I’d appreciate your thoughts on this problem..

[George Elsmore]

Sorry Shane i would tell them to :nag4: off the part i do not understand is if it was a tender why they should ask you after hand in hand after all if its just 2 of you invited to tender why the fuck didnt they just get you in and say look guys there is this contract we want you pair to bla bla bla maybe it works different down there???

[Marcella Ross]

I agree with Ole Georgie Boy! I’d tell him to shove it where the sun don’t shine!
As said, if only 2 of you were tendering for the job in the first…. why then ask you to ‘share’ the job. Sounds to me like they were intending choosing this guy in the first place (probably a friend of a friend kinda thing) then realising he was crap, asked you to help him out!!!!!!

Let him go and make an arse of the job himself!

[Terry Bull]

I would say NO
you produced the goods to their satisfaction superior to the other
tender
If the other guy is still in the frame it can only be because he’s a lot cheaper
they want your expertease shared with his price

Sure share the work but not your knowledge

Let them shoot themselves in the foot,,tell them to swivel

Just my veiw
Good Luck
Terry

[Martin Cole]

Toughy Shane!

The other guy must be a relative or know someone within the company.
Thats a strange set of circustances, showing him how to get your results.

I wouldn’t do it, I’d refuse and hold out to see what happens.
Although It sounds like they want the other guy in on the work regardless.

[Peter Shaw]

Shane,

If this is their level of integrity now, what will with they be like when it comes to paying? You also need to consider any ongoing support for delivered items – who deals with problems?

It seems to me an unworkable situation. I think I would say no and see if either you get the contract anyway or the other guy screws up and you are invited back in.

It sounds as though your customer has a naive buyer negotiating.

Peter

[Andy Gorman]

Shane, if you want the work then do the bare minimum to appease them. Give them the colour references and nothing else. From your description, that is the main thing the other bloke got wrong. You can’t control how quickly he can fit the signs.

Not a nice situation to be put in, being forced to make up for someone else’s shortcomings. You can’t hold his hand throughout a contract, nor should you have to. I’m sure you’ll prove to them why you should have got the whole job in the first place and maybe it’ll stand you in good stead for future contracts. Don’t cut your nose off to spite your face!

[Fred McLean]

Tell’em you’ll work alongside the guy on the contract as long as the invoices are settled 70/30 or whatever and see how that goes!!!

F

[Ryan Fairweather]

I would say no, based on the fact that even though you may be able to help improve his methods/quality you cannot guarantee the quality of someone elses work!

You will only find him dragging you down with him and his reputation can easily tarnish yours.

A tender is exactly that, companies independantly bidding for a contract. If he needs help, they can pay to send him to college 😀

[Brian Maher]

hi shane…
don’t consider babysitting this other guy…think of the time/money you will lose while bringing this guy up to speed, sod him…no one held your hand while you learned….

even with invoices split in your favour…. do you also incurr 70% of the costs if something is not up to standard…or the client gets p155ed off??

tell the company that you complied with their criteria for tendering for the job…for yourself, not to share…

if they don’t like that…then your better off without them…

just my humble opinion

[Jamie Wood]

Also, if your help brings him up to a level of quality which they find acceptable, what do you think your chances are of getting any future work?
Pretty slim I’d say.

Your best bet would probably be to pick up the pieces after the other guy
has let them down.

Cheers,
Jamie.

[David Lowery]

Tell them to go forth and multiply. Tell them that you have ‘X’ years experience as opposed to the other party’s evident lack of experience.

One thing I know you will do Shane and that is the right thing.

Good Luck

P.S. Can’t you nobble the other b@st@rd 😕

[Lorraine Clinch]

Sounds well dodgy to me! As has been said, sounds like you could wind up not looking too good at all-after all, your perfct work is going to be diluted by the other guys less than perfect work (if you see what I mean).

[Gary Birch]

I`m with everyone else here …. fuck em …. what happens when the contract is up for renewal …. i don`t think any of us need a crystal ball for that….. it just pisses me off that people just can`t be straight …. but there again i`m fucked off cos my van was broken into on saturday and I don`t even own a screwdriver or a hammer now …. the fucking lot went

Merry xmas all lol

[Nick Minall]

I think as soon as you show the other guy how to do it you will be out mate 😕

[John Childs]

Well, that’s all pretty unanimous – and I’m not going to change that.

I’d need to be very desperate for work before I took it on under those terms.

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Go with your gut, Shane.
My gut echoes what the others have said.
Love….Jill

[Phill Fenton]

There are only so many in hours in the day. If you’re not doing that you can be busy doing other work. I wouldn’t worry too much about turning the job down under those circumstances.

Walk away.

Chances are they may come back to you on your terms. If they don’t you can be getting on with other more lucrative work.

[Gert du Preez]

Shane,

I would tell them I’ll share the deal, on condition the other guy buys his half of the work from you! He can then re-sell your work to the client, with a mark-up. That should settle their minds…

[super-wide]

I would politely point out to them the sprig of mistletoe attached to the back of my workpants…

[James Martin]

I’m novice at this game but this request stinks.

Did they give any reason whatsoever for putting you in this dilemma?

Whats your added incentive supposed to be in taking on this extra burden?

I cant imagine how you could find satisfaction doing this job short term, long term, or work in progress.

If I was the other guy I would be embarrassed, unless he is in on the game.

How do you know the weakness,s in his tender?

Kill Him 👿 (:) 🙄 😀

Jimmy

[Steve Morgan]

If it’s a big contract and you will be expected to share the with the other company, say 50/50. If your work is better than his you will have to do a damm site more than 50% of the work to maintain the standard you have set. So you could finish up doing nearly the whole job for less than half the reward. Is the job good enough to give a 50% discount?
Oh and can you imagine the scenario: his fitters make a lash up of fitting your work, you reprint/re-make it and they re-fit. Is your ‘partner’ going to pay you for the re-manufacture?
Everyone here has the same opinion and for lots of different reasons – I’d be very wary of the customer if they come back to you in the future.
Long winded or what? Don’t do it!

[John Harding]

Shane my friend, follow your instincts and tell em to take a hike, as already said the other guy has an agenda here but cant do the work – yet!

once he is up to speed you might be rowed out, id volunteer to help the guy learn the ropes sure – but for a very large upfront Golden hello and a per hour consultancy fee 😉

Don’t mug yourself off here M8

John

[Peter Normington]

I can only go with the flow Shane. and echo what all have said….

Peter

[Karl Williams]

I FIND THE BIG BOYS OUT THERE SEE SIGNMAKERS AS THE LOWER CLASS AND THINK WE WILL ALL COME BEGGING. TELL THEM TO BALLS.
NEVER EVER TEACH THE COMPETITION YOUR SECRETS. THIS KIND OF SITUATION MAKES ME SICK.

[Gordon Forbes]

I would politely point out that do they give their competitors a helping hand when tendering for work.
Seems like a numpty with a bit of power is trying to shaft you so he can get a feather in his cap to try and impress someone above him.

[Karl Williams]

DAMN RIGHT. PROBABLY A NEW BOY WHO THINKS HE KNOWS IT ALL!

[Shane Drew]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your time on this one.

It is nice to be able to get opinions from my peers.

James, we were both told the results of the final job.

The other guy is my competitor, but we rarely come up against each other on major contracts, and he has a reputation of being a loud mouth and a bully.

I have found out this morning that the other sign shop had, in his mind, the contract in the bag. It was him that set the criteria of the tender. Obviously he thought no one could match his expertise. I also found out he is a very close friend of the purchasing officer, and has been doing work for this company for years.

I have a very good friend in the company too. He tells me that I have majority support amongst the staff, but no one can over rule the PO. He also tells me my tender was the lowest, don’t know by how much tho.

Your comments tho echo my own gut feeling. I’ll advise them today that it aint going to happen. They will have to decide on one or the other.

I could realy do with the income, but I can’t see how we can work together on this at all. As some have said here, once he gets trained, who says the PO will direct anymore work to me.

Pretty annoyed the PO does not see anything wrong in the request either. Truth is, the only difference between either of us is the research we did. I worked hard to source the correct material, and he didn’t. simple as that.

I’ll let you know how I go.

Thanks again for your time friends.

Cheers

[Lorraine Clinch]

Good lock with this Shane, I’m sure it will work out in the end, and on your terms. Someone high up will suss what’s going on.

[Shane Drew]

quote Lorraine Clinch:

Good lock with this Shane, I’m sure it will work out in the end, and on your terms. Someone high up will suss what’s going on.

Your right Lorraine. Got a call at lunch time from one of the higher executives. The guy that is above the PO person actually.

Asked me why I would not give this other guy an idea of how to correct his mistakes.

I told him "with all due respect sir, but I consider it intellectual property" I suggested it would be like one of his clients asking him to help his opposition be more competative with their quotes.

To his credit, he said he totally understood, and thanked me for my honesty. I outlined further that I had done the hard yards on the understanding that I was in the short list to get all the work, and that by helping my opposition who, in the past has bagged me merclessly in the trade, I was really doing myself a dis service and selling myself short.

I thanked him for his time, and acknowledged that he was probably way too busy to be concerned with something at this level, and bade him farewell.

I got a call sometime later from his office telling me that when he hung up from me he immediately got on the phone to the PO and put his full and considrable support behind me.

When I was leaving to come home, and email arrived requesting that I submit pricing for all their contracts due to start in ’07.

I don’t think its set in concrete yet, but I think I’m getting much closer 😛

I should know more on friday. I’m working down the gold coast all day tomorrow, so will be away from the office until then.

Cheers

[Fred McLean]

Well done that man 😀

[David Rogers]

!"WHEW"! Looks like you can relax a wee bit.

Like you said – not confirmed contracts, but at least they know you have some integrity & not just in it for a fast buck.

Good on ya mate!

Dave

[Jamie Wood]

Fingers crossed for you matey……..

Cheers,
Jamie.

[James Martin]

good luck Shane!

Jimmy

[Lynn Normington]

best wishes Shane will be thinking about you, seems you are a step nearer

Lynn

[Gert du Preez]

Stick to your guns, mate!

Firstly, better work, and secondly, a more professional approach to the whole deal, will propably see you ending with the job in a bag. So, honesty DOES pay! You’re better than half way there. If the boss-man talks, the rest will have to listen!

[John Childs]

quote GERT DU PREEZ:

If the boss-man talks, the rest will have to listen!

True, but on a day to day basis you have to deal with the minions and need at least a reasonable relationship with them.

Good luck Shane.

[Alan Drury]

Good Luck Shane, I think you made the right move and I commend you on the way you handled it, you deserve the work, I hope you get it and make a few quid.
Regards
Alan D

[Brian Maher]

Good luck shane…
and well done for sticking to your guns on this…

hopefully it works out in your favour

[Lorraine Clinch]

Well done Shane, even if you don’t get the contract in the end, you will know that you didn’t sell your soul for some jumped-up tw*t (hot)