. However in your favour, B really should not have asked you to disclose how much A was paying and you were probably caught off guard. The best thing to do now is let your manager deal with the fallout and apologise to your manager. We all mess up and $800 is not a huge amount. Treat it as a a lesson, don't beat yourself up over it and stand up straight and take what comes to you - it will make you a stronger person.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
-
Customer-A & Customer B are into joint venture. Customer-A's manager directly interacts with us on a product. Customer-A is a long time one, so he pays only 20% of the product's cost. Customer-A introduces Customer-B. Since they are in JV, I assumed, everything is transparent. Over a conversation, Customer-B asks, how much we charge for Product-X for customer-A. I say the discounted cost. i.e $200. (When actual cost is $1000) Just after a day, Customer-A dials and warns me not to disclose the discount details. He says it's a disgrace for their brand to pay such a low amount for the product/service, (but he wouldn't pay the $1000 as well :| ) He wants to project to customer-B that he's paying $1000, the actual cost. But, now that I had already shared the details to customer-B. What a mess! :doh: Now I'm just keeping quiet. Should I go back to Customer-B & say the shared info was wrong. or should I dial back customer-A and say it's too late to correct this. (Please excuse the unprofessional data sharing. This is how things working here in mini-start-ups, since we tend to be customer friendly, we end up getting roughed up like this. But personally both these customers people are nice behaving)
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Customer-A & Customer B are into joint venture. Customer-A's manager directly interacts with us on a product. Customer-A is a long time one, so he pays only 20% of the product's cost. Customer-A introduces Customer-B. Since they are in JV, I assumed, everything is transparent. Over a conversation, Customer-B asks, how much we charge for Product-X for customer-A. I say the discounted cost. i.e $200. (When actual cost is $1000) Just after a day, Customer-A dials and warns me not to disclose the discount details. He says it's a disgrace for their brand to pay such a low amount for the product/service, (but he wouldn't pay the $1000 as well :| ) He wants to project to customer-B that he's paying $1000, the actual cost. But, now that I had already shared the details to customer-B. What a mess! :doh: Now I'm just keeping quiet. Should I go back to Customer-B & say the shared info was wrong. or should I dial back customer-A and say it's too late to correct this. (Please excuse the unprofessional data sharing. This is how things working here in mini-start-ups, since we tend to be customer friendly, we end up getting roughed up like this. But personally both these customers people are nice behaving)
R1911 wrote:
Just after a day, Customer-A dials and warns me not to disclose the discount details. He says it's a disgrace for their brand to pay such a low amount for the product/service,
Really? Unless he's reselling it to B in some manner, for more than he's paying, he's childishly immature. If this is local to you, maybe it's a cultural thing. I mean really, if B was interested in your product because he likes what A has gotten from you, your problem is with A being an asswipe.* * increase the price he is paying so he can brag about it to his business associates!
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010
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It's customer A's fault - they should have told you not to discuss anything with customer B. Since they didn't and you're not telepathic... It's not your responsibility to manage the relationship between the two customers.
Keep your friends close. Keep Kill your enemies closer. The End
R. Giskard Reventlov wrote:
It's customer A's fault
Incorrect, if it is not his job (sales) then he should never discuss price. It is a lesson every tech sales support person learns. Being in a small startup there is probably not a delineation of roles :sigh: .
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
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R. Giskard Reventlov wrote:
It's customer A's fault
Incorrect, if it is not his job (sales) then he should never discuss price. It is a lesson every tech sales support person learns. Being in a small startup there is probably not a delineation of roles :sigh: .
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
I would disagree with you - without the experience or instructions, how would he know what to discuss or not? And I still feel that Customer A needs to make clear up front what they can and can't talk about to Customer B, especially when the chap in the middle is told it's a joint venture. It's not his responsibility to figure all that out. Having said that, you're right that he should not discuss price - always send that discussion up the line.
Keep your friends close. Keep Kill your enemies closer. The End
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I would disagree with you - without the experience or instructions, how would he know what to discuss or not? And I still feel that Customer A needs to make clear up front what they can and can't talk about to Customer B, especially when the chap in the middle is told it's a joint venture. It's not his responsibility to figure all that out. Having said that, you're right that he should not discuss price - always send that discussion up the line.
Keep your friends close. Keep Kill your enemies closer. The End
R. Giskard Reventlov wrote:
without the experience or instructions
And there is the problem! The guy is in a shitty situation it is not a wonder there was a mistake made. We all make them even at the latter stages of our careers (guilty).
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
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R. Giskard Reventlov wrote:
without the experience or instructions
And there is the problem! The guy is in a shitty situation it is not a wonder there was a mistake made. We all make them even at the latter stages of our careers (guilty).
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
Mycroft Holmes wrote:
We all make them
Yup, and I make some doozies (according to my wife :-))
Keep your friends close. Keep Kill your enemies closer. The End
