Back in the early 2000s, when I was working as an environmental consultant, a sales rep from a lab called Fine Analysis Laboratories Ltd. (Fine Analysis) dropped by my office. They were new to me but came armed with all the usual corporate swag — branded pens, glossy brochures, and even a shiny coffee mug with their logo on it.
Their pitch was simple: fast turnaround and unbeatable prices. For anyone in consulting, that’s always tempting. Analytical testing can be one of the biggest line items on a project, and we’re all under pressure to deliver results cost effectively.
Still, something didn’t sit right. I hadn’t heard of them before, and their pricing was so low that it raised an eyebrow. I told the rep that I’d be open to giving them a shot — if they could first prove the quality of their work.
My offer was straightforward: I’d send them a set of blind duplicate samples I was already analyzing through my regular accredited lab. If their results matched — and they were willing to run them for free this first time only — I’d consider sending some work their way.
They declined.
That was the end of the conversation. I never sent them the samples, and they never followed up.
A few months later, the headlines hit: police raids, forged lab results, criminal charges. Fine Analysis had been fabricating data instead of doing the actual analyses.
Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t take the bait. In a business built on trust and precision, a healthy dose of skepticism turned out to be my best quality assurance program. Sometimes, it really does pay to ask for proof instead of taking a leap of faith.
