Basic Levels of Consumer Integrity that Presently Permeates Society
Reality is not always pretty. But here is a tad bit of it for you today. Well here is an interesting occurrence that is of interest. And this is in any town middle class USA, mixed races neighborhood, the person in question happened to be white. While standing in line a counter for my turn to order and pay. A lady was talking to what could have been her daughter (teenager) and with her was a young child about 3 or 4, who carried a doll and was messing around with whatever was at her level she could reach. So this little girl picks up a candy cane with a Santa on top, a small doll about the size of a Silver dollar. While her mother is watching her, she breaks the candy cane in two and rips the head off of the Santa. Her mom, Paula, says "oh, oh" and takes the object (broken candy cane and mutilated Santa) from the little girl and pushes it out of the way from the clerk who is now ready to take the mom's order.
Seeing this I said to the clerk this lady would like to pay for this Candy Cane that her daughter broke. The lady so embarrassed of course denied it and said oh I didn't know, which of course was a lie. Feeling embarrassed she paid for it, $2.59, no big deal. Or is it. This is stealing. Stealing from who? The franchise owner of the store and probably the clerk who seemed to have a small interest in the company. The lady so appalled takes out her money, lots of twenties, a few hundred bucks who knows maybe $500.00 and starts counting it looking for an extra couple of ones to pay for the item broken. Trying to show, I guess how much money she had, which is really pretty darn irrelevant. Since she lied, cannot control the kids she brought into the world and basically tries to steal real money from the company she was patronizing, by trying to hide the problem, crime. Interesting.
It appears as business owners we are suppose to cater to these people who spend money at our establishments, yet they are ripping us off blind, meanwhile there are so many regulations on franchises and small businesses that it is very tough for most franchisees in a recession. Now the clerk was thinking this was a not so good situation, the lady was caught red handed. The lady was embarrassed thus causing an unpleasing experience. So what is to be said for Americans? The lady in question was quite a liberal type, the kind that likes to cause a scene until it happens to them always complaining about how they feel about everything and gossip and TV. Yet it is so interesting that when it is on the other foot and she is to blame, she will take no responsibility. She then indicated that I was a self-righteous Christian nut case and that I probably beat my kids. Interesting because I am not all that religious and I have no kids, This is quite alarming, even when brought to be made responsible for her actions she flatly denied it and then attacks me? I am not to blame, I even recall as she got into line she cut me off and took my place.
So let us see here a lady will not take responsibility for her own child, steals from a franchise company filled with hard working people and a franchise owner who is leveraged to the hilt in debt in the middle of a recession trying to make ends meet, is not to be made responsible for her own actions? How can this be? How can our society have come so far and now suddenly no one is responsible for any thing. You and I are responsible to our employees, customers, our families, yet these consumers who come in are way out of line, yet we must deal with them. And if we somehow insist upon responsibility the consumer calls the BBB, bad mouths us in front of others? And of course everyone takes the side of the consumer because the big bad business owner (franchisee) is rich and they can afford it. Really? Can they really? If we allow our kids to grow up and believe this type of behavior is okay, then they too will make it the norm, surely if we are to continue as the greatest nation in the World, we can have people made responsible for their actions.
Including the government, the BBB, and our selves. Why should the consumer have any more rights than the business owners who provide them jobs? Create opportunity, allow money to flow and pay the taxes to keep the system going? So let's see a consumer can rack up $40,000 in credit card debt and file bankruptcy and have never a care, never taking responsibility for anything. Yet as business owners we are personally responsible for everything, every single thing we do, no matter how trivial. This is insanity. The lady in question should have been arrested for petty theft for that little stunt, trying to hide the evidence of what her daughter did, she could have told the clerk and the clerk might understand. But instead she just pushed it aside where no one could see it.
Why? That shows such a lack of integrity and dishonesty. The same consumer watches the Enron thing or Martha Stuart and says hang them? Well, if they are to do that shouldn't they be held accountable too? Shouldn't we all be aware that the average consumer would lie in a heartbeat if they thought it could save them $2.59. What is your integrity worth? Is your number that low too? Is your integrity high enough that no number can be placed on it? Would you do something dishonest or misrepresent yourself like they do at the BBB or FTC for kudos or like the scam artists who tele-market for the Policeman's Rodeo? Knowing that Americans are fearful of being put on a watch list by the new Patriots Act? Think about it. We have lost all integrity in our society and all levels, the consumer and average American is to blame, the problem is not Corporate Malfeasance, the problem is lack of responsibility and it starts at age 3-4, what are we teaching our kids. And why are we listening to the consumers and liberal rabble rousers who have no sense of the ethics to speak of talk down against the small businesses of this country? Why are we allowing this lack of integrity to permeate our entire society at all levels and all nationalities, in all cities and in all levels of economic status.
The lady in question was not without money, she could have done the right thing or even mentioned it to someone, yet she chose not to. Instead she was dishonest, for no reason. The only explanation is that she lacks character and integrity. So there is your consumer in a nutshell. This should be a lesson to those who own franchise stores to watch out and those who own service businesses that when someone does not feel like paying you after the job is done, they will make up an excuse and lie about the service.
Are you sure, you are ready to own a franchise that deals with consumers. And if you are a franchisor, you better make sure the buyers of your franchise have integrity otherwise they will ruin your brand name, go out of business eventually and then probably blame you, file a complaint with some agency or hire and attorney to waste you time and money, even if you win, you already lost. The franchising industry needs to wake up and see the truth of what is going on here.
It starts at the counter and it starts at ages 3-4. Stay heads up America, look outside.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs
 Google News Updated : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:49:19 GMT McCain, Obama introduce newly sharp tone amid major news events - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - McCain intensifies his attack on Obama's past and character, and Obama returns the favor. The tactics may not resonate with voters in a time of crisis. Video: AP Campaign Minute McCain, Obama unleash another round of attacks Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:01:25 GMT Man with financial woes kills family, self - San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle - An unemployed financial adviser apparently despondent over his troubles shot and killed his wife, his mother-in-law and three children before taking his own life in a gated community, Los Angeles police said Monday. Video: 6 Die in Family Murder-suicide in Upscale Home California: Six Bodies Found in Los Angeles Home Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:38:59 GMT Sri Lanka: international probe called into killing - International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune - AP COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka's top opposition party called Tuesday for an international investigation into a bomb attack the previous day that killed a popular former army general and 26 others. Video: Sri Lanka army closes in on Tamil Tigers - 07 Oct 08 Former Tamil rebel fighter named as member of parliament Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:19:30 GMT Frerotte leads Vikings to Monday night victory - FOXSports.com
FOXSports.com - by Alex Marvez Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 14 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America. Frerotte proves mettle against sloppy Saints National Football League Game Capsules Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:39:53 GMT Turkey hits PKK targets in n. Iraq on Tuesday - International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune - ANKARA: Turkish warplanes pounded suspected Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq for a second straight day on Tuesday, stepping up a bombing campaign after the death of 17 Turkish soldiers in a cross-border ambush. Turkish warplanes bomb 21 PKK targets in N Iraq Turkish airstrikes target Kurdish rebels Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:30:40 GMT Fan in Room Seems to Cut Infants’ Risk of Crib Death - New York Times
New York Times - By TARA PARKER-POPE Sleeping in a room with a fan lowers a baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome by 72 percent, a new study has found. Study Suggests Fan Use Cuts SIDS Risk in Babies Study: Using fan on sleeping baby reduces risk of SIDS Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:22:40 GMT Red Sox roar into AL title series - Boston Globe Boston Globe - By Dan Shaughnessy Bring on the Rays. Bring on the Dodgers or Phillies if you like. There is plenty of champagne left in New England and Mayor Menino has sent the duck boats to have their tires rotated. Red Sox not taking Rays lightly in next round of postseason Red Sox squeeze past Angels, advance to ALCS Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:49:29 GMT Amazon RSS Feeds |
.jpg){kind=small}
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Some businesses have slow paying customers or past due balances... Read More In a mobile detail or mobile car wash business you... Read More Is the special treatment you designed specifically to keep customers... Read More A few months ago, I wrote about ingenious styles of... Read More You try to make your customers happy. You sincerely WANT... Read More The defintion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that I favor... Read More Customer retention is vital to a business. If you cannot... Read More I returned a rental car at an airport yesterday. As... Read More As I waited for an answer to my VCR inquiry... Read More Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More Customer service is an integral part of our job and... Read More Client satisfaction starts with meeting or beating the contractual obligations... Read More With the growing number of people in every business sector,... Read More Nobody likes to get complaints. They make you question your... Read More Are wholesale buyers and retail customers really different? Frankly, there... Read More "I am writing to complain about the widget I bought... Read More Over the last month, I have come to hate emails... Read More The most important aspect of a successful business is developing... Read More As an entrepreneur, I'm always intrigued by small businesses, home-based... Read More From Ebay to the smallest home-operated start-up, e-businesses of all... Read More 'A 5 percent increase in customer retention increases profits by... Read More The world of customer service is rapidly changing. Thirty years... Read More Looking for hi-fi computer peripherals? Finding it tough to decide... Read More Customer Service is a blessing and a curse; a blessing... Read More Go into many businesses today and try and get service,... Read More
Adsense
websites
How Not to Get Stiffed, Improving Your Collection Procedures
Setting Up a Customer of the Week Program for a Mobile Car Wash
Small Business Customer Service Can Work Against You
Sorry, No Customer Service After 4:00 P.M.
When a Customer Has Done Everything to Get Your Goat
What Exactly is Customer Relationship Management?
How to Retain Your Customers the Dish Network Way
And The Difference is... Attitude
Customer Service Has Moved Toward Customer Care
Modern Call Center Solutions - Keeping in Touch is the Key
At Your Service: The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service!
Over Deliver - The Key to Customer Satisfaction
Identify Your Silent Customer Service Message
Complaints Are Actually A Good Thing!
Wholesale Buyers Versus Retail Customers
Transforming Disgruntled Customers into Your Biggest Advocates
Are You A Coward? I Was
Establishing Yourself as an Expert in the Eyes of Your Customers
Whats For Lunch?
E-Business?s Best Friend: eCRM
CEM Can Improve Customer Loyalty
Customer First Customer Service
Importance of Good Customer Support in Online Computer Peripherals Shops
What Every Employee Should Know About How to See Customers Problems from Their Creative Side
Customer Service and Marketing that Works
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
From Disgruntled to Champion - How to Turn an Unhappy Client Into Your Best Customer
It's a salesperson's worst nightmare- the phone call that comes... Read More
The Sellers Creed
I will not make sales. I will make Customers.I will... Read More
CEM Can Improve Customer Loyalty
'A 5 percent increase in customer retention increases profits by... Read More
The Logic of Emotion!
Homebuyers are an interesting study. Watching people make their home... Read More
Losing Angry Customers
This article offers five ways to help you deal with... Read More
Make Your Customer Your Friend
The simplest way to describe a 'durian' (pronounced doo-ree-ann) is... Read More
Restaurant Scheduling for Success
- Excerpt from Richard Saporito's latest e-book "How to Improve... Read More
Managing Your Business When One Client Takes Alot of Your Time
How often has your schedule been thrown out of whack... Read More
Doors by Catering to Your Clients
Clients? they are the most important influence in the success... Read More
Importance of Good Customer Support in Online Computer Peripherals Shops
Looking for hi-fi computer peripherals? Finding it tough to decide... Read More
Complaining Consumers
The salesman's job is to be well informed; extremely well... Read More
RETAIL GREETERS: Sales Builders or Customer Turnoff?
Do you need greeters or should you avoid them? That... Read More
DONT Give Your Customers What They Want!
One of the mantras we hear repeatedly in business is... Read More
My Child Has Opie Eye!
7:00 a.m., the silence in the house is broken by... Read More
Customer Service For Huge Profits
Customer service is the most vital asset for Business either... Read More
Aint We Wonderful!
It may come as a surprise to you to discover... Read More
From Scowl to Smile: 5 Practical Steps to Instill Exceptional Customer Service
Whether in a restaurant, a retail establishment, or the local... Read More
Customer Service Tips - Is Your Business A Leaky Bucket?
Customer service and customer service training are vital for any... Read More
Take Care of Yourself Before You Take Care of Your Customer
One of the most important questions people ask when they... Read More
To Complain and Win! - My Personal Recipe
Prime directive: Make sure your claim is reasonable! Otherwise, forget... Read More
Small Business Customer Service Can Work Against You
Is the special treatment you designed specifically to keep customers... Read More
Passing the After-Sales Test
Some time ago a major UK food retailer decided to... Read More
Customer Neglect
What have you done for your existing customers lately? Probably... Read More
Stay - Say - Pay
Would you like to have customers that stay with you... Read More
Carpet Cleaning in Surrey
Like any business, carpet and upholstery cleaning requires excellent customer... Read More
Customer Service |