A Foot in the Door

[ehiker]

I saw a great quote on a different thread (I think it was in a discussion about getting quality wool kilts vs. the less expensive PV kilts). I forget who provided it, but they said they had seen it on signs on the production floor of a small manufacturing company. Here's the quote:

"There is nothing that cannot be made more cheaply by cutting corners on quality; and the person who only considers price is this man's lawful prey."

Wow, what a great quote! It hit me smack dab in the middle of my forehead because that's the way I try to approach things at home when it comes to repairs and hiring someone to do work. It is also the approach we take at work, because, frankly, we are not the cheapest option in our market. We make an effort to provide quality product and the best customer service we can offer. I think it is a good formula.

[Get on with it!]

So anyway, I thought it was such a great quote that I e-mailed it to our CEO and told him I pulled it off of a kilt-wearer's forum I frequent where it came up in the discussion of whether to spend the money on a higher-quality wool kilt or a less-expensive PV kilt. I ended the e-mail by telling him my first kilt was wool and from Scotland.

His reply:

Ethan,
Always good to hear from you.
I love the quote, and because our organization is not the low cost provider, it is something that hits home.
Thanks for being on the look-out for wisdom that helps us stay true to our culture.
Take good care
Vern
PS do kilts qualify for shorts in our casual work environment?

When I first started at this company, we were just coming off of shirt-and-tie business attire five days a week. Seven years later, we have men wearing shorts and sandals to work between Memorial Day and Labor Day - I think that is great progress and though I've been tempted to bring it up, I've not wanted to push the envelope too far too fast by broaching the kilt subject with HR.

But I see this as a foot in the door... so I immediately replied to Vern:

Look for this discussion next June!

Then I called my wife, all giddy like a school girl...

[McMurdo]

Sounds promising and yes that is a great quote.

[JS Sanders]

A corollary quote that's been extremely helpful to me for many years...

"Image is product."

Sorta Zen-like in its simplicity and not as straight forward as it seems.

Slainte,
steve

[McFarkus]

Sounds to me like the CEO opened the door wide!

[vmac3205]

Terriffic quote!
Sounds to me like he opened the barn door and kicked you though it. Show up in a kilt.

[sharpdressedscot]

That's great,man!

[Mael Coluim]

Congratulations on your coup. Best of luck with your aspiration.

Not to be a contrarian, but I have found my Scottish wool kilts made in the USA as fine as the quality of my hand sewn Scottish tank. My PV kilt made here in the USA is tailored as fine as my Scottish tank. It is preferred wear in the steamy days of summer here in Virginia.

[ehiker]

I appreciate the comment, but I was really focusing more on the e-mail from the CEO of my company and the joyful thought that I might be able to wear a kilt to work in the future.

I'll have a SWK by the end of the year, so soon I'll be wearing both, in any case.

I didn't mean to imply that a kilt HAS to come from Scotland in order to be considered a quality kilt. Sorry if I gave that impression to anyone.

[hospitaller]

Sounds to me that you will get in trouble now if you do NOT show up to work kilted.

Congrats on the timely catch!

[FreeDon!]

Given your boss's reply, it almost sounds like he is looking for reassurance that he can wear HIS kilt. Any chance that he is a kiltie?

Don