If you don't think you can get him to control himself for the sake of keeping the business, just let your GM know what's going on and tell him you aren't comfortable handling the account and block the number from your phone. I've had to do this before. Your GM should handle all future conversations with him, including "you're not right for our station" if it comes to that.
ou may nor may not have a stalker on your hands, I might suggest:
1. Have you GM / GSM (if male) go with you to a meeting at "the coffee shop"
2. Check with the Better Business Association
3. Contact some other companies that do business with this jerk
4. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU MEET WITH THIS PERSON IN HIS OFFICE OR OUTSIDE THE OFFICE ALONE!
I for one would appreciate an email or a posting of the outcome of this situation.
Good luck!
Gracie,
Take your GM or other male colleague to meet the client and be honest with him. To begin the meeting, pray with him (them). Then talk about your reservations and why you feel it's important that your station hold its integrity to a high standard. Ask the hard questions about their integrity (or lack of), point out the facts you found on them, their product, etc., and ask why they have harassed you. If he's (they) honest, he'll listen. If he makes excuses and becomes defensive - politely tell him that your station is not a good match for their business, wish him well and leave.
Be Christ-like to them as Christ was honest while on earth. Point to the truth and trust God to iron out the details.
I think many of us would like to know how this turns out. We'll be praying for you.
Thank you for your input. I am a bit more cautious now. I was scammed by a wedding planner a few years ago, and I would never want to put someone else through that. It was a very unpleasant feeling! I do trust gut instincts a lot more now and it is saying to run away!
Thank you so much for your reply. I will take what you said into consideration. It definitely seems like a red flag because they are so eager. I'm having a hard time finding anything about the company on the Texas Department of Insurance website. "My boss had a basic rule of thumb, the ones yelling Christian from the rooftops the loudest was likely far from it. " That is certainly how I am feeling about all of this. Again, thank you so much for your thoughtful response!
That's exactly what I think.
Thank you so much Mark. I really appreciate it!
Gracie, I am always more than happy to help if I can or at least share thoughts. I'm curious now, being in Houston, if the same might be happening here.
Hi Gracie, I think the best approach is through your station's attorney citing the calls, emails and whatever else as reasons to withdraw your proposal, refuse the business and return their deposit through your attorney; not in person. It may be a good idea to have and retain everything in writing. Future phone communications should be recorded prefaced by the "are being recorded for training purposes" disclaimer. It also might be a good idea to refuse future meetings even with another person present. Your instincts are probably right on. This sounds dangerous. I would leave it alone and don't look back while being very careful for the next several weeks as you leave the station, go on calls etc. Just take care. Best Regards.
When I have clients that seem a little "hinky" to me, I ask for a completed credit application and then I run it through the local credit bureau and follow up with any references they list.. If they do not pass muster in the credit department , you have every right to refuse their business.
Hi Gracie,
I was also going to suggest checking out the customer with the BBB. If something doesn't feel right, you can walk away from any potential customer, especially one that is being unprofessional. If your gut is screaming at you that something is wrong, then it usually is. I would block their number so you are not being harassed with phone calls, not return emails and walk away from it.
Dear XXXXXX:
Our stations try to connect our listeners with businesses that we believe can help them. From time to time we find businesses whose goals do not match with ours. There is nothing wrong with these businesses, they are just not businesses that we would like to carry a defacto endorsement from our radio stations by appearing on our air.
As of XXX,XX,2016 we will discontinue airing your business on our radio stations. I am sure there are other radio stations in the area that are a better fit.
Good luck!
Great response from Chris Rolando [no surprise there]!
Run!!! Get as far away from this so-called client as fast as you can. Your Dad should send a letter indicating that your station no longer wishes to do business with them. (if he needs help in writing it, I'll be more than happy to help)
He can't hurt you.
I have taken interest in this thread.It is one of the most commented on I've ever taken part in. I have read all the comments and advice given. Seems many advise to not accept the business of a health care plan on the grounds that it wasn't a fit to a "Christian" talk format.Gay bar, strip club,okay,these would not be a good fit. If what the young lady writes is true, that she is receiving harassing phone calls, contact law enforcement about the harassment. Several have given very good advice,block calls,credit check declined, just stay away from them, you do not have to take abuse as part of radio advertising sales..
If rude and bad behavior would make a prospect not fit to run on a radio station, there probably be a lot less advertisers on all radio stations. Also if I was the GM father, I would have a one on one with the harasser and it would not be to tell him I was turning the other cheek.
Thankfully I haven't had any calls from the one that wouldn't stop calling me since Friday after work. Now he has his partner and his secretary calling the station. At this point we are going to try the "cooling off" method by not contacting them and hoping they just go away. Contacting them to tell them they are not fit for the station seems like it would bring more conflict right now. They do operate as a "Christian" business, but I cannot find anything about their company on the BBB or the Texas Department of Insurance. I can find individual licenses for each partner of the business and that's it. If it comes down to it, I would like to use Chris Rolando's letter! Very simple and to the point. I so appreciate all of the advice from everyone.
Thank you!
Dear Gracie,
What you do is tell him that you are going to call the FTC and report him if he doesn't stop calling you, or call the FTC and ask what you can do before speaking to him again. You can also block him from calling you by calling your telephone carrier. Good luck and all the best! Sincerely yours, Cynthia
Hi Gracie,
My heart absolutely goes out to you! Thankfully through RSC you have received a lot of GREAT advice and though I am very late in responding I do agree with the advice you've already received.
I am in a state with very little choice under Obamacare (as in we have exactly one company in the entire state offering qualified plans and the rates are sky-high) so we have had a rash of people offering things that sound like alternatives but they really aren't. You are wise to reach out to this forum for advice and you're very wise to follow the advise to follow up with the Texas Department of Insurance. If I thought this were a reasonably viable client for you I would say pick up the phone and call the Department, but I think the greater issue is the way you have been treated personally. While the client sounds less than ethical at a time when the average person is struggling with the complexities of insurance, the way you have been treated speaks (screams!) volumes.
Our personal experiences shape us into the people we are and we are and constantly evolving. As a woman in sales myself I believe we need to be extra-aware of people who make us feel uneasy. To me, your personal safety is the most important issue in this thread. Personal safety is of importance to everyone, male or female, young or old. None of the rest matters if you're assaulted, or worse.
Before I seized the opportunity to have some control over my personal protection I was car-jacked; that was over 10 years ago and happened at a gas station. Thankfully that situation ended well for me and now I am seasoned (that's code for "older") and I live in a state that not only allows but encourages concealed carry - which more than 60% of our population does, including me.
Utilize the technology available to automatically reject unwanted or harassing phone calls. Never meet anyone in a place that isn't comfortable for you, never let a client get the impression your business meeting is anything but business, never hesitate to engage a colleague in attending a meeting (safety in numbers) and by all means make things on terms that do not violate your personal space or comfort zone. There is no reason whatsoever to put up with harassment. I wouldn't hesitate to at least inform local law enforcement regarding this person and the unwanted harassment, you may be surprised to find out that others have had a similar experience.
You wouldn't believe over the years how many people who have made me feel 'uneasy' and with a little digging (nothing fancy, just the good old internet) I have discovered them to have police records for things such as harassment or be registered sex offenders. Yes, over the past five years I've dealt with 9 separate individuals who are on the sex offender registry in my state. One was very polite, well-dressed and holding himself out to be a tax preparer/accountant. I had a gut feeling that something wasn't right as he worked out of his basement and wanted me to meet him there, alone. When I stated the only way I could "meet" with him was going to be at my office - which is wide open, like Grand Central Station, with lots of windows and other people in and out constantly - he was suddenly no longer interested and that was fine by me. Our experiences imprint upon us and we grow as we learn. It's more difficult to be objective when you're young and you really need a commission to make your car payment or rent - it causes people to dismiss those gut feelings.
These people who are supposed to be so very "Christian" are acting like bullies. Don't let them bully you. Pass the situation at hand up to management and do not under any circumstances personally engage with the bullies.
Take care!
Very well stated, Maralyne - thank you!!!
I'm sorry this happened to you. As a sales rep, I choose whom to do business with. Not everyone is a good match. Either due to budgets or character. This situation clearly made you uncomfortable and your GM should have addressed it and investigated it from the first comment as a harassment case. If anything, the GM could have given you another account to work on instead of this one. You shouldn't have to write in to an online forum for HELP, your employer should have protocols in place for when situations like this arise. People should be able to conduct their day to day business without dealing with this type of issues.
