Irony Knocks

I find it interesting how companies have so many standards that they expect their customers to uphold, but yet when it comes down to it - do not want to abide by themselves. Let me fill you in on a situation I ran into today, well actually many times but this is just fresh on my mind.

I am in sales, and I want to say that I have met with a variety of companies who consistently surprise me by the way they conduct business with their vendors. For example, COMPANY X today, here I am talking to the potential client about products and services. The contact on the account is clearly interested in what I have to offer. We discuss in detail the product, service, etc. and then the question comes up. I bet you can guess it. Nope not that one. Not may I have your business - the potential prospect asks me, 'who long is your service agreement?'. I reply with my typical 3 year term agreement. Immediately, I am given the cold shoulder and the response 'we won't sign an agreement for your service'. I find this very interesting considering that COMPANY X is in the service industry themselves and works strictly from contracts.

Hmmm. Well then how do you expect me to guarantee your price for any length of time? Do you realize that by not signing an agreement this is basically allowing your service provider the freedom to change pricing at any time without notification? Not real smart mister buyer.

Let me just tell you that in that moment I wanted to let the potential client know how idiotic they were in their so called reasoning, but I just had to sit there and listen. Lovely, so you keep making your clients sign for their services and hang your vendors contractually out to dry. I wonder how your clients would feel if they knew you ran this type of operation. Irony knocks, unintelligent answers.

Needless to say, I doubt this account will go anywhere - don't get me wrong I can sign a month to month agreement, but imagine what would happen every time our pricing fluctuated. Listen folks, I understand the hesitation with the economy and signing a contract, but the fact is that a contract guarantees your pricing for the length of the term. Figure it out - how do think oil companies make so much money.