Glencore Assessment Tests

Glencore Online Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 of 10

   You are a reporter at a local newspaper. You and a colleague, Suzanne, have both been working on the same council story without realising it, and she has told a contact that the story is hers. The contact has now stopped returning your calls. The story is due to run this week and the editor does not know there has been any overlap. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Speak to Suzanne today, work out what each of you has, agree who takes it forward and how the contact is approached, then tell the editor where the story stands.
   2. Drop your version and let Suzanne run with it, since the contact is talking to her now and arguing about who started first would only damage the newsroom.
   3. Tell the editor that Suzanne has claimed the story with your contact and ask him to decide which of you should take it forward.
   4. Go back to the contact directly, explain that you were working on the story first, and ask him to deal with you rather than with Suzanne.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Speak to Suzanne today, work out what each of you has, agree who takes it forward and how the contact is approached, then tell the editor where the story stands.

   Least effective: B. Drop your version and let Suzanne run with it, since the contact is talking to her now and arguing about who started first would only damage the newsroom.

   B: Avoids the difficult conversation: it abandons work and material the story may need, so the paper runs a weaker piece and the duplication that caused it is never addressed. The editor never learns two reporters duplicated a week.

   C: Escalates prematurely: Suzanne may not know you were working on it at all, and the editor's first knowledge of the overlap being a complaint makes an argument out of a misunderstanding.

   D: Personalises the conflict: it asks a source to choose between two reporters from the same paper, which puts an internal muddle in front of a contact and is likely to lose him altogether.

   The most effective response is to speak to Suzanne today, work out what each of you has, agree who takes it forward and how the contact is approached, then tell the editor where the story stands: two reporters have duplicated work on a story running this week, the fastest way to a good piece is to pool what you both have, and the editor needs an accurate picture rather than a complaint. Agreeing how the contact is approached also protects the source. It beats telling the editor she has claimed the story with your contact, because she may not know you were on it, and taking it upward first frames a misunderstanding as a dispute. It beats going back to the contact to say you were working on it first, because asking a source to choose between two reporters from the same paper exposes the muddle and risks losing him. The least effective response is dropping your version and letting her run with it: it discards material the story may need and leaves the duplication unexamined, so the paper runs a weaker piece and it happens again. That is worse than the other two, which handle it badly but keep both reporters’ work in play. The principle: sort out the overlap with your colleague first, protect the source, then give the editor the true position.

2. Question 2 of 10

   You are an instructor at an outdoor activity centre. Checking equipment before a climbing session for a school group you find a harness with a frayed stitch on a load-bearing strap. There are enough harnesses without it. The group arrives in fifteen minutes. Centre procedure requires damaged equipment to be quarantined and logged by the technical manager, who is on site. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Put the harness back at the end of the rack so it is not used today, and tell the technical manager after the session when he has more time.
   2. Set the harness aside and log it in the equipment book yourself, so the record exists and the technical manager can review it at the next equipment check.
   3. Use the harness for the session but give it to one of the lighter pupils, since the stitching is only frayed and there is no sign it is close to failing.
   4. Take the harness out of use, put it aside where it cannot be picked up, and tell the technical manager before the group arrives.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Take the harness out of use, put it aside where it cannot be picked up, and tell the technical manager before the group arrives.

   Least effective: C. Use the harness for the session but give it to one of the lighter pupils, since the stitching is only frayed and there is no sign it is close to failing.

   A: Acts on assumptions without checking: a damaged harness left on the rack can be picked up by anybody, and the placement relies on everyone knowing what you know.

   B: Acts outside own authority: the procedure names the technical manager because he decides whether a fault is repairable or the batch needs checking, and a self-made log entry replaces that judgement with a record.

   C: Uses equipment known to be damaged: a frayed load-bearing strap on a climbing harness is the failure the inspection exists to catch, and putting a child in it on a judgement about weight is a safety decision nobody is qualified to take that way.

   The most effective response is to take the harness out of use, put it aside where it cannot be picked up, and tell the technical manager before the group arrives: a frayed load-bearing strap makes it unusable, spares exist so nothing is lost by removing it, and he is on site and is the person the procedure names. Both steps fit inside fifteen minutes. It beats putting it back at the end of the rack and telling him after the session, because a damaged harness left on the rack can be picked up by anyone who does not know, so its position is not a control. It beats setting it aside and logging it in the equipment book yourself, because that substitutes a record for his judgement about whether other harnesses in the batch need checking. The least effective response is using it for one of the lighter pupils because the stitching is only frayed: it puts a child into a harness with a damaged load-bearing strap on a personal judgement about weight. That is worse than the other two, which handle the procedure imperfectly but take the harness out of use. The principle: remove damaged safety equipment from use immediately, then tell the person the procedure names, before the activity starts.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You work in a payroll bureau. You discover that forty employees of a client company were underpaid in yesterday’s run because a shift allowance was not applied. The client’s HR manager is your contact. The bank file has already gone, so a correction cannot reach staff before next Tuesday. Your team leader is on leave. The client’s staff will notice the shortfall when they check their accounts today. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Prepare the correction run for Tuesday and email the client's HR manager once it is ready, so that she receives the problem and the fix in a single message.
   2. Ring the client's HR manager now, explain what happened, tell her the correction lands Tuesday, and offer the list of affected staff so she can tell them today.
   3. Email the client's HR manager explaining the error, and ask her how she would like the bureau to communicate it to the forty affected employees.
   4. Process the correction quietly for Tuesday and say nothing, since the money will reach everyone within a week and raising it would damage the bureau's standing with the client.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Ring the client's HR manager now, explain what happened, tell her the correction lands Tuesday, and offer the list of affected staff so she can tell them today.

   Least effective: D. Process the correction quietly for Tuesday and say nothing, since the money will reach everyone within a week and raising it would damage the bureau's standing with the client.

   A: Delays the message: the staff see the shortfall in their accounts today. An HR manager who hears about it first from forty employees cannot do anything but apologise.

   C: Passes responsibility to others: it tells her in time, which is right, then hands her an open question when what she needs is the facts and a recommendation she can act on this morning.

   D: Hides the problem: forty people are short of pay today and the client is deliberately left unaware to protect the bureau's reputation. That is concealment for self-interest, not a communication choice.

   The most effective response is to ring the client’s HR manager now, tell her the correction lands Tuesday, and offer the list of affected staff: forty people will see short pay in their accounts today, so she needs the facts before they reach her, plus the two things she can act on. A phone call is the only channel fast enough. It beats preparing the correction run first and emailing her once it is ready, because waiting means she hears about it from her own staff first. It beats emailing to ask how she would like the bureau to communicate it, because that leaves her holding an open question when what she needs is a recommendation and a list. The least effective response is processing the correction quietly for Tuesday and saying nothing: it leaves forty people short of pay with nobody told, in order to protect the bureau’s standing with the client. That is worse than the other two, which communicate imperfectly but do communicate. The principle: when your error is about to be discovered by the people it affects, reach the person who has to answer for it first, with the facts and what you propose to do.

4. Question 4 of 10

   You are a deputy manager at a residential care home. Two staff have called in sick for the night shift, leaving the home one carer short of its minimum staffing level. You have already worked a full day. The manager is uncontactable and the on-call director’s number is on the wall. The agency the home uses can usually supply at short notice. It is 7pm and the shift starts at 8pm. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Ring the agency now for cover, and ring the on-call director to report that the home is below minimum staffing until it is confirmed.
   2. Run the shift one carer short, since the staff on duty are experienced and reporting it would only create alarm about a single night that will probably pass without incident.
   3. Ring the agency for cover and deal with it yourself, only escalating to the on-call director if the agency cannot supply anyone in time.
   4. Stay on for the night shift yourself to make up the numbers, and report the two absences to the manager in the morning.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Ring the agency now for cover, and ring the on-call director to report that the home is below minimum staffing until it is confirmed.

   Least effective: B. Run the shift one carer short, since the staff on duty are experienced and reporting it would only create alarm about a single night that will probably pass without incident.

   B: Breaches a staffing safeguard: minimum staffing levels in a care home exist for residents' safety and are not yours to waive, and choosing to run below them without telling anyone is a concealed risk to people who depend on that care.

   C: Delays the decision: the agency may well come through and the home is below its minimum staffing level in the meantime, which the on- call director exists to know about at the time, not afterwards.

   D: Hides the strain until failure: covering a night shift after a full day puts residents in the care of an exhausted deputy, and it conceals from the organisation that the home could not staff itself.

   The most effective response is to ring the agency now for cover and ring the on-call director to report that the home is below minimum staffing: the threshold is set for residents’ safety, so both things need to happen at once, because only the organisation can decide what happens if the agency cannot supply. It beats ringing the agency and escalating only if they cannot supply anyone in time, because reporting only on failure leaves the home below minimum staffing with nobody accountable aware, and the director’s role exists precisely for that hour. It beats staying on for the night shift yourself to make up the numbers, because working through after a full day puts residents in the care of an exhausted person and hides that the rota failed. The least effective response is running the shift one carer short and telling nobody: it operates a care home below its safe staffing level on the reasoning that the night will probably pass without incident. That is worse than the other two, which respond inadequately but keep the home staffed and the problem visible. The principle: when a safety threshold is breached, start the fix and tell the person accountable at the same time, rather than waiting to see whether you get away with it.

5. Question 5 of 10

   You are an administrator in a college admissions office. It is results week, your colleague who shares the enquiry inbox is off sick, and incoming enquiries have roughly doubled since Monday. You have also promised the finance office an enrolment reconciliation they need before they can start invoicing tuition fees. This morning the queue of unanswered enquiries is growing visibly, and your team leader asks how you plan to manage the day. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Assure your team leader you will cover the doubled enquiries and still deliver the reconciliation today, so nobody needs to worry about the absence.
   2. Set the reconciliation aside for the week and put all your time into the enquiry queue, assuming the finance office can start invoicing a little later.
   3. Take a few minutes to assess the workload, tell your team leader realistically what you can cover today and where support is needed, then work through the enquiries steadily.
   4. Tell your team leader, in front of the rest of the team, that the situation is unmanageable and management should have arranged cover, and continue only with your normal workload.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Take a few minutes to assess the workload, tell your team leader realistically what you can cover today and where support is needed, then work through the enquiries steadily.

   Least effective: D. Tell your team leader, in front of the rest of the team, that the situation is unmanageable and management should have arranged cover, and continue only with your normal workload.

   A: Over-promises: committing to absorb a doubled enquiry load and still deliver the reconciliation today gambles on a pace one person is unlikely to sustain, and sets up a late failure that is harder to manage than an honest assessment now.

   B: Abandons own committed work: dropping the reconciliation on an assumption leaves the finance office unable to start invoicing, without checking what they actually need, a promise quietly shelved rather than pressure honestly managed.

   D: Blames others publicly: announcing in front of the team that the situation is unmanageable, while refusing to adapt, turns pressure into complaint; it does nothing to reduce the queue and undermines the team leader and colleagues who still have to cope.

   The most effective response is to assess the workload, tell your team leader realistically what you can cover and where support is needed, then work the queue steadily: it meets the spike calmly and gives an honest picture of what one person can and cannot do, which keeps output up without pretending the pressure away. It beats assuring your team leader you will cover everything, because that promises a pace one person is unlikely to sustain, and the resulting failure would surface late in the day when it is hardest to fix. It beats setting the reconciliation aside for the week, because that quietly shelves a commitment the finance office is relying on, based on an assumption about their timetable rather than a conversation. The least effective response is declaring the situation unmanageable in front of the rest of the team and doing only your normal workload: unlike over-promising, which at least throws effort at the problem, and unlike shelving the reconciliation, which at least keeps the enquiry queue moving, it converts pressure into public blame and refusal, helping nobody and souring the team on a difficult day. The principle: under a workload spike, stay composed. Assess honestly, tell people what is realistic, and keep working, rather than over-promising, quietly dropping commitments, or blaming.

6. Question 6 of 10

   You are a property manager for a block of flats. A leaseholder has been chasing you for three weeks about a leak into her flat from the roof. Today the contractor confirms the roof needs a full repair costing more than the reserve fund holds, which means a consultation with all leaseholders and no repair for at least two months. She has already reported damage to her ceiling. Your director is available. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Ring the leaseholder today, explain the roof needs full repair, that consultation means at least two months, and what will be done about her ceiling and the leak meanwhile.
   2. Wait until the consultation is under way before contacting her, so that you can give her firm dates rather than an open-ended answer she will only chase you about again.
   3. Write to all leaseholders with the consultation notice, so that everyone including her receives the same information about the roof at the same time.
   4. Tell her the roof repair has been approved in principle and that you will confirm timescales once the consultation process has been worked through.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Ring the leaseholder today, explain the roof needs full repair, that consultation means at least two months, and what will be done about her ceiling and the leak meanwhile.

   Least effective: B. Wait until the consultation is under way before contacting her, so that you can give her firm dates rather than an open-ended answer she will only chase you about again.

   B: Hides the problem: she has water entering her flat and has chased for three weeks. Waiting for tidier information leaves her with no information at all, and the silence is chosen to avoid being chased rather than to help her.

   C: Tells the wrong audience first: she has been chasing for three weeks and has water coming into her flat, so receiving a standard notice with everyone else answers none of her particular questions.

   D: Over-promises: describing it as approved in principle implies more certainty than a consultation that has not started, and it withholds the two-month timescale she needs to plan around.

   The most effective response is to ring the leaseholder today, explain the roof needs full repair, that consultation means at least two months, and what will be done about her ceiling and the leak meanwhile: she has been chasing for three weeks, has an active leak and ceiling damage, and the news is bad in a specific way she needs to plan around. That treats her as someone with a live problem rather than one of a list. It beats writing to all leaseholders with the consultation notice, because a general notice answers the block’s question and not hers. It beats telling her the repair is approved in principle with timescales to follow, because that overstates where things stand and still leaves out the timescale. The least effective response is waiting until the consultation is under way so you can give her firm dates: it delays telling her anything until the information is neater, while water continues to come into her flat, and the reason is to avoid being chased. That is worse than the other two, which communicate partially but do communicate. The principle: tell the person carrying the consequence directly, give them the timescale even when it is bad, and say what happens in the meantime.

7. Question 7 of 10

   You are an account executive at a video production company. Your client’s marketing director, Elena, is launching a product at a trade show on Friday and opens her presentation with a film you are producing, promised for Wednesday so her team can rehearse with it. Today, Monday, your animator tells you the final effects cannot be finished before Thursday evening. Your account director is due at Elena’s offices on Thursday for the final run-through. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Hold the news until Thursday's run-through, when the account director can explain the delay face to face and walk Elena's team through how the finished film will arrive that evening.
   2. Phone Elena today, explain plainly that the film cannot arrive before Thursday evening, apologise, and ask what would help most: a simpler cut for rehearsals or trimming the effects to deliver sooner.
   3. Email Elena today that the final effects are taking slightly longer than planned but the film will be with her in good time for Friday, so her team is not alarmed while the animator catches up.
   4. Say nothing to Elena, press the animator to finish faster, and deliver whatever is ready on Wednesday, treating the delay as an internal production matter unless her team notices and asks.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Phone Elena today, explain plainly that the film cannot arrive before Thursday evening, apologise, and ask what would help most: a simpler cut for rehearsals or trimming the effects to deliver sooner.

   Least effective: D. Say nothing to Elena, press the animator to finish faster, and deliver whatever is ready on Wednesday, treating the delay as an internal production matter unless her team notices and asks.

   A: Delays the message: a senior person explaining difficult news in person is appealing, but Elena's team spends Monday to Thursday rehearsing around a Wednesday delivery that is not coming, and by the run-through there is no time left to adapt the launch plan.

   C: Over-reassures the stakeholder: it contacts Elena promptly, which is right, but "in good time for Friday" dresses a Thursday-evening delivery as comfortable, so her team keeps rehearsal plans built on Wednesday and the real impact lands later, when nothing can be adjusted.

   D: Hides the problem: handing over incomplete work as though it were the promised film, and telling the client nothing unless she notices, conceals a delay that directly affects her launch, a concealment failure unlike the other options, which all inform her eventually.

   The most effective response is to phone Elena today, explain plainly that the film cannot arrive before Thursday evening, and ask what would help most: she is relying on Wednesday to rehearse the opening of a Friday launch, so the delay is her news now, and a call delivers it with an apology and real choices while four days remain to adapt. It beats holding the news until Thursday’s run-through, because that buys a better messenger at the cost of the four days in which she could actually re- plan; by Thursday the information is accurate but useless. It beats emailing that the effects are taking slightly longer but the film will arrive in good time, because that tells her promptly and trades accuracy for comfort: it invites her team to keep a rehearsal schedule you already know is broken, so the honesty is only partial. The least effective response is saying nothing and delivering whatever is ready on Wednesday: unlike waiting for the run-through, which ensures she hears the truth from a senior person before the launch, and unlike the softened email, which at least discloses that a delay exists, it conceals the problem entirely and passes off incomplete work, leaving her to discover at the trade show what you knew on Monday. The principle: transparency before comfort. Give a stakeholder bad news while they can still act on it, stated at its real size, with options.

8. Question 8 of 10

   You work in a freight forwarding office. Your colleague Ben handles customs paperwork and is off sick today. A shipment he was preparing must be lodged with customs by 4pm or it misses its vessel and waits a week. You have done the paperwork before but not for this commodity. It is 1pm. Your office manager is on site and there is a customs broker the company uses. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Leave the shipment for Ben to lodge when he is back, since the paperwork is his responsibility and it would be worse to submit a customs entry that turns out to be wrong.
   2. Start the paperwork yourself and work through it carefully, asking the office manager only if you reach something you genuinely cannot resolve before 4pm.
   3. Ring the customs broker and ask them to lodge the entry, since they handle this commodity routinely and the deadline leaves no room for a mistake.
   4. Tell the office manager now that Ben is off and the 4pm customs deadline is at risk, say what you can do, and agree whether you proceed or the broker is used.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Tell the office manager now that Ben is off and the 4pm customs deadline is at risk, say what you can do, and agree whether you proceed or the broker is used.

   Least effective: A. Leave the shipment for Ben to lodge when he is back, since the paperwork is his responsibility and it would be worse to submit a customs entry that turns out to be wrong.

   A: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: the shipment misses its vessel and waits a week, and nobody with the power to prevent it is told. Caution about accuracy does not explain the silence.

   B: Acts on assumptions without checking: three hours is enough only if nothing goes wrong on a commodity you have never handled, and the point at which you find out is likely to be too late to change course.

   C: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: using the broker incurs a cost the office manager has not agreed, and she is on site and able to decide in a minute.

   The most effective response is to tell the office manager now that Ben is off and the 4pm customs deadline is at risk, say what you can do, and agree whether you proceed or the broker is used: there are three hours, two possible routes and a cost decision attached to one of them, and she is on site and owns that choice. Telling her what you can and cannot do lets her pick quickly. It beats starting the paperwork yourself and asking only if you reach something you cannot resolve, because pressing on alone with an unfamiliar commodity risks discovering the problem when neither route is available any more. It beats ringing the customs broker to lodge the entry, because that commits the company to a cost that is not yours to authorise, when she is a minute away. The least effective response is leaving the shipment for Ben to lodge when he is back: it lets it miss its vessel and wait a week without telling anyone who could have prevented it, using the absent colleague’s ownership as the reason. That is worse than the other two, which pick a route without permission but keep the shipment moving. The principle: when a deadline is at risk and the choice of route has a cost, raise it with the person who decides while both routes are still open.

9. Question 9 of 10

   You are a trainee at an accountancy practice, working with a colleague on a client’s year-end file due to the manager on Friday. You have finished your sections. Your colleague, who joined a month ago, has fallen behind on hers and tells you privately that she does not understand the fixed-asset schedule and has been guessing. It is Wednesday afternoon. Your manager is available and approachable. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Take her fixed-asset sections and complete them yourself alongside your own work, so the file is right and she is not exposed as struggling in her first month.
   2. Sit with her now, work through the fixed-asset schedule together so she can do it herself, and agree that she tells the manager today if it still will not be ready for Friday.
   3. Tell her she needs to speak to the manager today, since guessing at a fixed-asset schedule on a client file is not something you can help her with, and get on with your own review work.
   4. Say nothing and let the file go to the manager on Friday as it stands, since the sections are hers and it is the manager's job to review the work and pick up any errors.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Sit with her now, work through the fixed-asset schedule together so she can do it herself, and agree that she tells the manager today if it still will not be ready for Friday.

   Least effective: D. Say nothing and let the file go to the manager on Friday as it stands, since the sections are hers and it is the manager's job to review the work and pick up any errors.

   A: Prioritises harmony over honesty: it saves her embarrassment this week and leaves her unable to do the schedule next time, while the manager still believes she can.

   C: Passes responsibility to others: the advice is right and delivered as a handoff. A month into the job, being told to go and confess alone is the likeliest way to ensure she does not.

   D: Fails to escalate a genuine risk: you know a client file contains guessed figures and let it reach the manager as finished work. Relying on review to catch what you already know is wrong is silence, not delegation.

   The most effective response is to sit with her now and work through the fixed-asset schedule together, agreeing that she tells the manager today if it still will not be ready: there are two days left, the gap is a teachable one, and doing it together fixes both the file and the reason it went wrong, with a clear trigger if time runs out. It beats taking her fixed-asset sections and completing them yourself, because that gets Friday’s file right and leaves her exactly as unable to do a fixed-asset schedule as she was on Monday. It beats telling her she needs to speak to the manager today and getting on with your own review, because a month-old trainee told to go and explain herself alone will very often not do it, so the advice is correct and the outcome is unchanged. The least effective response is letting the file go to the manager on Friday as it stands: it is the only response that knowingly lets guessed figures reach a manager as completed client work, and it justifies that by calling it someone else’s job to catch. That is worse than doing her sections, which produces a correct file, and worse than sending her to the manager, which at least points her at help. The principle: help a colleague become able to do the work, and agree who tells the manager if it still will not be ready.

10. Question 10 of 10

    You are a project coordinator at a web design agency. A client’s new site is due to go live on Friday for a product launch. On Wednesday your developer tells you the payment integration will not be ready and the site can only go live taking enquiries rather than orders. The client’s marketing manager has booked advertising for Friday. She is contactable. Your account director is available today. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

    1. Go live on Friday with the enquiry form in place of the payment pages, and explain the change to the client after the launch when the position is clearer.
    2. Email the client's marketing manager to say there is a technical issue with Friday's launch and that the agency will confirm the position as soon as it can.
    3. Ring the client's marketing manager today with your account director, explain that payments will not be ready and what going live without them means, and agree what happens to Friday.
    4. Postpone the launch to the following week so the site goes live complete, and tell the client the new date.
    Show the answer

    Most effective: C. Ring the client's marketing manager today with your account director, explain that payments will not be ready and what going live without them means, and agree what happens to Friday.

    Least effective: A. Go live on Friday with the enquiry form in place of the payment pages, and explain the change to the client after the launch when the position is clearer.

    A: Hides the problem: she has bought advertising to drive people to a shop that will not take orders, and is told after the money has been spent. Launching a different site than the one agreed and explaining afterwards is concealment.

    B: Delays the message: it reaches her on Wednesday and withholds the specific fact she needs, that the site cannot take orders, so she cannot decide about advertising she has already booked.

    D: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: her advertising is booked for Friday, so whether to launch without payments or move the whole campaign is a commercial decision that belongs to her.

    The most effective response is to ring the client’s marketing manager today with your account director, explain that payments will not be ready and what going live without them means, and agree what happens to Friday: she has paid for advertising pointing at a shop that cannot take orders, only she can decide whether to launch for enquiries or move the campaign, and Wednesday still leaves time to change either. Involving the account director means the options offered are ones the agency can stand behind. It beats postponing the launch to the following week and telling her the new date, because that decides the fate of her booked advertising without asking. It beats emailing that there is a technical issue and the agency will confirm the position, because a vague notice withholds the one fact she needs. The least effective response is going live on Friday with the enquiry form in place of the payment pages and explaining afterwards: it launches a site that cannot do what was agreed, against advertising she has already paid for. That is worse than the other two, which communicate or decide imperfectly but do not spend her money on a silent substitution. The principle: when a failure will cost the client money they have already committed, tell them at once and let them decide what happens.