Sucky Salesperson: Forgetting Fees

Sometimes I meet other salespeople that drive a flashier car than me, wear a better brand of suits, or have a more expensive watch/house/toys, etc. and I think to myself, "I must not be that good in sales" because I don't have that stuff.


Then they open their mouths...and prove that THEY ARE THE ONES THAT SUCK IN SALES!
Here is one recent example:


I recently had to purchase a bundle of equipment. I've known the salesperson for a year and have grown to trust his advice because when I've researched what he  told me it turned out to be correct. When the time came to purchase what I needed I was happy to give him the order because  I had grown to trust his expertise. I told him my budget. He of course went above it. It was workable and the benefits outweighed the extra cost, but I stressed to him that my budget was done and there was no more. I told him I wasn't playing a sales game. That was all I had.
I received the invoice and sent in the check.


I then received a second invoice for labor. When I questioned my rep he said "I forgot to factor that in."
Forgot?! He knew about the equipment purchase for a year and then "forgot" to factor in the labor which was 15% of the total invoice?
I asked him what he could do about it since it was his fault.
He said he got the company to cut the bill by 50% because they usually have a labor charge of 30%!


I had planned and budgeted for further equipment in the not too distant future.
I think I will be waiting for a bit longer than normal to make those purchases.
A whole year of goodwill and trust shot down with one invoice.


Everyone makes mistakes. How could he have made this up this error to a customer?
1. Apologize multiple times in a sincere way
2. Ask me how he could make up for it
3. Depending on my answer, come up with two or three ideas and let me choose what I want, for example:

• Apply the 15% extra that I have to pay to my next order and tell me what the price is now so that when I order in 6 months my discount is not eaten up by a 15% price increase
• Give me the total of the 15% in supplies for free
• Double the 15% to 30% and apply it to supplies or equipment
• Cut me a check for the 15% once I pay it as a "refund"
• other ideas?

Don't be that kind of salesperson that doesn't take responsibility. You might eat some costs in the short term. Long term you save a customer and a lot of income.

Thanks!
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"