Tom opened his eyes.
"You're telling me this was intentional?"
"He came in specifically to test us?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you."
Patterson paused.
"And we failed in the most spectacular way possible."
Tom's hand trembled as he reached for his coffee, knocking into a stack of sales reports.
"How long have you known?"
"I found out at six this morning when corporate CEO Martinez called me in a complete panic."
Tom stared at the wall.
"Apparently, the board received a comprehensive report documenting not only yesterday's incident, but patterns of discriminatory treatment across multiple locations."
"Multiple locations?"
"Wellington has been conducting systematic audits for months."
Patterson's voice hardened.
"Yesterday wasn't his first visit to dealerships in our network. It was simply the worst response he'd encountered."
Tom stared at his computer screen, trying to process the implications.
"So when he said he'd be following up through proper channels..."
"He was talking about the entire company."
The irony was devastating.
Brad Morrison had spent half an hour insulting, dismissing, and publicly humiliating the one person who effectively owned the building in which they were standing.
"Patterson, what do we do?"
"We hope James Wellington is more interested in fixing problems than destroying careers."
Tom swallowed.
"Because if he wants us gone, we're gone today."
Tom's computer chimed.
An incoming email.
Subject: Meeting Request, James Wellington, CEO, Wellington Holdings.
His hands shook as he opened it.
Mr. Rodriguez,
I'll be visiting your location at 10:00 a.m. to discuss yesterday's customer-service experience and its implications for Premium Motors' future operations.
Please ensure Mr. Morrison is available for this conversation.
J. Wellington
Tom immediately called Brad's extension.
"Brad, I need you in my office immediately."
"Sure thing, boss. What's up?"
"Just get in here. Now."
Three minutes later, Brad walked into Tom's office with his usual confident swagger.
"What's the emergency?"
"Sit down."
Brad sat.
"We need to talk about your customer interaction yesterday."
Brad's expression shifted to mild annoyance.
"The guy who filed a complaint? I told you, I handled it professionally. Some people just can't accept reality about their financial limitations."
"Brad, I need you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you."
"Okay."
Tom took a breath.
"The customer you insulted yesterday owns our company."
Brad blinked.
"What?"
"James Wellington is the CEO of Wellington Holdings."
Brad stared.
"They own controlling interest in Premium Motors International."
Silence.
"You spent half an hour publicly humiliating the person at the top of the ownership structure."
The color disappeared from Brad's face.
"That's not possible."
"It's not only possible. It's documented on security footage and witnessed by 20 customers."
Brad said nothing.
"You told the owner of this dealership to get his broke ass out of his own building."
Brad's mouth opened.
Closed.
"But he didn't say anything."
Tom stared at him.
"He didn't identify himself."
Brad spread his hands.
"How was I supposed to know?"
Tom leaned forward.
"That is exactly the point, Brad."
Brad froze.
"You weren't supposed to know."
Tom's voice sharpened.
"This was an undercover assessment of our customer-service practices, and we failed catastrophically."
"An assessment?"
Brad looked sick.
"You mean this was planned?"
"Wellington Holdings conducts systematic evaluations of every company they acquire."
Tom pulled information up on his computer.
"Yesterday was our test, and you gave one of the most discriminatory and unprofessional performances imaginable to the one person who can shut down this entire operation with a phone call."
Brad stood abruptly and began pacing.
"This is insane."
Tom watched him.
"This has to be some kind of mistake. Rich guys don't go around pretending to be regular customers."
"Rich executives who built their reputation on ethical business practices absolutely do."
Tom turned the monitor slightly.
"James Wellington is known for this kind of systematic assessment."
Brad stared at the screen.
"He's done it at 47 companies across 12 states."
"Forty-seven companies?"
Brad swallowed.
"What happened to them?"
Tom scrolled through several articles.
"Some were completely restructured."
Brad stopped pacing.
"Some received new management teams."
His breathing changed.
"Some had entire sales forces replaced."
Tom paused.
"And some were closed completely."
Brad collapsed back into his chair.
"What does this mean for me?"
"I don't know."
Tom's voice softened slightly.
"But I can tell you James Wellington will be here at ten to discuss yesterday's incident."
Brad stared.
"And you're going to be in that meeting."
"What am I supposed to say?"
No answer.
"How do I apologize for something like this?"
Tom shook his head.
"I honestly don't know whether an apology is going to be enough."
Brad's phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen.
His face went white again.