ArchiStories: A Tale of 2 Prospective Clients…
I have received 2 interesting phone calls from 2 prospective clients who obviously got VolArchy’s number online.
These two prospective clients with different names, and phone numbers called at varying times.
The unique thing about these calls was that they both wanted a school design. Strange.
They both stated their school design requirements, and I asked questions.
I requested that they send what they desired to the official email (emails that I never received), along with survey plans, to ensure we were all on the same page.
During the call with the first caller, I was excited until he asked me to calculate what he needed to mold the blocks for the fences, and his site boys are waiting for it.
I was confused.
I wondered, I don’t know the size of this plot nor the perimeter and I should magically tell you the number of blocks you need.
That was how the call ended; unto the second caller.
His extra demand was that he was ready to start molding blocks, cement was expensive in his area, and he wants 900 bags of cement, and is ready to pay immediately.
I wasn’t as excited as I was with the first caller. So I didn’t make any move.
About an hour later, he called again. So I made moves and got a supplier’s number.
Sent the numbers across to each other as I desired no atom of sales involvement in that transaction.
I had forgotten about the connection I made between both parties until he called me again (same day) and he is instructing me to tell the supplier to send the trailer of 900 bags of cement so that when their driver gets to his site, he can see them, and they will NOT offload immediately.
He will then transfer the money to the supplier and then they can offload.
I told him I have no hands in how a supplier runs his business and I cannot deliver such instructions.
Side note: We are not discussing a ten thousand naira job, this is almost a 4 million naira supply contract and he wants me, a random person to be his surety, in this economy? Where do you guys get this audacity pill?
He started shivering, that he has been duped of over 800k because he trusted a rod supplier, and that he has boys under him.
I extended an apology to him for his previous purchasing experience and I told him again, “Sir, those are not my goods. Nobody will move 900 bags of cement from one state to another state on the promise that you will transfer money to them when they have arrived and are ready to offload. This is your first time communicating with them, and no business relationship has been established. Since you have boys at your disposal that you trust, send one of your boys to the building materials market within my location. Let him meet the supplier. Let him inspect the trailer with your bags of cement and then you make payment by transfer. Your boy accompanies the trailer back to your site”.
The call ended.
He called again the next day asking if we have changed our mind and if we were ready to send the bags to him with payment to be made on arrival, and I said no.
Cement? We no sell. School? We didn’t design.
Follow for more ArchiStories. Read Episode 1 here.
