Falling on your Sword

A business relationship is a two-way street and it requires a bit of give and take to make things work. Nothing hinders this relationship like dishonesty. As a result, we have devoted ourselves to always speaking in truth and candour.

We provide a number of services to our clients, one of these being access to the public network through Quartet’s CRTC Certified CLEC accreditation. In doing so, we also bill our clients the long distance calls they make over the course of the year.

In 2010, a six figure problem struck. Through a clerical error by one of our employees, a client wasn’t charged for their long distance calls for roughly eight months of time. This developed into quite a large sum of money. Although disappointed by the brief oversight, Quartet CEO Rob Bracey quickly contacted the client to talk about the mistake.

Considering the problem, the client was arguably well within their rights to walk away from the charges. Yet by doing so, it would have changed the nature of the relationship. Through discussion, Bracey and the client were able to come to an acceptable solution for each party; the client would pay a large portion of the charges and we would pay the rest. Bracey notes in retrospect that “…the client acted fairly and reasonably, and as a result, I turn them the benefit of the doubt on a regular basis.”

It is this type of exchange which sets us apart from competitors. When we make a mistake, we are not afraid to admit it, and will work to rectify the problem immediately. Additionally, this experience also says something about the clients that we associate with. No partnership is perfect, and when clients display some understanding it goes a long way towards making the relationship successful. Besides, it’s not every company that would so willingly fall on its sword when it has made a mistake.