What would you do?

[petersonra]

Since so far zero voters have said they'd withold the information on the new product, you can guess where I am. My situation is a little different, since I'm licensed as a professional engineer. I have a fiduciary responsibility to the customer as well as my company, so professional ethics compels me (not that I need that stick, or so I'd like to think) to reveal all pertinent information to my customer, depending on the scope of work that's been contracted. On the other hand, if I'm not doing work for a particular customer of ours at the time I become aware of the product, that's a little different. Then I'll contact the service manager and let him know that I think customer ABC might be interested in the product and let him take it from there.

IMO, there is an obligation not to get caught up in the latest fads that may or may not serve any real purpose. I can remember back in the late 80s when the fad was to replace perfectly good motors with newfangled high efficiency ones. A lot of the new ones failed, just as the early versions of electronic ballasts did. In many cases the economic case for changing out motors just plain was not there. Wait for the technology to prove itself.

 

[gadfly56]

IMO, there is an obligation not to get caught up in the latest fads that may or may not serve any real purpose. I can remember back in the late 80s when the fad was to replace perfectly good motors with newfangled high efficiency ones. A lot of the new ones failed, just as the early versions of electronic ballasts did. In many cases the economic case for changing out motors just plain was not there. Wait for the technology to prove itself.

I have a recollection that pump manufacturers were trying to sell these "high-e" motors married to VFD's as an alternative to using valves to throttle flow in centrifugal pumps. IIRC, early adopters were unpleasantly surprised by the high early mortality of the motors, due to winding insulation failures partly as result of ugly waveforms from the VFD's and partly due to the motor designs.

 

[iwire]

A product comes along which will save your customer money but it also means you'll have less service work going forward. Do you suggest it to your customer or hide it from them?

Thanks!

Treat people as you would wish to be treated.


I know, easier to say than do but worth trying.


I would let them know what I know.

 

[GoldDigger]

Treat people as you would wish to be treated.


I know, easier to say than do but worth trying.


I would let them know what I know.

To some extent I think the OP loaded the question by using the word hide.
I see a difference between not suggesting the alternative and concealing it if asked .

I might act differently between responding to a detailed bid and a request from a customer to achieve a particular result with the design details left to me.

 

[iwire]

I like to keep things as simple as possible.

I see a difference between not suggesting the alternative and concealing it if asked .

How would you prefer to be treated?

 

[GoldDigger]

I like to keep things as simple as possible.





How would you prefer to be treated?

On that basis alone, the answer is indeed simpler.

 

[petersonra]

I like to keep things as simple as possible.





How would you prefer to be treated?

I would hope a trusted supplier would not try to sell me something that is not proven.

 

[GoldDigger]

I would hope a trusted supplier would not try to sell me something that is not proven.

But would you like them to offer you the choice or just to make that judgement for you?
Not proven does not imply not useful, just that you need to consider the risks involved.
I would not, on the other hand, expect him to substitute an unprovrn device for what I requested.

 

[220/221]

I am all about the greater good and I don't like wasting resources.

Making work is not my style. I'm all about production.

 

[ggunn]

This I do believe.

My nearly 2 year old Droid Razr was acting up with slow Internet with a 4G connection, slow reaction to text input sometimes. I restored it to factory settings and it is not much better. Certainly not like it was when it was new. It still looks new and there are no moving parts. What could really be wrong with it unless a kill pill?

I am skeptical. If a cell company killed my phone I would change companies.

I used my Sprint dumbphone for three years after my contract expired and it worked just as well (and just as badly) as it did the day I bought it until the hinge spring broke and it wouldn't stay closed. I put a rubber band around it and used it for another 6 months.

 

[kwired]

I am skeptical. If a cell company killed my phone I would change companies.

I used my Sprint dumbphone for three years after my contract expired and it worked just as well (and just as badly) as it did the day I bought it until the hinge spring broke and it wouldn't stay closed. I put a rubber band around it and used it for another 6 months.

Many people (but not all) wear out or abuse their phones enough before any contracts run out and are wanting a new phone as soon as they are eligible to get one (at reduced costs anyhow).

I really doubt the phone company intentionally "kills" the phone, but most phones are sold under contract to subscribe for service for a certain period and you get the phone at some significantly reduced prices from what the usual retail price would be. They probably are trying to get enough quality built into the phones so that the majority of them will survive at least the typical contract period.