My Undercover Call

I feel horribly guilty. Scott wanted to get some information on a competitor and he asked me to do the dirty work. In the money mailer this month we received an add for $150 off a water softener-but it didn't explain how many grains or where the water softener was made or anything. Scott receives calls from potential clients and he has to sell himself in five minutes or less and it helps to know what the competition is boasting so he can help his callers to know how he compares with the competition. This is such a difficult market for so many businesses right now. It's scary. How do you put yourself out there and set yourselves apart from the rest? These days, Scott and his brothers lose big jobs over a difference in bidding with a competitor of merely $50.

So, I told you I felt guilty. The hardest part about the call I just made was that Scott's competition was so personable and I had a hard time hating him (as my position of competition insists that I do). I got on the phone with this nice plumber and he instantly made a connection with me. He asked where I lived and when he realized I live near his area he wanted to know if I knew his wife who just retired as a teacher at the nearby elementary school - How much more evil could I get! His wife is a retired elementary teacher. I'm sure she would never call up the competition and pump them for information, undercover.

To know my true wickedness, you must know that whenever I see other plumbers' trucks out and about in the neighborhood and surrounding areas, some inner warrior comes out and I want to throw a rock or a tomato at their truck or slash their tires. But on the phone, I felt that feeling that they are all just good guys who are trying to do their best and make a buck or two. And some of them have wives who are like me, just trying to survive and have a happy little home with their families.

Another tricky thing was trying to pretend that I didn't know anything. I've heard Scott talk about water softeners for so long, I've heard how many grains they have, and I've heard all about the resin and salt and how hard the water is in Utah and that you shouldn't buy from Home Depot or any of the nationwide brands because they sell water softeners built for softer water (if that makes sense). So those national brands gum up with all our hard water and they don't run as efficiently as some of the locally made brands. I knew all this stuff and it was hard to just sit there and listen to his version of it.

I know business is rough and I felt bad lying to the guy and I felt bad using up his time and I felt bad using my maiden name. He gave a good schpeel. I want to use him. I want to buy a water softener from him - I mean we're talking about a lifetime warranty. That just sounds good, doesn't it? My hubby doesn't offer that. Poor Scott. What's a guy to do. He's just a small operation. Just he and his big and little brothers and sometimes not even that. His competition has recorded calls for quality assurance. They have a secretary gosh darn it. Poor Scott. Poor, poor, poor...