Have you ever had to lie during your job? Or felt like they made you take advantage of a client?
NotDracon
Member Posts: 66 ✭✭
Sigh. Some background before I begin: I currently do tech support for Point Of Sale (POS) softwares for retail stores and restaurants, which are programs that allow for transactions to take place and inventory to be taken track of by digital means, among other stuff. For retail stores we work with what I'll call "System A", an old and depreciated (but still functional) POS software and "System B", the new, modern remix of System A.
My job recently sent an announcement to us in the tech support department, where from now on anyone that calls for help with System A will be attended as normal but at the end of the call we're supposed to basically pitch an ad to them with the intent of scaring them into upgrading to System B. The official reason is that System A has already reached End Of Life (term used to mean that the original creators no longer have an obligation to provide support for the program) which is true but also that they fear the owners of System A will hit the killswitch in the future to disable all global instances of the program, which is NOT true.
I know why upper management is pushing for more of our clients to adopt System B, too. Unlike System A that came before it, you need to pay a yearly subscription to System B that our company gets a cut from, so obviously it benefits them to get as much people still on System A to upgrade to B.
I don't like it. First off we're telling half-truths to our clients, second we're trying to fearmonger them into upgrading when they might not need to, and third us in the tech support dept. aren't seeing anything from the increased revenue.
I have other stories I could tell from times where I feel like we took advantage of a client, but this will do for now. Just wanted to get this off my chest and yell into the void known as the internet.
Comments
You already know the right answer …………………………………………. we all need to sleep at night.
I was a cop. When questioning a suspect, lying is sometimes seen as a means to an end. You bet I lied.
So what your saying is, a raise in yours and the tech departments wage would make things better. Ok, I can understand that.
Last bit was more of a snide, tongue in cheek jab at our situation. Like, if they're going to make us push this agenda onto our clients we might as well be both complicit -and- beneficiaries from it. Ha ha.
I worked for Federal agencies almost 40 years. 'Adjustment of input' was necessary many times.
I could never lie to my work crew it bit me many times by not lying to the workers
I truly think That's why I never made it up the corporate ladder beyond the first step and just stayed their the 25.5 yrs I worked there but I know I did right
I was more on the people side not the company on so many issues
Sad Part the people had no idea how much I fought for them and considered me as a company man
I should have just lied and looked out for myself like most all did looking back on it
I was a media spokesman for 15 years. Jokingly, a "Liar for Hire". But in fact, lying was something you simply did not do. There were times when I concealed certain things, or worded things in a positive light, but not lie.
That was NOT true of how reporters worked.
When you get up in the morning and are standing in front of the mirror while you are shaving, look at the guy looking back at you. Do you trust him? Do you like him? Would you rather shave his face . . . or cut his throat?
There is the answer to your question.
You will spend the rest of your life - looking at his face - in the mirror.
I would just tell your clients that this change is inevitable…..this IS happening at some point, so it is best to do this as early as possible because all of the people that wait until last minute will be all trying to adjust at one time. They can avoid the mass pile up and go ahead and get this switch done now. Its not a "lie" really.
I'd also tell your boss that you would like some kind of spiff for every switch over you are responsible for. Gas cards….gift certificates…..some kind of monetary prize……its only fair, since this is NOT your job and is an extra thing you would be doing for them.
The last job I had was the owner and sole proprietor of my Camera store. It would have been pointless to lie to myself.
Joe
Most people lie to themselves and/or their spouses on an almost daily basis!!😁
No doubt the best possible answer, well worded and thought provoking. 👍️
Thank you.
I used it more than a few times in my previous career - while speaking with those above me in my Chain of Command.
What bothers me is that System A has been going strong for over 25 years now and has survived countless Windows updates, to the point it's extremely hard to believe (though admittedly, not impossible) that the owners will pull the plug on it for good someday the way upper management wants us to tell our clients. Admittedly, maybe I should see it from the point of view you're presenting: we no longer offer customization, add-ons or new installations of System A anyway so having them upgrade to System B is the better choice in the long-term.
Always tell the truth. The only person that can take away your integrity is you.
Worked in mental health 32 plus years . Honesty was a prerequisite in the job .
Mark Twain said, "Always tell the truth. It will amaze your friends and confound your enemies."
Can't imagine being placed in that position.
You can tell them that in time support will not be available, but to specifically tell them that the system will be disabled when is will not be, is a step I could not bring myself to take.
Brad Steele
Thanks, David.
I won't feel so bad about lying to cops anymore.😏
Brad Steele
no offense, but you’re selling software, your customers don’t trust you to begin with.
If you'll allow me to be pedantic for a moment, I don't sell software. I give support to customers who already had the software that was sold to them in advance by the company I work for.
In other news I already found a workaround to avoid lying: if I feel like the client could benefit from an upgrade I pitch the idea to them and avoid the tactic of scaremongering them with "oh by the way this system might flat out stop working someday" and upper management is satisfied so we're good.
NotDracon, I'd find ways to word it where it sits right with you. Point out what is true. No updates, no changes, no new features for old product. I would NOT say there is a cut-off date if there is none.
I'm in the I.T. world myself (Systems admin) and though I understand it, I really despise the move to subscription based SaaS for most software. Most major software just doesn't move fast enough to justify upgrading to every version. If it did, then perhaps a subscription would make sense. Office for instance, the way Microsoft is doing it where you get to install it on 5 computers and 5 devices for the cost of 1 full product license if you purchased it, now that makes sense and is a good deal. But, I suspect that is just a ploy to get people to buy into the idea and moved over to O365 where they will raise the prices and stop making versions you own except for perhaps volume licensed version.
I wish Glock made software. It could finally be perfect!
My employer wants me to pretend that I'm happy. Even though I take more after grumpy
Unfortunately we all have lied before. The best thing is , don't make a habit of it. I swear this is true….
Many years ago I was involved in a Federally funded study concerning juvenile delinquency and looking at how different court involved interventions (formal vs informal) determined affected outcome of the cases.
It was an interesting process and I was one of the individuals collecting data and entering it into the system. I was really enjoying the project and was feeling like we were getting useful data.
I was called in by a liaison individual who told me they were going to change how information was entered. This change was going to change how the data would be interpreted. When I pointed this out, I was told it was time to get on board and just go with it……….. I told the individual I would NOT lie or misrepresent any of the data in the study… I was encouraged (basically ordered) to enter the data in the way I was told…..
I resigned from the project and wrote a letter of concern to the funding agency….. The liaison was removed from the project and a new one assigned. I was asked to return to the project but declined.