Just a Quick one - (had to share this)

I've been tasked with finding a new phone system at work. I canvassed a couple of companies and then found a "Go Compare" type site where I entered brief details of what I was looking for. Naturally, I am now inundated with calls from telephone systems salesmen - but, hey - that's life.

However - I got this one pillock called me as I was leaving the office last night. He reviewed the summary details and actually said, "I see you're looking for an expensive system!"

I put him right, perhaps a little too sharply but it WAS hometime!

On arrival at work this morning, I found an e-mail requesting an appointment and again, perhaps a bit harshly, I responded:

"Darren, 

I think you’d be wasting your time and mine….I certainly don’t want to buy a system from someone whose opening gambit is “You’re looking for an expensive system.” I could almost hear you rubbing your hands with glee at the possibility that someone might be prepared to part with plenty of cash.

To be frank (and it should be obvious to anyone) we are looking at as competitively priced and practical system as we can get . Something to suit our needs but if that proves to be expensive then we won’t bother.

I have quotes/offers/meetings from and with several other companies so I don’t think we need pursue your approach any further.
Thanks anyway."

Think I must have hurt his feelings cos I got a mail back an hour later:

"I'm sorry that you are so upset and thought I was rubbing my hands with glee at the thought of you spending lots
of money. That certainly isn't the case I assure you. All I wished to do was meet and provide you with was a specification for a telephone system and at no point following this do I put any form of pressure on a customer to purchase. My job is to help not hinder and I certainly am not in this business to rip off any business.
I wish you good luck in your purchase, sorry in this instance that you think that my intentions were wrong but once again I assure that this is not the case.

Kind Regards"


I began to feel a little bit sorry for him - maybe I was just a tad too harsh - but 20 minutes later I got this:

"Sorry to email you again but I have just spoken to my colleague who was listening to my conversation with you and they confirmed that the words I used were extensive system not expensive system. I'm sorry you misheard me and took it in the wrong way.
Good luck in the future"

Now - if the 2nd message had been his initial comeback then maybe I might have felt a bit of a pratt and given him a second chance. Gotta say the second response was clever, slow, but clever. (And if I misheard him, why didn't he point it out on the phone! He had the chance when we talked because my immediate action was to tell him we DIDN'T want an expensive system!. Anyway.)

It's Friday, it's payday, it's early finish day and the Duchess is cooking steak and chips for tea.....  so I'm in  a good mood and the correspondence will therefore end here but the "Friday smile" is broadened when I think of one of my gaffer's maxims:

"Every day you come across some individual who confirms that 'Tosser' is spelled with a double 's'."