Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).
I was working at an electronics store about 15 years ago and this older couple came in and said they wanted to buy the very best computer we had. I asked what they were planning on using it for and they said they just wanted to send emails to their kids and grandkids. I didn't want to take advantage of them so I recommended some simpler, cheaper options (even though it would lower my commission). But they wouldn't listen. They insisted that they wanted our top-of-the-line computer setup, so I sold it to them for $3k.
For the next month, they would call the store almost every other day asking me the most ridiculous questions—everything from complaining that they couldn't get the computer turned on to asking me how to reset their email password. They basically treated me like tech support, but since they were calling the store, I had to keep answering the phone. Finally, I got fed up and politely referred them to a friend of mine who worked for Geek Squad. The headache was definitely not worth the commission on this one.
Anonymous Location withheld
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This is a "good" Sales Fail I wanted to share to show that people generally want to do the right thing. I run my own small business that sells tea wholesale to coffee shops and specialty grocery stores in the U.S. I work with a few different suppliers in China to source tea in bulk.
I signed a deal with a new supplier—a small, family-owned Chinese company. I talked to the owner who was the grandson of the guy who started the company. He was very nice and eager to work with me. They sent over the invoice for the first shipment and it was for 2,550 Yuan, which comes out to around 350 USD. I was surprised because my order was for much more. I looked back at our contract for the order and someone on their end had messed up on the pricing and somehow no one noticed and we had both signed the contract at 2,550 Yuan, when the order was supposed to be for 25,500 Yuan.
I didn't want to completely screw these guys because of a typo, so I sent them an email letting them know and told them I wanted to pay the actual full amount. The owner of the company emailed me back and apologized for the error on his end and that they would honor the 2,550 number on the contract anyway because it was their mistake and they valued the relationship. I emailed him back letting him know it wouldn't be necessary and I wouldn't feel comfortable letting him take such a big loss for a simple mistake and insisted again that I pay the right amount. He emailed me back, thanking me and told me he would let me pay the correct amount but with a 10% discount. I accepted this and paid the invoice.
The whole scenario felt like a very weird reverse-negotiation, but it reassured me that there are still honest people out there. We've been working together for 2 years now.
Anonymous Location withheld
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This was probably one of the most painful "fails" I've had in my career. I have my own general contracting business. A few years ago, I was bidding on a big job for a new residential development. I was friendly with one of the guys on the decision-making committee and he told me that I was practically a shoo-in to get the contract.
I was pretty excited and that night I went out to dinner with 3 of my other buddies who were also in the GC business. We all met through working different jobs together and had been passing each other jobs back and forth for years whenever someone was too busy and didn't have capacity to take on more work. Well, like I said I was pretty excited about the job and the drinks were flowing that night so I ended up telling (maybe I was bragging a bit) everyone at the table about it and how much money I was going to make. Everyone seemed happy for me. I picked up the tab and we all went home.
3 weeks later, I got a call from my contact at the development company and he told me that they ended up going with a different contractor who came in at a much lower price. I found out it was one of the guys I had dinner with. I had been doing business with this guy for 15 years and he undercut me because he knew what I was bidding on the project. We were friends. We'd have dinner at each other's houses. Our wives had become friendly... and this guy completely snaked me for one big job. I couldn't believe it. I kept calling him but he wouldn't return my calls. I went to his house one day and knocked on his door but he never answered. I saw him a year later at a restaurant and he came up to me to apologize but I just told him to F off.
Anonymous Location withheld
