The "hidden" cost of winning a new contract
I have to tell you about a conversation I had this morning with one of our customers ( I did ask him if I could use this story).
To set the background, he is the MD of a Print Company that has to entertain their customers a lot as they serve the entertainments industry.
A few months ago they won a significant contract worth millions and they decided to wine and dine their customers in the West End of London. The Sales Manager had the envious task of organising and hosting the event.
There was a group of 9, they went to a top restaurant, drank lots of Bollinger and expensive wine. They then decided it would a great idea to go to a nightclub to finish off their evening before going back to their rooms at the Hilton Park Lane( which is not a cheap hotel).
As you can imagine they were very drunk, but the important thing is that everyone had a great time and the relationships that were formed are really solid.
Early the next week, the Sales Manager submitted his expenses and the MD thought he would just check everything was OK as they were fairly hefty claims. Imagine his surprise when he came across a receipt and claim for a raincoat.
He pulled the Sales Manager into his office and asked him why there was an expenses claim for a raincoat. The Sales Manager earnestly told him that he had lost his raincoat that night in London, couldn't remember where he had left it due to the copious amounts of alcohol drunk and therefore as he was on company business, the company should buy him a new raincoat.
The MD obviously told him to in the nicest possible way to remove this claim and re-issue his expenses, which the Sales Manager grudgingly did. Anyway a few months passed (as did a few more expense claims).
Recently the Sales Manager and the MD went out for Dinner and the Sales Manager was wearing a new raincoat. The MD asked him if he had ever found the raincoat to which the Sales Manager laughingly replied "no I didn't, but neither did you !"
I am sure there are many other great stories out there and if you would like to share them with us all , please feel free to post your comments.
To set the background, he is the MD of a Print Company that has to entertain their customers a lot as they serve the entertainments industry.
A few months ago they won a significant contract worth millions and they decided to wine and dine their customers in the West End of London. The Sales Manager had the envious task of organising and hosting the event.
There was a group of 9, they went to a top restaurant, drank lots of Bollinger and expensive wine. They then decided it would a great idea to go to a nightclub to finish off their evening before going back to their rooms at the Hilton Park Lane( which is not a cheap hotel).
As you can imagine they were very drunk, but the important thing is that everyone had a great time and the relationships that were formed are really solid.
Early the next week, the Sales Manager submitted his expenses and the MD thought he would just check everything was OK as they were fairly hefty claims. Imagine his surprise when he came across a receipt and claim for a raincoat.
He pulled the Sales Manager into his office and asked him why there was an expenses claim for a raincoat. The Sales Manager earnestly told him that he had lost his raincoat that night in London, couldn't remember where he had left it due to the copious amounts of alcohol drunk and therefore as he was on company business, the company should buy him a new raincoat.
The MD obviously told him to in the nicest possible way to remove this claim and re-issue his expenses, which the Sales Manager grudgingly did. Anyway a few months passed (as did a few more expense claims).
Recently the Sales Manager and the MD went out for Dinner and the Sales Manager was wearing a new raincoat. The MD asked him if he had ever found the raincoat to which the Sales Manager laughingly replied "no I didn't, but neither did you !"
I am sure there are many other great stories out there and if you would like to share them with us all , please feel free to post your comments.
posted by Heidi Whitelock @ 09:23
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