What I’m going to discuss today is a trap many business owners have had to face. Some have overcome the temptation while others have succumbed to it.
If you strive to be a successful business in the long term… you better hold true to yours because without this one simple thing… you surely will commit business suicide!
What am I talking about?
Business Ethics
Simply put, ethics are the cornerstone of every successful business.
Without ethics, you will disappoint customers. And an unhappy customer will tell everyone they know how unfair you were to them. This can damage your reputation and ultimately drive you out of business.
That’s why in today’s task, I want to talk about some specific ways you can build an ethical business.
TODAY’S TASK: How To Be Ethical
- If you clean a customer’s carpet and for one reason or another and they’re not happy with it, give them a refund. Don’t mess around and argue… you’ll just make them more upset.
Even if a client is a jerk, giving them a refund means they have nothing to complain about. Sure they may not have liked your service, but you gave them their money back so they really can’t complain about what they got for free.
So make them happy, even when they aren’t. It will pay off in the long run. - Keep your promises and be honest: For instance, if you promise a customer you’ll remove a red wine stain in her carpet and you don’t, she has a right to be mad.
However, if you tell her honestly, there is a good chance it probably won’t come out and it doesn’t… she won’t be angry with you.
As an added bonus, if that stain comes out she will be delighted and probably give you a referral. - Be punctual: Don’t promise a client you’ll be there at a specific time. Instead, give your customer a half hour window of time.
Should something come up and you can’t make it, let them know why you’re running late. Maybe even offer a discount on the total service cost since you’re not on time.