TWO
A Visit to the Factory
(In Hector Grants office.)
Elisabeth Corby:
Good morning, Mr. Grant.
Hector Grant:
Good morning.
Elisabeth:
I've just had a Mr. George Duncan from Glasgow on the phone.
Apparently our customer Mr. Macpherson suggested he came to see you.
Grant:
Oh, he did, did he!
Well, I can't think any friend of his will make the company's fortune.
Elisabeth:
He said he would like to see you this afternoon and visit the factory.
Grant:
Did he indeed?
If he's like Macpherson he'll take up the whole day and then order one chair.
Elisabeth:
Perhaps I could take Mr. Duncan round the factory for you.
Grant:
All right.
You take him round first, and then I'll see him afterwards.
But you'd better interrupt me after fifteen minutes and remind me that I've got another appointment.
Elisabeth:
Yes, I will, Mr. Grant.
(At the reception desk.)
Duncan:
Good afternoon.
I want to see the Managing Director, please.
Reception girl:
Good afternoon.
Have you an appointment?
Duncan:
Of course.
I wouldn't be here if I hadn't.
Girl:
What is your name, please?
Duncan:
Duncan.
Girl:
Just a moment, please.
Miss Corby?
I have a Mr. Duncan here to see Mr. Grant.
He says he has an appointment.
Yes...
Yes, I will.
Mr. Duncan, would you take a seat, please.
Mr. Grant's secretary will be down in a moment.
Duncan:
Thank you.
I hope she won't be long; I haven't much time.
Girl:
She's on her way now.
Duncan:
Good.
Girl:
Here she is.
Elisabeth:
Good afternoon, Mr. Duncan, I'm Elizabeth Corby, Mr. Grant's secretary.
Would you like to see round the factory first?
Duncan:
Yes, I would...
Elisabeth:
Now this is our office block.
We have all the administrative departments here: Sales, Accounts, Personnel, Market Research and so on.
Duncan:
What's that building opposite us?
Elisabeth:
That's the warehouse where the larger items of office equipment are stored.
We try and keep a stock of the faster-moving Items so that urgent orders can be met quickly from stock.
Duncan:
If I ordered a desk today, how long would it be before I got delivery in Scotland?
Elisabeth:
I think perhaps you'd better speak to our Works Manager, Mr. Fielding.
You'll meet him when we go over to the factory.
We'll go there now.
(In the workshop.)
Mr. Fielding:
This is one of our three workshops.
This is the delivery bay here.
Duncan:
Oh, yes.
Fielding:
The steel sheets and bars come in, as you see, in different sizes and are unloaded on to the delivery bank here.
We buy them in from a steelworks in Wales.
This machine here is a spot welders and this is the new conveyor belt which. we had installed last year.
We doubled our output in this department as a result.
Duncan:
Oh, really?!
Fielding:
I'll take you to the assembly shop...
(In Mr. Grant's office.)
Grant:
Now Mr. Duncan, what can I do for you? I understand that you're a friend of Jock Macpherson's.
Duncan:
Yes, Mr. Grant.
He told me that you make the best, and cheapest, office furniture on the market.
Grant:
I think we make the best.
Duncan:
But is it the cheapest?
That's what interests me.
Grant:
We have a wide range of prices, Mr. Duncan.
Here's our catalogue.
We think our prices compare favourably with anything on the market today.
Duncan:
If I had an office I wanted you to furnish, how much would it cost me?
Grant:
It would largely depend on the lines you chose.
Duncan:
My trouble is that I'm very short of time.
Can you supply me from s stock?
Grant:
If you could give me some idea of your requirements, Mr. Duncan, I might be able to help you.
Unfortunately, I have someone coming to see me shortly and I...
Duncan:
I'll tell you what I want.
This is my card.
I'm the Managing Director of G.P. Duncan & Company.
We make artificial fertilisers.
I want our new office block furnished.
I'd like you to give me a quotation, including delivery charges, as soon as you can.
Grant:
How many offices are there?
Duncan:
Twenty-eight.
Grant:
Twenty-eight offices.
Oh, I see.
Well, how much time can you give us?
Duncan:
Two months is my deadline.
Grant:
I'd like to send a man up to Glasgow to get details.
I never like promising a date until I know we can honour it; however, I think...
Elisabeth:
Er... Mr. Grant, Mr.... er... Frame is waiting to see you.
Grant:
Well, never mind about that...
Tell him he'll just have to wait.
You can see I'm busy with an important customer!
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