A: ... Now that we have been over the gory details
of our disastrous first quarter, Ed! Give us some
good news. How are things looking for us in terms
of sales this month?
B: Uh well...would you like the bad news first or the
really bad news?
A: What? Ed, don’t tell me you only have bad news!
B: Well sir, our sales have dropped, no plunged, fifty
percent in the past month alone. We are currently
overstocked and overstaffed and our profits are
falling fast. The market is in recession and we
have no way of moving our inventory, or getting
rid of our staff. If we consider redundancies, it
would cost us a fortune because of the new reg-
ulations governing compensation packages. It’s a
real mess.
A: For crying out loud... How fast are we losing
money?
B: Um...how can I put this? Let’s just say that at this
pace, we will be filing for Chapter eleven in less
than three months.
A: What! Geez! How could this have happened? So
what’s the bad news?
B: Oh, that’s the really bad news. Our supplier suf-
fered QC problems and, well, half of our produc-
tion is faulty. We’re going to have to recall all items
sold in the last quarter. And the worst part? We’re
going to have to shoulder this cost.
A: Are you joking? Get the supplier on the line now!
They have to assume the costs of this mess!
B: We tried that, sir. The factory has gone under and
the owner apparently has fled the country.
A: We’re doomed!
B: There is some really good news though!
A: Really? What!
B: I got offered a new job! |