Exam Info

What to Do When You Get the Same Order From 2 Sources

First off, be glad you're so lucky. You're in demand.

But this is the situation where an agent is shopping around. That's the agent's business. But he's called you, and several other sources, trying to find out who can get an exam done the fastest. Or to see who will go to some out-of-the-way location.

And you've got the order from 2 places. So who do you send it through?

A couple of recommendations. First, be honest with everybody. Whoever you're not using, let them know. It's only fair. Be up front.

Secondly, it's a good idea to make a rule about how to handle such situations, and stick to the rule. You might make the rule that you'll do whoever will pay you the most. Or you might use my rule: I do the work for whoever contacts me first.

That rule is a little flexible. If I'm in the car, and someone calls, and I agree to it, that call takes precedence over, say, someone who faxed me the order an hour before. Because the call was the first one I agreed to.

But as I've said at other places, people won't be as irritated if they know you work for several companies. If they have an idea that you are their very own personal servant, they will tend to grumble when they are not chosen. But if you're up front, fair, and honest, and stick to whatever your rule is (I highly recommend my own rule of first contact), these situations aren't going to be a problem.

posted by Jim Huffman @ 8:35 PM