Annoying Vendors

[JerH]

So, I'm at my desk and the receptionist calls and says I have a call from "John Doe" with "Something Industries". I've never heard of this guy before, but decide to take the call anyway. So, he started talking to me about a project that one of our Manufacturing managers, Jim, had apparently met with him about 8 months ago. I told him that I wasn't on that project team and only knew a little bit about it. This does not prevent him from talking about it for about 15 minutes, with me occasionally responding with an "I don't know" or equivalent, until he asks if he could visit in two weeks to discuss the project. I tell him I have to check with that project's manager and will get back to him. Finally, he's off the phone. Over the course of the next half hour, he calls 3 times (and has me paged) asking about what time we should meet (I do not answer any of these calls). I asked Jim, who said "we don't want to work with him - I talked to him once and then he wouldn't stop calling me - I had to practically threaten him to get him to stop." I also find out that he'd tried calling 2 other managers here before I took the call. I sent him a message saying "fuck off, we don't have any business for you" (in nicer terms, though).

So I'm really curious - did he think I wouldn't ask Jim about him before confirming a meeting? And does harassment and annoying potential customers actually work as a sales tool for him?

[Lord Ashtar]

Originally Posted by JerH

And does harassment and annoying potential customers actually work as a sales tool for him?

It must, otherwise he wouldn't do it. Either that or he's trying to get fired.

I actually had a vendor call me one time to try and sell my company on some cell phone plan. His pitch said, "Because you advertise in the Yellow Pages, I'd like to offer you some free cellphones."

First off, never mind the fact that I worked in a gym at the time. I can't imagine what our staff would have needed cell phones for. Second, he basically admitted he was cold calling everyone in the phone book. I laughed at him and hung up.

[JerH]

Originally Posted by Lord Ashtar

Either that or he's trying to get fired.

I don't think so - he's an independent rep for the company, not an employee. I think he's just one of those people who take what they actually hear and rearrange it in their mind so that you said what they wanted to hear. Examples:

Idiot sales guy: So, can I come in next time I'm in town to discuss this?
What I say: It's not my project, so I have to check with the other department.
What he hears: Yes, please come in - I will make sure the other department is available.

ISG: What's going on with Project X?
What I say: I don't know - I'm not on that project, but I think it's on hold.
What he hears: It's on hold, but if you call every week I'll be sure to let you know when we're ready to get quotes.

ISG: So, when should I call back?
What I say: Never, you evil spawn of the devil. I will devour your soul and burn your dog if I ever hear from you again.
What he hears: How about next Wednesday?

[Lord Ashtar]

Originally Posted by JerH

Idiot sales guy: So, can I come in next time I'm in town to discuss this?
What I say: It's not my project, so I have to check with the other department.
What he hears: Yes, please come in - I will make sure the other department is available.

ISG: What's going on with Project X?
What I say: I don't know - I'm not on that project, but I think it's on hold.
What he hears: It's on hold, but if you call every week I'll be sure to let you know when we're ready to get quotes.

ISG: So, when should I call back?
What I say: Never, you evil spawn of the devil. I will devour your soul and burn your dog if I ever hear from you again.
What he hears: How about next Wednesday?

Wow, this reads like a Dilbert strip.

[Duke]

Something I've been tempted to use on a vendor:

It: "How'd you like to buy our Overpriced Useless Software?"
Me: "Sorry, we have no money in the budget for new software till the end of the fiscal year."
It: "When does your fiscal year end?"
Me: "February 29, 2012."

[Snooooopy]

Originally Posted by Lord Ashtar

First off, never mind the fact that I worked in a gym at the time. I can't imagine what our staff would have needed cell phones for.

WHY? To alert each other to the presence of hot chicks IMMEDIATELY!

[Lord Ashtar]

Originally Posted by Snooooopy

WHY? To alert each other to the presence of hot chicks IMMEDIATELY!

Bah. We didn't need cellphones for that. They had a system in place before I even started working there.

[Wonko The Sane]

I had some cold-calling toad on the phone, and basically told her that I had no purchasing authority, and was not in a position to reccomend anything to anyone.
She kept pushing, and eventually got the point. Her boss then called me up, and started talking to me about how he spoke to my cow-orker Kerry, and how she (Kerry) and the boss had an existing relationship, blah, blah, blah, so I let him go on for a bit, and then clued him in on one simple fact.

Kerry is a man.

So far, they've never called back. Plus, on a holiday weekend where everyone leaves early except the lowest man on the totem pole, why are you cold-calling?