The Private Diary of Rayne Maker: "When the Firm Wants Blood"

Monday

Up at six for ten lengths in the HoJo's pool, then coffee and donuts in the car. Already humid. Today I'm getting back to basics, doing customer interviews for my Du Rite team. Never let anyone say that Rayne doesn't pitch in. Besides, this sort of thing pays dividends in credibility with clients when I look 'em in the eye and say I've been to the frontlines — if that's the right word for all these Iowa fields and empty two-lane blacktop.
Accompanying me is Rocky Tanner, his last week before heading off to two years golfing at Stanford, lucky devil. Rocky drives our midsize while I fiddle with the radio (no NPR). We reach Amana, unmissable with its giant water tower. We're asking the fridge guys how they choose polymer suppliers. Rocky takes notes while I demonstrate I still have the interrogator's "craft."
Their Purchasing Director (heavily medicated?) has difficulty allocating one hundred points among thirteen purchase criteria, but we finally get close. He completely flunks "what if Du Rite's polymer was 10% cheaper but our tech support was 20% inferior?"