How much responsibility do I have in this matter?

[pcg2]

So I recently got a summer job as a salesperson. Last week I sold our product to a nice woman who I was referred to by a friend. When I got home that day I entered her order online. But the thing is, I forgot to enter one of the items that she chose I didn’t realize this until 2 days later. So I went into my office and asked my manager what I could do to to get the order right, and give her what she purchased. He said that the order had already been processed and that I couldn’t change anything. I asked what about the woman who is expecting these items and yet won’t recieve them, and all he had to say was there’s nothing to do…

So what should I do now? I feel like my manager is being extremely dishonest by basically saying “oh well, as long as we got her money that’s all that matters.” But the thing is that I don’t know what I could do about it… does anybody have any idea of what I could do??

Thank you

 

[GerardMajella]

A good, ethical salesperson would take 100% responsibility for any mistakes in order-taking, even if that means reducing your commission to make things right.

If you took an order for a specific product, and collected the money for the product, and now the company does not intend on delivering the product, that would be the near perfect definition of fraud.

I would immediately confront your boss a second time. Make sure he completely and thoroughly understands the issue at hand. If he still refuses, ask him to put his statement in writing.

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever why he can’t get on the phone and resolve this issue promptly. It should be no big deal to order the missing item – These kinds of mistakes happen all the time. Companies make order corrections all the time.

If you don’t get anywhere with your boss, then you need to immediately take this matter to Human Resources, or your boss’s manager. Why? Not only is he engaging in fraud and deceit, but he’s also asking you to commit a crime – theft.

If your boss is the owner, you may need to resign if he is engaging in these deceptive business practices.

You simply cannot collect money and fail to deliver the product as originally agreed. That would be called fraud, otherwise known as stealing. It’s not only immoral, but also illegal.

Furthermore, if this lady doesn’t get what she ordered, you will be hard pressed to get any referrals from her. She will be very upset with you, and speak poorly of you. So not only is this immoral, and illegal, but it’s also very bad business. Your boss should know this as well – It’s bad business to cheat your clients!

It is much better to take the high moral ground, and potentially lose your job, then to engage in dishonest, unethical, and illegal business practices.

Good luck, my friend. I hope you can get the matter resolved properly.

 

[GratefulFred]

I agree with Gerald 100%.

Your boss may have misunderstood the circumstance or wasn’t able to concentrate effectively in that first discussion. So discussing it a second time may work.

But if he does understand and you submitted her money, the company owes her the missing product or the money back.

If the boss is not willing to resolve it properly, then you have basically two choices.

1. Inform his boss or HR and request they resolve it properly.
   2, If no one is willing to resolve it properly, and you can afford it, reorder using your own funds or return her money and with your apology. DO NOT CRITICIZE the boss or company to her. Just say “We could not fill the order and we are returning your money.”

You do risk getting fired for trying to hold them accountable - weak bosses don’t like being embarrassed and shown up. You may come see that they are dishonest in general and wish not work there any more.

Also, at least in my expereince in California, prior companies do not “bad mouth” or praise too highly former employees. You could sue them for bad mouth and the next employer could sue them for too much praise if your performance does not match. So most companies will just say how long you worked there and what your title was and perhaps a brief description of duties performed.

Whenever you do seek a new position, you get to provide the new company your references. When asked why you left you can say you looking for new opportunity. If your time there was very short you can say you realized it was not a good fit for you. If it does come down to full disclosure, you can tell the truth - Because of a simple mistake, the company had the customer’s money and would not send the product or return the money even after you tried to correct the error. Customer service matters greatly to you and you want to work where customer service is valued. If the new company doesn’t hire because of you sense of honest customer service, you probably don’t want to work there either.

When I was part of hiring interviews, we were looking for the candidate’s CHARACTER as well as competence. We have to rely on our staff and we need to see character to think we can TRUST them to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way WITHOUT the boss guiding every step.

As always, pray for WISDOM.

 

[pcg2]

hmmm. thanks for the replies you guys, they helped a lot. i am going to talk to my manager the next time I see him in person, and make sure that he gets what’s going on. I am going to do everything in my power to make him realize that he can’t allow this. and if need be, i will call this woman and let her know of the situation, so she can return the merchandise if need be.

 

[PatriceA]

hmmm. thanks for the replies you guys, they helped a lot. i am going to talk to my manager the next time I see him in person, and make sure that he gets what’s going on. I am going to do everything in my power to make him realize that he can’t allow this. and if need be, i will call this woman and let her know of the situation, so she can return the merchandise if need be.

Next time you see your manager in person? Shouldn’t you correct the situation ASAP? That’s what I would do if it was one of my customers.

 

[Bookcat]

Hey guys the person here …was asking “How much responsibility” he has.

I think a lot can go into an answer.

First off we do not know how expensive the thing is? $5, $10 $25?

Granted in justice the company should give her to product at their cost in sending it.
But the person here has told the manager and made the point…it is really not is his responsibility --he was prevented from doing the just thing.

It is not his responsibility to give her money …that is the company’s responsibility.

Now is this a constant practice? Or just an isolated thing?

If it becomes evident that the company is ripping people off all over the place…then taking the high ground and blowing the whistle possibly could be the thing to do…

Or is it just little things like this that happen at times…(not to say it is right)?

Or was it a BMW that was not delivered!!! (that would be different)

So I am not so sure it is his responsibility to do anything further…(though perhaps in a humble way…say…the woman paid for thing…we need to send it…I am very sorry for my mistake…but we really owe it to her…can I sent it out…etc)

For him to take a stand and loose his job in this economy…is not necessarily the thing to do…if the company is otherwise generally on the up and up…

More thought needs to go into the question. This is a person who just has a summer job…and getting fired or it becoming intolerable for him so he quits does not look good on a resume…to loose his job cause his manager stole on behalf of the company $10? thru a bad decision…

(I am thinking here of the person who asked the question…one has to take care to pick well the ditch he wants to die in…and one is not always obligated to dig said ditch)

THEN…there is the woman…she will not get the thing and hopefully call…and then the company will have to sent it…so perhaps patience now that something has been said…let things take their course…she may get satisfaction yet.

(in other words…she is going to CALL that she did not get it…and then THAT will bring the needed correction…and maybe even more correction for the person who made the decision to not send the product…she can ask to talk with the manager…or even the higher person…and then well the person here can simply say that he informed the manager and manager said “…”(but he should simply state it…not say "that jerk would not…even though I …)…then maybe more correction will bring even better effects…)

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

Did she actually pay for the missing item?

If she paid by credit card, is she being charged for the missing item?

Do you have a receipt or copy of the receipt?

If she wasn’t charged, call her and tell her your mistake…

if she was charged, her receipt should be proof. Show the copy to your manager, tell him… “Customer has paid for A, B, C and D; but s D hasn’t been ordered…”

 

[pcg2]

Great News!

So I just called my manager about the issue, and it turns out that he misunderstood me last time we talked about it… so he gave me a number that I could call to resolve the issue, and now everything is fine The customer will be recieving what she paid for, and now I don’t fel angry towards my manager anymore. All is right with the universe.

Thank you so much everyone for your insightful and helpful comments!!!