<p>I have to fire a vendor I have worked with for years and whom I like very, very much. He was away last week and for the second time left a particular co-worker in charge of his accounts. The last time, there were serious problems that were brought to his attention, and this time it was even worse. I am not an owner of the company and the ultimate decision is theirs, but I am the person who deals with the vendor most closely and this time I was the person whose project was derailed because of the covering co-worker. The decision was made above my head to terminate the relationship and it would be possible to pay the current bill and just not call on the vendor again, but I think he should know because we are one of his major accounts. Has anyone done something like this and, if so, how? Or am I totally off base and I shouldn’t say anything?</p>
<p>Take him out for a drink, and let him know off the record. He needs to know that this particular colleague is poison and has cost his company business. That way he won’t hand off anything to that colleague in the future, and he may have the information needed to encourage the people above him to move that person elsewhere where these kinds of problems won’t happen.</p>
<p>I agree with happymomof1. You are not in charge of the decision, but apparently it was a big enough booboo that your bosses decided to terminate the relationship. I think he would want to know why. He won’t blame you personally.</p>
<p>Good advice. I’d be willing to bet that either you are not the first to complain about the co-worker or there have been mysterious client losses before that are the co-worker’s fault. You can’t be the only person who has had problems with him/her.</p>
<p>I second (third?) what the other posters said. If I were the business owner, I’d want to know. Your bosses may not be very frank with him and just say something vague about why the account was closed, so it is quite possible that the business owner does not know the real reason.</p>
<p>ZM - I have many horror stories along those lines … (e.g., “Sorry to call you so late, but it appears both your tax return and all supporting materials have been misplaced. And since none of the partners reviewed the return, we can’t provide the electronic version. I suggest you take a filing extension, then get started calling around to get replacement documents.”)</p>
<p>In virtually every case, including the one above, we simply terminated without explanation. I do understand the temptation to speak with your Vendor about his incompetent employee. But really, the chances of the vendor not knowing about his subordinate’s incompetence are pretty slim. Also, when you’re firing someone, no conversation is really “off the record.”</p>
<p>Bottom line? Your company has nothing/zero/nada to gain by explaining reasons behind the termination. And if somehow your company gets sued and it comes out that you’ve been talking “out of school” … well that’s not a good thing for you.</p>
<p>If the Vendor wants an explanation, it’s up to him to request a meeting with your Company’s owners. After all, the decision WAS made above your level.</p>
<p>Zoosermom, since we don’t know the particulars of what happened, I have to agree with Newhope. You have no idea how far someone will sling the mud when things get tough and if you give them the dirt, you can get muddy too. I was involve in a case many years ago when I did what I thought was the right thing in a business relationship, and it got very ugly, due to some things that got misconstrued. The bottom of line was that someone was going to pay,regardless, and anyone who stuck their head into the fray got it slapped or lopped off. These days with things often being taped, and NY law says only one part has to know it’s being tape, you have no idea what the could happen with the info you give. I wish it were otherwise.</p>
<p>Would agree with 6 and 7. There is significant potential risk in being “nice.” To protect yourself, would just duck and say your boss made decision.</p>
<p>No, as a married woman I would not take a man out for a drink, especially someone who might become angry. Coffee, at most.</p>
<p>I would probably just call him to give a heads up, saying it was your bosses decision. That would be a courtesy right there.</p>
<p>Just explain over the phone.</p>
<p>Goodness. Tape recording? Being sued?? A married woman shouldn’t take a man out of a drink???!</p>
<p>ZM has worked with this vendor for years and years. They may well run into each other professionally again at some point. I think she would get points from the vendor for leveling with him. And it would obviously be out of the office, off the record, and told to him as a personal heads-up. </p>
<p>In my professional life, I have occasionally told a vendor about one of their employees who was not holding up his/her end. They were usually not surprised and were always grateful for the honest information.</p>
<p>“I have occasionally told a vendor about one of their employees who was not holding up his/her end.”</p>
<p>The decision to terminate the Vendor has already been made “up the line.” Saving the relationship is NOT an option for ZM.</p>
<p>Saving the relationship with the vendor is not an option. Saving the relationship with the individual she has worked with for years and years is.</p>
<p>Well, it now seems that compensation is going to be demanded by my company so there is no way he won’t find out what and why.</p>