Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Work Ethics and the Customer

Home
>
Ethics
>
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Work Ethics and the Customer

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Work Ethics and the Customer

This article relates to the Ethics in the Workplace competency, commonly evaluated in employee surveys. It gives examples of how employees and customers consider ethical behavior and sound values an integral part of your organization. This competency covers a variety of topics like customer treatment, employee professionalism, and expected/acceptable organizational behaviors. At a high level, this competency will investigate the standards by which your employees treat your customers, co-workers, and the organization itself.

This short story, Work Ethics and the Customer, is part of AlphaMeasure's compilation, Tales from the Corporate Frontlines. It provides a view from the customer's side of the counter that might inspire you to rethink the old phrase "the customer is king".

Anonymous Submission

I work in a back office environment. The front lines of customer service are far away, so I don't think much about the ethical matters involved in providing good service.

All of that changed recently, when I found myself on the customer side of that check out terminal (formerly known as a cash register), and in dire need of help.

I was shopping for a USB computer keyboard to attach to my computer. I needed that type, and only that type, and I needed it that very day. I visited four different retail stores, all large chains, and had four noteworthy experiences that left me thinking about ethical behavior.

On he first visit, I asked an obviously available (he was playing a video game) sales person how I could tell the difference between PS2 and USB port keyboards as the display models cords were embedded into the rack. His response was -" I just know from working here". Okay. Not unethical, but not helpful either. Well, which one is cheapest, I asked. He showed me a $70 keyboard. I left the store.

At the next stop, I saw no keyboards, so asked a sales person (once she was off the telephone making plans for the evening.) "Oh, she said, the only ones we have come with the computers." I thanked her and went home. The rest of this odyssey would have to wait.

At home, I called another chain store, navigated the voice mail, and asked the clerk if they had USB keyboards in the store and for the cost of the lowest priced model. After a quick click and a short silence, he told me of course, they are $24. Great, I was on my way. It was Saturday evening and the store was packed. I found the keyboard section, and stood there amazed. He had outright lied. The lowest priced model was $80. There was nothing remotely near $24. The few clerks on duty were swamped. I found one available in another department and told him about my situation. He was genuinely sympathetic and suggested that I visit the nearby superstore on the hill. I thanked him and left.

There my journey ended. I found my keyboard, after hours of searching, amid opened boxes (apparently some of them lied, too) in a crowded aisle in the electronics department of a store selling every product imaginable. I was exhausted. No wonder people shop online.

-------------------------------------------------------------
© 2005 AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
This article may be reprinted, provided it is published in its entirety, includes
the author bio information, and all links remain active.
-------------------------------------------------------------

Measure. Report. Improve your organization with AlphaMeasure employee surveys.

Josh Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, Inc.

AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee engagement, and increasing employee retention.

AlphaMeasure is fully customizable and allows you to target the organizational topics and challenges facing your staff today.

In The News:

ProPublica
Ethics group urges investigators to probe lobbyist involved in Owens trip
WatertownDailyTimes.com
By BRIAN AMARAL A public ethics watchdog wants federal ethics investigators to probe a lobbying firm that arranged Rep. William L. Owens's trip to Taiwan. In a letter sent Wednesday to the Office of Congressional Ethics, officials from Public Citizen ...
Owens Welcomes Ethics ProbeWWNY TV 7

all 4 news articles »

USA TODAY
Justice ethics report finds misconduct by Stevens prosecutors
Anchorage Daily News
By PETE YOST AP WASHINGTON — The Justice Department's internal ethics watchdog said Thursday that two prosecutors in the bungled corruption case against then-Sen. Ted Stevens engaged in reckless professional misconduct by failing to disclose ...
Ted Stevens Case: Justice Department Says Two Prosecutors Engaged In MisconductHuffington Post
Justice Dept. probe finds misconduct by prosecutors in Stevens trialCNN International
Justice Dep't: Misconduct by 2 in Stevens caseWBRC

all 249 news articles »

McKenna faces 2 ethics complaints over county work
The Seattle Times
A lawyer and a citizen have each filed ethics complaints against Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna. The Associated Press Note to Kyle Olive and Kimberly Christensen (and the note would be the same regardless... (May 24, 2012, by Creasy ...
McKenna faces ethics complaint over county workThe Columbian

all 22 news articles »

Man leading ethics probe of Baptist leader resigns
The Daily Advance
(AP) — The head of a group investigating the comments of Southern Baptist Convention ethics leader Richard Land has resigned. Arkansas pastor Richard Piles said he has taken over as Trustee Board chairman for the Ethics and Religious Liberty ...
Southern Baptist committee head resigns in Richard Land ethics caseThe Tennessean
Investigation re: Baptist spokesman's commentsOneNewsNow

all 67 news articles »

Board Dismisses Ethics Complaint Against Two Aldermen
Patch.com
There is no conflict of interest by members of the Common Council also serving on the Waukesha County Board of Supervisors, Ethics Board rules. By Sarah Millard Alderwoman Kathleen Cummings, sitting, listens to the Ethics Board discuss a complaint ...

and more »

BBC News
News Summary: News Corp. lobbyist testifies on UK government contacts to ...
Washington Post
ETHICS PANEL: Lobbyist Fred Michel talked Thursday to the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics that the British government created because of the hacking scandal. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published ...
British Inquiry Questions Murdoch LobbyistNew York Times
Adviser pulls Cameron into storm over HuntFinancial Times
British PM David Cameron appointed 'known Murdoch supporter'The Australian
Daily Beast -Huffington Post
all 1,271 news articles »

Ex-SEC Attorney Barred for 1 Year Over Stanford Ethics Lapse
BusinessWeek
Spencer Barasch, who participated in the SEC's investigation of R. Allen Stanford's $7 billion Ponzi scheme, performed private legal work for Stanford Group Co. about a year after leaving the agency even though its ethics office had told him he was ...
SEC sanctions ex-staffer who represented Stanford CoReuters
SEC Bars Former SEC Employee On Alleged Conflict Of InterestWall Street Journal

all 4 news articles »

Essex County Ethics board reprimands Keene super
Plattsburgh Press Republican
ELIZABETHTOWN — The Essex County Ethics Committee issued a decision reprimanding Keene's supervisor for using town gas. Its findings came Thursday after a six-week review, saying the committee believes Bill Ferebee's use of 14 gallons from the town ...

Ethics should guide Vanderbilt investments
The Tennessean
Thousands more participated in the movement for ethical investment by producing, showing and sharing media, and hosting dozens of teach-ins including a march on the Board of Trust in November and a teach-in with more than 50 faculty and students at the ...

and more »

Boynton expense fund is an ethics risk, county says
Sun-Sentinel
A Palm Beach County ethics officer said recently that restrictions on the reimbursement funds are ambiguous and elected officials don't have to report how they spend it. And while nothing requires them to return extra money, keeping it would be a ...

and more »

Google News