A few years after college, I was working
for the sole dealer of Philips Test Instruments in my state. These instruments
were mainly used in the Electronics Industry. During a tour of the northern
part of the state, I visited a large organisation to discuss their
requirements. I met some people in the purchase department. I was surprised to
find that they were unhappy with our service. One of them told me that we had
cheated them. He told me that we had supplied a Philips Probe, which is an
accessory for the Test Instrument, at twice the normal cost. They had found out
the actual cost of the Probe after making enquiries with the Philips Regional
Office.
When I returned to my office after the tour
I informed my Manager about this. He told me not to worry about it and that he
will take care of it. I felt there was something fishy. I knew a Senior
Executive was involved in this. Later on, after making some enquiries within my
Company I came to know that it was not even a Philips Probe. It was a Chinese
Probe and it was not even new. The Senior Executive had purchased a second hand
Chinese Probe at a very low cost. This Probe was cleaned, packed and supplied
to the customer along with a Philips Test Instrument. The customer was
convinced that it was a new Philips Probe since we were the authorised dealers
for Philips. Their only complaint was about the price. I heard my Manager and
the Senior Executive shared the profit.
