What would you do?

GeoffCapes · Jan 18, 2019

Please see link to a rather prestigious award which a company called Quimera have won.

https://www.linkedin.com/slink?code=dWqFppT

However, the gas savings they claim to have made, was actually done, by the equipment one of my companies make, and installed by my other company, not Quimera.
I've highlighted this to anyone willing to listen on Linked In.
I've emailed the AEE.
Has anyone any thoughts on what else I can do, because Quimera are taking credit (to great effect) for work we have done.

lifes2short · Jan 18, 2019

WTF, that's well out of order, you must be hopping mad, I know I would be, not sure what else you can do, I would leave a comment on the youtube video if possible for starters and then advise the ceo of Hyatt Hotels

GeoffCapes · Jan 18, 2019

lifes2short said:
WTF, that's well out of order, you must be hopping mad, I know I would be, not sure what else you can do, I would leave a comment on the youtube video if possible for starters and then advise the ceo of Hyatt Hotels

Seething!

Will add a comment on Youtube as well.

Feel free to share if you are on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1086221588276670464

MarkMas · Jan 18, 2019

Well I guess if they were in some way the 'master contractor' and so the visible face of the project to Hyatt and the Awards people, you just have to suck it up, and let them take the glory for the work of the 'little people'. It would be like Lenovo getting an award for laptop performance without crediting the chip maker that allowed that to happen.

But if they had no part in it, then you have basically two choices: go nuclear (you have started down this path) or go gracious.

Nuclear: You could ***** in the Linkedin and Youtube comments (and get deleted or blocked), complain to Hyatt, complain to the awards committee, etc. Brief satisfaction, but probably not getting an actual reversal, and many enemies made.

Gracious: Or you could issue posts, videos and press releases congratulating Quimera on their great award, which was enabled through their brilliance in ensuring that your incredible technology was used and your installation team did such a great job, and saying how very much you enjoyed working with them and Hyatt on the project. Good publicity for you, no enemies made.

GeoffCapes · Jan 18, 2019

The post done on LinkedIn by the CEO of Quimera congratulating everyone involved has now been deleted after I put a post on saying that it was our kit which made the savings not theres has now been deleted.

There's an admission of guilt if I've ever seen one!

GeoffCapes · Jan 18, 2019

MarkMas said:
Well I guess if they were in some way the 'master contractor' and so the visible face of the project to Hyatt and the Awards people, you just have to suck it up, and let them take the glory for the work of the 'little people'. It would be like Lenovo getting an award for laptop performance without crediting the chip maker that allowed that to happen.

But if they had no part in it, then you have basically two choices: go nuclear (you have started down this path) or go gracious.

Nuclear: You could ***** in the Linkedin and Youtube comments (and get deleted or blocked), complain to Hyatt, complain to the awards committee, etc. Brief satisfaction, but probably not getting an actual reversal, and many enemies made.

Gracious: Or you could issue posts, videos and press releases congratulating Quimera on their great award, which was enabled through their brilliance in ensuring that your incredible technology was used and your installation team did such a great job, and saying how very much you enjoyed working with them and Hyatt on the project. Good publicity for you, no enemies made.

They had nothing to do with it.
I've complained to everyone thus far.

We actually got an engineer to go into Andaz to help them understand what our units did, so their BMS engineer could try and replicate it. He couldn't. Not even close.
However, we had advised them that sending an engineer would cost them. Which they had no issue with.
But then refused to pay the bill.

We ended up sending bailiffs in to get our money!

Absolutely zero love lost between us and them. They are the standard big company trying to get away with murder as we are only a small company.
I wasn't going to let a small bill go out of principle, and I'm certainly not letting this go.

Wattie · Jan 18, 2019

GeoffCapes said:
Please see link to a rather prestigious award which a company called Quimera have won.

https://www.linkedin.com/slink?code=dWqFppT

However, the gas savings they claim to have made, was actually done, by the equipment one of my companies make, and installed by my other company, not Quimera.
I've highlighted this to anyone willing to listen on Linked In.
I've emailed the AEE.
Has anyone any thoughts on what else I can do, because Quimera are taking credit (to great effect) for work we have done.

Contact a suitable lawyer who can asses your position.
Good luck as it seems unfair

Oneball · Jan 18, 2019

Wait for a response from the AEE. That’s your first and best option. As indignant as you maybe I would suggest you don’t do anything else until you hear from them, that includes posts on Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

While they are still available get copies of their postings, press statements, their award citation etc.

I’ve got/been nominated for a number of these professional awards and they are usually awarded on the basis of an application, ask the AEE for this and the evidence QEE provided.

If you don’t get an acceptable response see if there is a higher proffensional body over the AEE.

Once those routes are exhausted I’d suggest taking legal advice and start with a lettter to QEE stating your position and what you want them to do. This could also be your first point of call depending on how legal you want to get.

Felonious Crud · Jan 18, 2019

Crappy, but I'm not sure what the loss is and what purpose a legal action would serve.

Personally, I'd take the "well done and GCI is delighted to have played an instrumental part in the success of this project by supplying xxx products and doing yyy work. GCI looks forward to continued collaboration with [company] to help companies around the world to spend less money on energy and reduce their emissions."

PS - someone actually named a company Quim Era? Formed in the era of the quim, or they're just *****?

JonW · Jan 18, 2019

I would be more inclined to go the gracious and congratulatory route, and use it as a positive spin in future sales pitches....

Whether it’s right or wrong, as a small company I personally would question whether there is much to be gained by starting a fight and being seen to be awkward. However, there could be lots to be gained by linking yourself to the success of others and making it clear that you can help others achieve the same savings, etc...

Attract more bees with honey than vinegar, etc, etc....

Navcorr · Jan 18, 2019

Ouch. Sorry to read Geoff. Sounds like the "relationship" has been less than straightforward from the outset. May I ask what supply arrangements you had with Quimera? Hopefully, the T&C's of supply contain appropriate clauses protecting your intellectual property? For example, detailing that statements made about the system benefits must recognise the developer, owner, etc., etc., etc. Without which there is not a great deal you can do.

Other than kick up a stink and embarrass the sh*t out of them. Which may not reflect too well on yourself. Alternatively, try and work with them as suggested above. If that is possible and you would want to. Which begs the question if you don't sell them anymore equipment how can Quimera leverage their new found fame.

Zep · Jan 18, 2019

JonW said:
I would be more inclined to go the gracious and congratulatory route, and use it as a positive spin in future sales pitches....

Whether it’s right or wrong, as a small company I personally would question whether there is much to be gained by starting a fight and being seen to be awkward. However, there could be lots to be gained by linking yourself to the success of others and making it clear that you can help others achieve the same savings, etc...

Attract more bees with honey than vinegar, etc, etc....

This, to be honest. You drive customers away if you appear combative in their first contact with you (which will be reading posts on LinkedIn).

GeoffCapes · Jan 18, 2019

JonW said:
I would be more inclined to go the gracious and congratulatory route, and use it as a positive spin in future sales pitches....

Whether it’s right or wrong, as a small company I personally would question whether there is much to be gained by starting a fight and being seen to be awkward. However, there could be lots to be gained by linking yourself to the success of others and making it clear that you can help others achieve the same savings, etc...

Attract more bees with honey than vinegar, etc, etc....

Effectively they are gaining business based upon work we have done.

Navcorr said:
Ouch. Sorry to read Geoff. Sounds like the "relationship" has been less than straightforward from the outset. May I ask what supply arrangements you had with Quimera? Hopefully, the T&C's of supply contain appropriate clauses protecting your intellectual property? For example, detailing that statements made about the system benefits must recognise the developer, owner, etc., etc., etc. Without which there is not a great deal you can do.

Other than kick up a stink and embarrass the sh*t out of them. Which may not reflect too well on yourself. Alternatively, try and work with them as suggested above. If that is possible and you would want to. Which begs the question if you don't sell them anymore equipment how can Quimera leverage their new found fame.

We had no arrangements with Quimera at all. We actually helped them to understand what we had done, they tried to replicate it and failed. Quite badly as it goes.
And when we asked for them to settle the bill for the cost of an engineer being on site they totally ignored it.
We then had to send bailiffs in to get our bill paid.

Not sure how they can leverage their fame, but they seem to be doing very well on the back of it.

GeoffCapes · Jan 18, 2019

Zep said:
This, to be honest. You drive customers away if you appear combative in their first contact with you (which will be reading posts on LinkedIn).

Point taken, but surely defending the work you have done is just as important?
If for example you had done some work and then someone else claimed it for themselves and got a huge order from another potential client you were to work with, you would feel somewhat agreived?
They stole your project as their own, and to add insult to injury they start working with a client you had already spoken to who were keen on using your services, but will now use the other company as they did great work previously. That great work being your great work!

Zep · Jan 18, 2019

GeoffCapes said:
Point taken, but surely defending the work you have done is just as important?
If for example you had done some work and then someone else claimed it for themselves and got a huge order from another potential client you were to work with, you would feel somewhat agreived?
They stole your project as their own, and to add insult to injury they start working with a client you had already spoken to who were keen on using your services, but will now use the other company as they did great work previously. That great work being your great work!

It has happened, all too often. It’s a catch 22, if you spend your time dealing with something that has already happened, you might miss the next thing.

Our industry is abound with stories of people poaching work or using inside knowledge of competitors to undermine them, it goes with the territory. I tell the stories in the bars, but not in full view.

Karma is a *****, the best thing to do is spend your time making sure that next time, you are the train and not the tunnel!

lifes2short · Jan 18, 2019

I'm sorry, but I would go schizo and do whatever I needed to publicise the injustice, it can be done diplomatically and I can't see why it would come across badly? do you think some brown envelopes changed hands?

Felonious Crud · Jan 18, 2019

lifes2short said:
I'm sorry, but I would go schizo and do whatever I needed to publicise the injustice, it can be done diplomatically and I can't see why it would come across badly? do you think some brown envelopes changed hands?

I would exactly not do that. The world is a small place. In my industry, there are a number of people who I wouldn't touch with a bargepole because of how they have behaved in the past. As time moves on most of them find it increasingly hard to find a new role or win deals because of the way they have behaved repeatedly in the past.

Zep · Jan 18, 2019

Felonious Crud said:
I would exactly not do that. The world is a small place. In my industry, there are a number of people who I wouldn't touch with a bargepole because of how they have behaved in the past. As time moves on most of them find it increasingly hard to find a new role or win deals because of the way they have behaved repeatedly in the past.

This ^^^

lifes2short · Jan 18, 2019

Felonious Crud said:
I would exactly not do that. The world is a small place. In my industry, there are a number of people who I wouldn't touch with a bargepole because of how they have behaved in the past. As time moves on most of them find it increasingly hard to find a new role or win deals because of the way they have behaved repeatedly in the past.

I can completely agree with you, but I personally couldn't swallow that and I don't like to get shafted, that's me I'm afraid, i've tried taking deep breathes lying in a darkened room but i still come out fuming

Felonious Crud · Jan 18, 2019

lifes2short said:
I can completely agree with you, but I personally couldn't swallow that and I don't like to get shafted, that's me I'm afraid, i've tried taking deep breathes lying in a darkened room but i still come out fuming

As Roy Castle didn't sing, meditation's what you need.

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