You wanna play hardball?

I am an easy going person. I rarely make waves, and I am never blatantly rude to anyone, especially those I don't know. And even to those I do know and don't like, I am not rude, to their face or behind their back. It's just how I am. So when confronted by people who have no qualms about being rude to anyone and everyone, I have a hard time understanding their motives. Maybe they are having a bad day? Nope. Having a bad day every day is really hard to do. They are just rotten, unhappy people content to spread their ill will among the masses. But every once in a while, there comes a grand opportunity to give them a taste of their own sour medicine. A "for instance" if you will, a pain in the ass, rude to me from the very first phone conversation, print rep I have been dealing with at work forced to eat her own words.

A little background; I have been working on a media buy for a client that required approval on placement, costs, and final sign off on creative. At the end of last month, I spoke with a rep (the rotten one I mentioned) about having an ad in not one, but four of their publications. Not only did she treat me like I had never spoken with a publication about ad placement before (which I have, on numerous occasions, it is my job after all) but she was a B-I-T-C-H to me every single time I spoke with her. Now I could be wrong but shouldn't people who make their living off commission-driven sales be going out of their way to sign up new advertising clients, especially ones planning multi-month runs of decently sized color ads- ie. the expensive kind? It just seems like common sense right? Apparently not. After about three rude phone calls, I finally got prices, and about a week later, sign off from the client to go with the ad and stated terms. So, I sent the ad, thinking I wouldn't have to deal with that woman again. Wishful thinking.

This morning, I received a call from my favorite rep saying the cost she gave me was inaccurate and the ads will actually be more expensive. WAIT! HOLD THE BOAT! SHE made an error? SHE gave ME the wrong cost, after trying with all her might to make me feel like an idiot? This is too good for words.

Now it was my turn to stand my ground. "Well, we already presented the costs to our client, and having to now return to them with, 'Oops' will make us look like idiots"

To which she replied, shockingly, "There is nothing I can do"

You have got to be kidding me. So I tried compromise,

"Well, could we receive a discount on future runs as compensation for the error?"

Again, shockingly, "There is nothing I can do"

So I tried, cool problem solving, well I suppose we will run color in your publication with the highest circulation, and I will send you a new black and white ad for the other three publications."

This seemed to appease her. But only minutes later, she was calling again, "That is going to be even more expensive." And she was calling me incompetent?

Now, it goes without saying, that she was entirely unapologetic for HER error throughout our entire exchange. And you know what, I got fed up. You wanna see Trina in Bitch mode, watch out, you'll quake in your boots. When you push me beyond the line of my sometimes mind-boggling patience and tolerance, there is hell to pay.

Me: "This is not how you start a new advertising contract, (at which point I took a long pause for her to realize we would not be advertising with her again). This was your mistake, and this has not been a problem for any of the other publications running this ad. Since there is nothing you can do, I suppose we will just run a black and white ad and that will be it." Many of you have never heard my voice. It is cheery and friendly 99% of the time. This time, however I used the cold-as-ice tones I learned well from my mother at times when she was standing her ground or protecting her children. And it is far more effective than any raised voice shouting match. She didn't even get a complete goodbye from me.

And wouldn't you know it, five minutes later, I got a call from our friend the ad rep. Apparently there was something she could do. We got the ad we started out with, no price increases, no black and white crap. Of course she remained very unfriendly as she came back with her tail between her legs, but you know what, I don't even care. I got what I wanted, and she got a lesson in ad sales, "Don't be a bitch."