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KMA-628 · 07-07-2004, 07:57 PM

O.K., here is the scenario:

I designed a system for a customer of mine and was about to be awarded the contract ($350,000.00). (Money doesn't go to me but I do get a commission)

I don't really know how it happened, but the manufacturer I was going to use for about half the project got wind of my deal (I would be considered a dealer in this scenario). Next thing I know my customer has knocked my impending contract in half and is negotiating directly with the manufacturer to get the equipment and to have it installed (the manf. is out of state-LA- and I am local). It gets worse. My customer decides that they want to do more work with the manf. but their overall budget was $350,000. So to get more of the other stuff, my side of the contract gets knocked down to $98,000.00

Long story short, I call the manf. and get in touch with the president of the company (they probably do about 30 million a year, we do over 200 million a year). After I finished unloading on this guy, he made me an offer. This particular customer is considered a "feather-in-the-cap" type customer (high profile/looks good on a company brochure kinda thing). The guy wants his deal to close directly with my client. He also doesn't want to piss me off because we do alot of business with this manf. Its a numbers game, he stabs me in the back and I no longer spec his product-plus-I tell all of my co-workers what they did, yada, yada. He stands to lose by alienating me.

So, to the cruxt of my question, he makes me an offer.

To make me "happy" he has offered me a finders fee of 10% of the overall project on his side; it comes out to about $28,000.00

He then tells me that he can make the check out directly to me or whoever I want (i.e. my company, etc).

So.....

Do I take the money or do I turn it in to my company?

Before you answer, you have to know and understand the following things:

1) I am working on this project as a representative of my company. Yes, it is my customer (in fact I brought them in), but they have done business with my company so they are considered an official client of my firm.

2) I work in a very close-knit industry. It is very inbred, everybody knows everybody else.

3) I have created a pretty good reputation for myself in this industry. I am fairly well-known.

However, the money has been offered to me, personally, no strings attached.

What would you do?

/and no, I am not making this up

07-07-2004, 07:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
KMA-628 ....is off his meds...you were warned. Location: The Wild Wild West	What would you do? O.K., here is the scenario: I designed a system for a customer of mine and was about to be awarded the contract ($350,000.00). (Money doesn't go to me but I do get a commission) I don't really know how it happened, but the manufacturer I was going to use for about half the project got wind of my deal (I would be considered a dealer in this scenario). Next thing I know my customer has knocked my impending contract in half and is negotiating directly with the manufacturer to get the equipment and to have it installed (the manf. is out of state-LA- and I am local). It gets worse. My customer decides that they want to do more work with the manf. but their overall budget was $350,000. So to get more of the other stuff, my side of the contract gets knocked down to $98,000.00 Long story short, I call the manf. and get in touch with the president of the company (they probably do about 30 million a year, we do over 200 million a year). After I finished unloading on this guy, he made me an offer. This particular customer is considered a "feather-in-the-cap" type customer (high profile/looks good on a company brochure kinda thing). The guy wants his deal to close directly with my client. He also doesn't want to piss me off because we do alot of business with this manf. Its a numbers game, he stabs me in the back and I no longer spec his product-plus-I tell all of my co-workers what they did, yada, yada. He stands to lose by alienating me. So, to the cruxt of my question, he makes me an offer. To make me "happy" he has offered me a finders fee of 10% of the overall project on his side; it comes out to about $28,000.00 He then tells me that he can make the check out directly to me or whoever I want (i.e. my company, etc). So..... Do I take the money or do I turn it in to my company? Before you answer, you have to know and understand the following things: 1) I am working on this project as a representative of my company. Yes, it is my customer (in fact I brought them in), but they have done business with my company so they are considered an official client of my firm. 2) I work in a very close-knit industry. It is very inbred, everybody knows everybody else. 3) I have created a pretty good reputation for myself in this industry. I am fairly well-known. However, the money has been offered to me, personally, no strings attached. What would you do? /and no, I am not making this up __________________ Before you criticize someone, you need to walk a mile in their shoes. That way, if they get angry at you.......you're a mile away.......and they're barefoot.