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View Full Version : OT: Wish me luck, Guys..



Richard N.
07-14-2005, 03:27 AM
I don't think I've done a personal plea on here before but here goes....

In my day job I am a cost consultant, and was hired by my current company almost 8 years ago to head up a new project with a new client.

Over the years I built up the contract from dealing with about 10% of that client's work (other comapnies dealing with the remainder) to for the last two years dealing with 100% of all that client's projects nationally - and we're talking multi-millions of pound projects here.

After all that time and effort, they have re-tendered the works and it looks pretty much like the whole project is going to be civen to another company - who has no experience in this sector - who are about 10% cheaper than our company.

Luckliy this is no great shakes becasue we have just secured another couple of clients that more than make up for the loss of this contract.

So why do I need the luck?

Well I've got to go to a meeting this morning with my client - ostensibly to discuss all the operational issues that could be improved to make the new consultant's life a lot easier! So I've got to go and sit there knowing that they will only be my client for two more weeks, and convince them that I am trying to help them, but obviously I don't really want to do anything of the sort.

It'll be a fine balancing act of keeping them happy (you never know when you'll need an old client again in the future) but not giving away any of our trade secrets to help the new guys on the block.

Should be fun!

I'll let you know how it goes later on tonight.

:)

DPDAN
07-14-2005, 03:53 AM
Never burn bridges

Good luck! :)
Dan

wes37
07-14-2005, 05:30 AM
Richard,

I also work with contractors, and the key is to stay focused on the client's needs, not the new contractor's needs. If they want something that is proprietary, simply tell them that you will have to clear some of the requirements with your management chain, but will try to give them everything they require. Your management then needs to determine what is proprietary and what can be shared.

Styxx
07-14-2005, 07:07 AM
Hey Richard. Sounds as if you already have 'em beat! My wishes for the best of luck for you this morning!

Philzy
07-14-2005, 09:37 AM
Good luck richard

dermod
07-14-2005, 11:14 AM
Old comedian's proverb. Leave them laughing. In all senses of the words.

rikp
07-14-2005, 12:40 PM
One thing that I have learned in this life...there is always tomorrow. They will remember you and how gracious you were at that meeting. Believe you me, they will be back, and you will probably work with them again, because of how you acted at that meetinghttp://www.northernsounds.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gifhttp://www.northernsounds.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif


Peace

Rik

southportJim
07-14-2005, 01:30 PM
Richard,

I also work with contractors, and the key is to stay focused on the client's needs, not the new contractor's needs. If they want something that is proprietary, simply tell them that you will have to clear some of the requirements with your management chain, but will try to give them everything they require. Your management then needs to determine what is proprietary and what can be shared.

Richard,

I've also spent my career working as a contractor and have been thru this situation several times. Wes37's advice is right on target...stay focused on the customer (who WILL remember how you conduct yourself), provide transition help to the new contractor right up to that "proprietary line", BUT don't offer the new contractor anything they don't have the sense to ask for.

Good Luck!
;-)

Richard N.
07-14-2005, 06:20 PM
Thanks for the good thoughts and advice guys, it's much appreciated.

I'm pleased to say that the meeting went very well - all I did was repeat issues that we'd already raised in the past and that had already been minuted - so I gave them nothing more than they should already have been aware of. They thought that the meeting - and my coments - had been really useful.

Amazing, all they really needed to have done was read the previous minutes.

The biggest laugh was that they said at the end of the meeting that they hadn't actually made their minds up as to who they were actually going to award the contract to, and that we were still in the frame.

Still, at least I didn't burn any bridges or pi$$ anybody off.

Best of all for me, I had the afternoon off and enjoyed the brief, swealtering summer that is currently in the UK.

Even better! - I had a session with a big band tonight and the [Tom Hopkins alert] super C's were coming out like big fat laser cannons - all in the best possible taste of course.

:)

Garritan
07-19-2005, 12:15 AM
Glad the merting went well for you. You had some people here sending good thoughts over your way (and good advice).

A session with a big band tonight with the [Tom Hopkins alert] super C's http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif - Doesn't get much better than that!

Gary Garritan