Hee Haw.
There is a Company in the middle of the country that I have grown to despise because their business practices are pure evil. They create spec work and underbid contracts to get their foot in the door. Once they're in, the Company find ways to go over budget and extend time lines like a pandemic in Asia. Despite having clawed more money and time from their clients, they produce work that would be considered subpar by third world standards. Nothing can be re-used and/or the Clients are eternally bound to horrible, proprietary off-the-shelf software.
I know this because we have been called in to provide relief to their haggard clients and attempt to fix the abominations they create.
This Company seeds distrust and their actions work to destroy the reputation of our industry. By the time we are brought in we have to provide an over abundance of assurances that Happy Cog is nothing like the Company. We have had to do this enough times now that during sales pitches and conversations, we go out of our way to position ourselves as anti-agency so as to be crystal clear that our modus operandi does not entail finding ways to issue change order after change order. As professionals it is not in our fabric to do so but who can blame the client after being burned so bad?
Yesterday, we lost a project to the Company. They pitched with spec work and underbid the effort. I'm willing to put cash money down in Vegas that the client will end up blowing past their deadline and forking over more money than originally proposed. What looked great to them this week will become high blood pressure a year from now. Somewhere North of where I am sitting right now a butterfly flaps its wings and a small disaster begins to build.
I'd love to call the client and try to talk them off the ledge but there's only so much you can do without coming across like an angry person who is pouting because they lost. Look, I don't mind losing work to people I know who share our passion for quality, devotion to creating great solutions and a high standard of professionalism. I'm happy to loose a project to our friends and peers, but when the Company (or anyone like them) takes one away from us, any of us, I'd like nothing more than to see them all leave their cubicles and find their way in front of a fast moving bus.
Maybe this project will be different and the good people we spoke to won't get the shaft as so many others have. And maybe I'll go home tonight and find twenty burros wearing sombreros making churros after eating a hoof-full of habaneros. Hey, it could happen.
Love your posts like this, Greg.
Losing work to friends or respected colleagues can be disappointing, but something you can all laugh about over a tasty beverage and a bocce ball match. Heck, you and I even courted the same clients back in the day.
Losing work to people you know are shady bastards leaves no good feeling ever.
The only merest glimpse of a silver lining is knowing that if after all your efforts, the client still didn't get that you were the best for them, then that means there would have been plenty other opportunities for miscommunication throughout the engagement.
Ugh. I know a guy with a lead pipe
Also, there are a few dropped letters in your post, as well as Brian's comments.
"Look, I don't mind losing work to people I know who share our passion for quality, devotion to creating great solutions and a high standard of professionalism." love this. Keep fighting the good fight, Greg!
I didn't know you hated me so much. Sorry man, I really needed the gig. Gotta puts da food on da tables, ya know?
Man, I gotta say, this is a weird post. I'm in your industry, and I've been in your shoes. I've lost work to companies that employ these tactics, so (I think) I understand pretty well how you feel. I sympathize for sure.
That said, I'm not sure this is professional. Your client will surely recognize themselves, and will see how little you think of their decision-making skills and business acumen.
Obviously, the company, and the dozens of people that work for them, are going to recognize themselves, and will see how little you think of their integrity, their honesty, and their competence.
Every party to this story is going to see right through the fiction of the unnamed "company."
All I see in your decision not to be 100% forthcoming is a little bit of cowardice and pettiness. It's as though you think you're not 100% accountable for your opinion if you don't name names.
Sorry if this sounds harsh. But I'm a big fan of your work, your writing, and your expertise, and this isn't up to your level.
Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my opinion. I hope you reconsider this.
One thing that may help is encouraging potential clients to contact any of the clients in your portfolio for a recommendation. Something like, "We encourage you to contact any client we've done work for." Maybe recommend a client that hired Company and then hired you.
I find it amazing that a client wouldn't do research like this. If I were to give a contract to an agency that I've never worked with, I would do some research and contact clients that have had work done.
If an organization like AIGA had some balls they would offer a service where clients could rate agencies and write reviews.
Also, this is another reason why companies should abandon their websites and just use a Facebook Page.
> Your client will surely recognize themselves, and will see how little you think of their decision-making skills and business acumen.
They're not my client. They chose not to be my client. After learning who they hired and how infamous they are for blasting past budgets, timelines and delivering really bad workyeah, I do question their ability to make good decisions. Because of this, we may have dodged a bullet but I'm still not happy knowing what the client is about to go through.
> Obviously, the company, and the dozens of people that work for them, are going to recognize themselves, and will see how little you think of their integrity, their honesty, and their competence.
"The Company" I am referring to has hundreds of employees and while I'm sure they're not bad people, collectively they run a shit show which costs their clients and damages our industry's reputation.
> All I see in your decision not to be 100% forthcoming is a little bit of cowardice and pettiness. It's as though you think you're not 100% accountable for your opinion if you don't name names.
My intent is not to hide but to avoid my public opinion being interpreted as slander.
> Sorry if this sounds harsh. But I'm a big fan of your work, your writing, and your expertise, and this isn't up to your level. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my opinion. I hope you reconsider this.
No apology necessary Matt. I didn't take this as being harsh at all and I'm glad you stepped forward to enter the conversation.
> One thing that may help is encouraging potential clients to contact any of the clients in your portfolio for a recommendation. Something like, "We encourage you to contact any client we've done work for." Maybe recommend a client that hired Company and then hired you.
We provide references but it's I don't believe we really push potential clients to follow through. Our assumption is that they will have their own process--they always do--but maybe we can encourage them to conduct a thorough audit of our previous work. Great idea Jim.