None of Your Bid-ness?
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- Arvizu
Is it normal for a print-rep who didn’t win a bid to ask for “a copy of the report of quotes”??? I’m guessing that’s a request to look at her competitor’s bids? Is that ethical? I’m asking myself, “HWQBNR?” (How Would QBNers Respond?)--I ask myself that a lot. Normally the answer is Grey Goose and tonic but that’s not working in this situation.
So, how would you respond to this request?A little background: this printer-rep has been uncomfortably aggressive in the past--to the point of freaky. She’s been making threats to go to our Boss (we're in-house) because we’re not giving them enough chances to bid, and when we do—they’re not winning enough of them—you know, strangely interesting acts of desperation like that. I dunno...what do you think?
- mrdobolina0
tell him to fuck off if he can't compete.
- morilla0
NO, they have no right to see them.
- ian0
I think everyone pitching for a job would love to know how they lost it, what the competitors did better and what costs were offered up.
Most people dont ever find these things out. She is one of these people.
- capn_ron0
Hell no you don't show her the competition quotes. That will screw her. She doesn't need to know if she is too expensive, or if you are trying to get a better price from her. Keep her in the dark and tell her she will get jobs when she has the best prices.
- schoolbusrock0
If she already makes you uncomfortable, what's the point in going the extra mile and giving here what she is demanding? Be straight forward and say that you think its un-ethical.
- flavorful0
No, she's bat shit crazy never let her bid on anything again.
Also, I love this thread title.
- morilla0
Plus, you should keep a log of her behavior and give it to your boss. Then he can go to her boss and present the problem and say they have a nut job on their staff who is clueless.
- flavorful0
Actually to be honest, this isn't all that uncommon but in my practices this only involves very large (millions of dollars) contracts. Reason being that in contracts that I've been a part of, there are very real chances that companies at that level will be dealing with each other in the future.
And also the actual contracts, and bids are not necessarily shared, it's just information in regards to.
I've had clients tell me that we came at the right price, but they paid more to go with "bigger" name, or that we came in too high but proved our worth compared to lower bids by direct competitors of ours who were obviously just trying to get business by any means necessary.
These things are more casual in nature than actual bids and the like.
- Melanie0
On occasion I have given a printer insight into competitors quotes (after the fact), but that's only with printers I have a really good relationship with. Or I'll let them know they lost because of price, quality of work, lack of service, etc.
Other than that, I'm busy and if they harass me for more and more information then they're off my list for future work.
- gramme0
Clever thread title,
Don't tell her anything. It's inappropriate for her to ask. I'd cut a printer out of any possible future bidding if they pulled something like that on me.
- flavorful0
Yes, it's inappropriate to gramme's point, and anytime I've gotten such information has been from Melanie's point in that we just had a good relationship prior.
- Melanie0
Flavourful, I thought we were going to keep our "good relationship" on the down-low? I don't want people to know that you might be slippin' me some "information".
- Llyod0
I have no experience in this matter but it seems insane.
- AndyRoss0
Tell her that selecting a printer is kind of like selecting a prostitute.
Price isn't the only factor.