Largest client...
I was on a glorified delivery (p.r.) mission, and drove past this plant every month. Green highway sign with an arrow stating plant entrance. That day I decided to stop...what could they do??? Tell me to leave...if they did I'd leave.
I pulled into their drive, and topped the hill only to see a guard shack....shucks....well, I didn't want to turn around and leave, so I pulled up to the gate. Out comes the security Guard. "What's the name of your company?" he asked.
I told him..."Who are you here to see?"....uhmmm
"Outsourcing" just kinda popped out my mouth.
"O.k. gotcha down here...you have a nice day." then up went the gate.
Dang I'm in.....what now....hmmm main office...that sounds good.
I walk in the door, and there is another "guard" nice lady now, but that day she was very flat!! "Who do you represent???" again I answered.
"who do you need to see?" same answer as before...Outsourcing!!...it's gotten me this far.
"Sit over there and wait...we can't let you guys go up there anymore!"
O....k A few minutes went by, and down came the nicest guy...shook my hand as if he'd known me forever. Took me up into his office, and said "Randy, what can I do for you??"
"well sir, " I kinda stuttered....
"Jamie...call me Jamie..."
"O.k. Jamie I drive by here at least once a month making a delivery to another client, and today I had an urge to stop."
I told him who I represent, and what type of machinery we had, and where we were located...blah blah blah....
He said...."so you deliver?"
I said "yessir...Personally if I can get away."
"Man that's great..."
He whipped out some prints, and asked if I'd mind giving him a Quote on them.
I looked them over, asked if that number written on there represented quanities...he said yes. I scribed a number on the print and + material...he said "no, we will provide the material...didja bring a trailer?"
Uhhh "Matter of fact I did."
"Well let me get you a P.O...."
I walked outta there that day with 30k worth of parts on my trailer...turned them out in two weeks...delivered. All three of us were tired afterwards, but now, are used to it....yes only three of us back then. Now, I get e-mails every day, no bid stuff that I don't feel like messing with sometimes....and deliver on the last friday of every month
That guy holds me up high... I got him out of a big mess, and also walked into the best thing our company has ever had, and all because some other vendor had scrapped a bunch of simple parts...
My lucky day I guess...my advice....Follow Your Gut!!!...and don't make scraps!!!
Oh...and the client I was originally delivering to....yeah, he still spends his few hundred dollars a month too.