Deal with it right away, don't put it off - just yank that Band-Aid in one quick pull!

Call the main contact at the firm personally. Just be honest: you are aware that they went to a lot of effort on the proposal, and you're sorry but it just came down to price (if that IS the truth - if there was some other problem mention that so they can improve next time), but you did like them and were impressed by their efforts, will keep them in mind on other projects, and hopefully will be able to work together in the future.

Honesty. And definitely a phone call so they can ask you questions - the goal is for them to know how they can improve, and for you to acknowledge their effort.

Just think of the best way that YOU would want to hear the bad news, tough as it is, and do that.

I like LB's take...

one call is done. *sigh* one more call later when they return to their office.

now there is the buyer's remorse of did we choose the right consultant or not? we'll see.

lb & C, your tips were helpful in psyching me up for the effort. thanks!

Weeeeelllllll, if you wanna talk about working with bad firms you wish you'd never heard of, THAT'S gonna take a LOT more space!

"honesty is the best policy" don't jerk them around, treat them straight up, explain why they didn't get the job "this time", and let them have an opportunity to bid on the next and hopefully they'll have a better grasp of your expectations and be closer to the mark. Not every job lands in your lap you have to work at it sometimes. I expect to have to work at getting some jobs more than others ie breaking into a new realm ie education or health care when we don't have a big track record. It may take a while but if its a worthy area or new work stream then I would think the effort is worthwhile and they shouldn't be put off by not getting the job first time.

like liberty bell said.
"gotta do it fast and painless"

link

they are also used to this sort of thing. telling a consultant they didn't get one job isn't the same thing as firing someone. i've done it many times. if you have a good relationship with them, they won't care.

i sort of wish a few companies would get back to me asap if i got the job/contract or not..... nothing like waiting around and then getting a "no-go" on a project..........that would piss me off more....

I wouldn't wait and hold out for the job, I have a standard policy of not falling in love with a job before I actually get it. Saves a lot of emotional turmoil.

true...... but when you spend time to do bids/interviews/driving there/etc...that takes time.... especially when they would say "hey, we need you to work on this right away"..........

hurry up and wait......


der

well, at the risk of sounding like an echo, i agree with the above advice. Do it quickly and telephone (unless you happen to see them in person, which is even better). Email, sms, and snail-mail are basically a cowardly way out. you've already pointed out cost as the reason for choosing someone else and that's a legitimate reason. And I feel that is the most important thing in situations like this, i.e., to have a legitimate reason before you engage them. avoid "smokecreens" as we used to call them when i was still working in sales. bullshit answers may allow everyone to feel better, but ultimatly commercial enterprise benefits from transparency. there's a time and a place for lying or deception, but business is not it.

Just don't have some idiotic HR person send them out.

I had some firm send me a 'you're not hired' e-mail with the all of the forward strings attached to them. So when I got the e-mail I was able to see the forwards and who they went through and it was extremely unprofessional. For example, the heading was "NO INTERVIEW NO THANKS." Then I read where one of the associates forwarded it to the principle and it read:

"Dear Mr. X, this is an applicant we interviewed a few weeks ago. Can you please forward him the e-mail and deny him of any further interviews and employment." This was sent by the HR person of that firm who didn't catch any of that.

I sent them back a letter telling them they might want to reconsider their method. They could have gotten their asses sued for that kind breach in confidentiality. The principle called me back and was very apologetic and clearly they were far from having their shit together so my denial of employment was no disappointment.

*bump*

back to my original post - the folks we hired are now threatening to sue us.. the client never paid us, so we never paid them. it's been a year. Oh, the client want's to fire them because they are 'not sophisticated' - that's the impression after one meeting the client attended with the consultant and the state (should have never let the client attend alone).

if we had gone with a larger consultant, I'm sure the sh*t would have been in court already.

Theres a lot of this going on. I dont know the particulars however you could always team up with them to go after the client?


Stick a banana i the clients tail pipe. Works everytime.

Actually, I face this quandary at exactly this moment: call them with the bad news on Friday afternoon, or on Monday morning - which is less painful?

I've been trying to stall the inevitable for the last 6 months. My boss is friends with the client and an optimist that we'll get paid. So our game plan has been to plead for more time. times up...


oh, the client and consultant are out of state.

Your contract with the sub should specify that they don't get paid unless/until you get paid. Does it?