Real-Life Decision Making
You are a part-time blacksmith and are thrilled to hear that your recent quote on a project got you the job.
The project you quoted on is a front yard gate, which will attach to a wrought iron fence that was built about five years ago. The gate will be used in a high-use area and is the third one to be attached to the fence. The fence has lasted extremely well, but both previous gates were built out of a different material and they just couldn't take the wear and tear placed on them.
The fence and gate surrounds a public playground, just a block away from a couple of different schools. It is the meeting area for lots of children as well as for many different sports teams.
The committee in charge of playground maintenance has asked that you make the gate different than the last two. They want it made out of a stronger metal so it wears better. However, the group is undecided on the style of gate that they want.
Half of the group wants an ornamental gate, quite detailed in design with lots of intricate curves in it. The other half of the group wants a gate that is fairly plain, and very heavy-duty, so they don't have to keep replacing it every two years.
Money for the gate doesn't seem to be an issue, and the people who want the ornate gate don't seem to care if it costs 25 percent more than a plainer version. In fact, the president of the committee is one of the people wanting a fancy gate, and she is also the one who hired you to build it.
The quote you gave her didn't include the fancy design that they now want, and you explain this to her. Remarkably, the president doesn't care and says to go ahead with the design, regardless of the cost. Of course, the other half of the group doesn't agree with this and insists you build a plain gate, which is what you quoted on to begin with.
While the two sides argue back and forth, you realize that if you build the ornamental gate, you will be able to make more money than what you had expected. But then you think if it doesn't last, your reputation as a good blacksmith will be at stake.
What do you do?