A few years ago, a huge 49ers fan, who we will refer to as OP, was working at a consulting firm with a handful of accounts he would interact with directly.
A Gift
One client in particular knew how big of a Niners fan he was and wanted to give him a pair of extra company seats to the Super Bowl as a thank you gift.
The Partner
However, the partner on that account, who we will refer to as DP, gave the tickets to another one of the firm’s clients as a gift. When OP found out about this, he was furious and considered confronting DP himself.
Realisation
But, he realized it was the client who had noticed he wasn’t there in the first place, so he let him handle it.
The Awkward Meeting
The client orchestrated a wonderfully awkward little show to catch DP red-handed. When they entered the conference room, it was all the usual suspects along with a woman in her 30’s they didn’t recognize.
The Client
The client immediately introduced “DP, this is Stephanie Suchandsuch, VP from [other department], she wanted to sit in on this meeting. Hey [OP], you guys must already know her from the Super Bowl!”
Her Response
She then responded as she went to shake OP’s hand “Oh, I don’t think so. Did we meet there? I’m sorry if I forgot.” The client then looked at OP, and he said “Sorry Stephanie, I wasn’t there. Are you thinking of someone else?”
Uncomfortable
At this point, DP was looking visibly uncomfortable, probably trying to come up with an excuse. He started in with an “Uhm..” when Stephanie said over him “No, [so and so] from [other company] were in the other seats.
The Question
“By the way, I was wondering why we gave company seats to those guys, is there a project we’re working with them on that I don’t know about?”
DP let out an “Uh” again, and the client immediately spoke over him asking “DP, I gave you those tickets for [OP]?” At this point, DP was turning bright red.
He Responded
He responded “Ohh, uhh, well he wasn’t able to make it, so he must have given the seats away to someone else?” and turned to OP looking for him to cover for him.
The Consequences
The client told OP to wait a couple of hours and then respond to him with a list of expectations. These included expecting invoices for the resale value of the Super Bowl tickets, which were way above face value, as well as for their lunch.
Apology
He also expected a direct apology to OP and a written apology to his company for what he considered theft. He also made it clear that he would only interact with OP or another one of the firm’s partners, never DP.
Causing A Stir
This whole situation caused a stir with the other partners, and OP actually came off looking great because it appeared that he had made a good faith effort to save the client for the firm despite being the victim in this situation.
He Left
The client ultimately terminated their relationship with that firm a year later, and OP left the firm a few months after the Super Bowl incident for a much better position.
What Was He Thinking?
In retrospect, nobody knows what DP was thinking when he gave away the Super Bowl tickets. Did he seriously believe the client would just not notice OP not thanking him for Super Bowl tickets?
He Was Stuck
The well was kind of poisoned for OP there long term because DP wasn’t going anywhere.
He’s Still Mad
Despite everything, OP is still mad that he missed out on the Super Bowl, and he hopes that the 49ers make it back this year so he can finally go to one in person. Go Niners!
The Internet Responded
One person said, “I can’t imagine the logic in giving the tickets to another client, when the gifting company would likely have other staff in attendance.”
Another commenter said this, “I love your client so much. What a brilliant response.”
More Supportive Comments
This commenter agreed, “The fact that the partner would pull that makes me suspect you could’ve really hurt ’em legally with claims of impropriety.”
And this person had a different stance, “My company would probably not allow you to accept the gift of the tickets for ethical reasons. We do not want to ever have the appearance of bribery or favoritism. So no big ticket items.”
16 ANNOYING PHRASES THAT MAKE PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY HATE YOU!
We wanted to know the most irksome things someone can say that turns you off! These Reddit users didn’t hold back! 16 ANNOYING PHRASES THAT MAKE PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY HATE YOU!OBSOLETE MILLENNIALS: 14 SKILLS THEY LEARNED IN THE 90S THAT HAVE NO PLACE IN TODAY’S WORLD
A lot has changed since the turn of the century – just ask this nostalgic lot!OBSOLETE MILLENNIALS: 14 SKILLS THEY LEARNED IN THE 90S THAT HAVE NO PLACE IN TODAY’S WORLD
THE FALL FROM GRACE: 12 PROFESSIONS THAT WERE ONCE REVERED, NOW A TOTAL JOKE
These 12 professions that are now obsolete show how much the times have changed.THE FALL FROM GRACE: 12 PROFESSIONS THAT WERE ONCE REVERED, NOW A TOTAL JOKE
FROM ‘OKAY BOOMER’ TO ‘UGH BOOMER’: 10 HABITS THAT IRRITATE MILLENNIALS
Each generation has its quirks. Most label it as an “old person thing” when asked why grandpa or grandma does something unusual. The defense from the other side is that “it was the way things were back in our day.”
FROM ‘OKAY BOOMER’ TO ‘UGH BOOMER’: 10 HABITS THAT IRRITATE MILLENNIALS