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Drafter drew it wrong, customer and consultant approved it wrong...who pays

3/30/15       
Matt

The title says it all. One of our drafters drew an item wrong, submitted it, it was approved by the customer and the consultant, and I find the mistake 5 days before it is supposed to ship.

We have notified the customer and asked if they will accept it as it was approved, but as the mistake was a consultants spec detail, he may not want to...

Which I get and that's the predicament. My thought is that 'hell no we're not eating it. they both approved it' but the one of the other managers says, 'yeah but its #$%&&% Consultant and we should have known better (Drafter who drew is sort of new)

So what would yall do?

3/30/15       #2: Drafter drew it wrong, customer and ...
JM

If the drafter is your employee, you need to eat it.

The customer has an expectation that what you draw is what they requested, and if you need to deviate from this, it should be pointed out to them on the drawings. There are a lot of little details on the prints, and you cannot expect the layman (customer in this case) to catch them all.

3/30/15       #3: Drafter drew it wrong, customer and ...
David Torres

A lot depends on the nature of the relationship.

1. There is no point to the approval process if you are liable for any deviation or misinterpretations that are approved by the customer. So you should not be liable.

2. However, how import are the relationships and is it worth placing a wedge with the consultant and customer?

The business aspect often out weights who is technically right or wrong.

3/30/15       #4: Drafter drew it wrong, customer and ...
frank

Sit down, explain that the event really
isn't your fault, and offer to split any
costs incurred 50/50.

You'll probably get the same
amount (or maybe more) as you
would if you fight for all of it, and
you'll establish yourself as a very
reasonable person

3/30/15       #5: Drafter drew it wrong, customer and ...
Matt

Thank you all. These three very different reactions illustrate the reality my company is facing to a 'T'.

We have done all 3 in the past. Eat it, hold the customer accountable for 100% and split it....

As with everything, there is no cut and dry...

Thanks,
Matt

3/30/15       #6: Drafter drew it wrong, customer and ...
Jonathan Mahnken

if they approved it then split it

3/30/15       #7: Drafter drew it wrong, customer and ...
Mel

I'm not sure about the woodworking industry, but in both apparel and electrical manufacturing, the distributor has a responsibility towards the client to provide accurate and appropriate product and specifications.

Hope that helps.

3/31/15       #8: Drafter drew it wrong, customer and ...
David Waldmann  Member

Website: vermonthardwoods.com

We just had new windows put in our house. Three of them were wrong.

#1 was my fault. The order was entered wrong and I missed it on the review. I ate it. BTW, they offered to replace it at no charge even though it was really my fault (there were no written specs, just verbal as the job was measured, which were entered into a tablet on site). This was a one-off interior color difference compared to the rest of the windows, and my wife and I came up with an alternative installation option that made it acceptable.

#2 was ordered correctly but made wrong. The vendor offered to replace it, but we accepted it (it was a design issue, not a size issue). They would have offered monetary compensation for it, but as part of a compromise entailing #3, we waived it.

#3 was a change order problem. One door was changed after the initial order (slider to French). The new door could not be built (specs were not available on the new door), so they "decided" to just build the original door. Supplier ate the cost of, not just replacing the door, but upgrading the new door to one that matched the new specs - that was a $2k difference.

While I was unhappy that so many mistakes had been made (this is a relatively small house - a total of about 20 sash including muntinned units), the way the problems were addressed made me recommend them to someone else.

While the customer is not always right, if you act that way you will find yourself without many customers after too long.

In our business, if the customer provided written specs and we do not provide product that meets them, unless we have in writing a concession allowing the deviation we eat it, or at least offer to. Good customers will admit their part and accept at least partial responsibility. This is one factor that raises their level of "goodness"...

3/31/15       #9: Drafter drew it wrong, customer and ...
steve hubin Member

when i order a special profile tooling, i have to approve the drawing.if i approve and its wrong,i eat it. my feeling this is the same type of process. otherwise whats the point to need approval in the first place

4/6/15       #10: Drafter drew it wrong, customer and ...
Mel

We had an interesting one lately--order for ply beam bookcase for a university. Massive project. They wanted the hardest finish they could find. Foreman goes to our distributor, and they give him Polyurethane with isocyanates.

This ditributor has been servicing them for 20+ years. Knows the finisher by name and face, delivers and chats regularly.

He delivers the Polyu-ISO, which the finisher has never seen, without even an MDS sheet. Reads the can, sees immediately that our ventilation system, and her protective equipment, is insufficient for this product.

Says so, gets treated as a malcontent, they contact the distributor to come over and "teach the finisher how to do it". She points out the ventilation, her protective equipment, arms up in the air-- wtf?

Distributor took it all back and gave them a sweet deal on the replacement product--to account for time wasted.

I've since looked into polyurethanes with isocyanates--that stuff will eat through your eyes. It needs kid gloves and a whole lot of forethought/ equipment.

Extreme example, of course, but got me thinking about responsibility in sales and specs.


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