A Supplier Offers You a Discount

You are in Production Control. Planning on adding a porch onto your house, you visit a lumberyard to get ideas and a price. During the discussion, the sales manager says, "Oh, you work for XYZ Company. They buy a lot from us, so I'm going to give you a special discount." What do you do?

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Answers

A Supplier Offers You a Discount: Answer A

Like finding a $20 bill on the street. Take the discount, of course.
A Supplier Offers You a Discount: Answer B

Explain to the sales manager, "I'm in production control, not purchasing at XYZ."
A Supplier Offers You a Discount: Answer C

Ask for clarification, "Is that special discount available to all XYZ employees?"
A Supplier Offers You a Discount: Answer D

If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Thank the salesman, but walk out.

Cite this page: "A Supplier Offers You a Discount" Online Ethics Center for Engineering 6/20/2006 National Academy of Engineering Accessed: Thursday, February 09, 2012 <www.onlineethics.org/Resources/Cases/Case87.aspx>