While the details were somewhat different, I had a similar experience
with another vendor. I too was mystified at what the vendor thought they
would gain after pursing a response about their product well past the
point of repeated "No, thanks". The most surprising part of which was
that they seemed to think that they were truly entitled to a detailed
explanation of why a library would say no to an offer of their product.
While I think those conversations are quite reasonable with vendors that
you have a relationship with, vendors that you have no prior
relationship with certainly (at least) risk seeming to be very
aggressive by pursuing those kinds of conversations in a demanding way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rosie Croft, MLIS
Associate University Librarian
Royal Roads University Library
2005 Sooke Rd., Victoria, BC  V9B 5Y2
Phone: 250.391.2699   FAX: 250.391.2594 rosie.croft@royalroads.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Jennifer Marcantel
Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2007 9:53 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] aggressive vendor

What a horrible company!! I hope your boss did not take this
seriously....I wouldn't have anything to do with them, either. They do
not sound very professional to me!!!!!

Jennifer Marcantel
Serials Acquisitions Librarian
Lamar University
Mary and John Gray Library
P.O. Box 10021
Beaumont, Tx.   77710
(409) 880-8126

________________________________

From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum on behalf of
Andree Rathemacher
Sent: Fri 11/2/2007 10:14 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] aggressive vendor

Dear business librarians and electronic resources librarians:

Has anyone had any experience with this vendor?

They have been calling and "insisting" that I evaluate their business
information database. I've never heard of them, and from their web site,
http://www.centium.net/about_us.html, it seems like they have only two
employees, and there is no evidence of any business information product
on offer.

Here at the University of Rhode Island, we have just cut $200,000 worth
of serials, and we are still looking at a $300,000 budget deficit and
the possibility of cutting reference databases. We have a list of
business databases from established companies like ProQuest, Hoovers,
ValueLine, and Standard and Poor's that our business faculty and
students want but which we cannot afford.

In any case, this (see below) is what happens when you tell them you are
not interested. Beware!

Just another company trying to feed at the trough of public university
funds, I guess.

andree

>X-Sieve: cmu-sieve 2.0
>X-URI-Envelope-From: br.centium@netzero.net
>X-URI-CLIENT: 64.136.47.15
>X-UNTD-OriginStamp:
>Qc3TCestevoI5c88RXhY8joq0GO/hIOgW6RSTT3Pabb879Y5ZFGzGvMKimqefvK3
>X-Originating-IP: [ 67.150.123.46]
>From: "br.centium@netzero.net" < br.centium@netzero.net>
>Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 04:51:34 GMT
>To: dcm@uri.edu
>Cc: mbell@uri.edu
>Subject: Complaint about a librarian
>X-Mailer: Webmail Version 4.0
>X-ContentStamp: 2:3:1096927908
>X-UNTD-Peer-Info:
>10.171.12.148|webmail08.dca.untd.com|webmail08.dca.untd.com|br.centium@
>netzero.net<10.171.12.148%7Cwebmail08.dca.untd.com%7Cwebmail08.dca.untd
>.com%7Cbr.centium@netzero.net>
>X-Greylist: IP, sender and recipient auto-whitelisted, not delayed by
>milter-greylist-2.0.2 ( nick.uri.edu [131.128.1.81]); Thu, 01 Nov 2007
>00:53:49 -0400 (EDT)
>
>Dear David,
>
>It seems every time we attempt to send your librarian some material
>about our business database product we are always getting the "run
>around" ! I spoke with  Andrea on the telephone earlier today . She
>explained to be that they have budget problems. I told her that I would

>send her the information anyway to just evaluate the product. She said
>" I will look at the email and delete it".
>
>  I thought her JOB was to evaluate all resources for the library and
>not to ignore everything that comes to her way.  We would like for your

>librarians to keep the material that we send to them regardless of
>whether they purchase it or not . This is what the other subject
>librarians have said at other schools. They are keeping it for future
reference.
>
>The only reason we telephoned your school is because we believe YOUR
>students can benefit from our database product since many students
>around the country are always expressing some interest in using our
>product either by telephone or email.
>
>I am quite unhappy at Andrea's extremely poor attitude. I'm not sure if

>this poor staff attitude and behavoir is representative at your library

>or not. Her attitude could really be subject to job termination since
>she's NOT performing her job properly. However, I can assure you that
>your students will be the ultimate loser because my company and
>corporate clients that we serve DO NOT have to hire graduates from the
>University of Rhode Island if you have staff members with this kind of
attitude.
>Corporate America can hire and fire for good cause, bad cause, or no
>cause !
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Brian R.
>Centium, Inc.

--
Andree Rathemacher
Associate Professor
Head, Serials Unit
University Library, University of Rhode Island
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI  02881-2011
work: (401) 874-5096
fax: (401) 874-4608
e-mail: andree@uri.edu
e-mail: andree.rathemacher@gmail.com
http://www.uri.edu/library/