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Across the Fence:  Reputation vs. Character  |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 05 2010 : 5:09:47 PM
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I have a question for ya'll: why do some businessmen place so much stock in having a "good reputation" even if they don't deserve it? It seems to me that this problem is much more prevalent among men than women (though I've known a few women who fit the bill). I can understand that reputation is important when running a business, but don't they realize it has to be earned the old-fashioned way? I think it all boils down to the way you treat other people when nobody is looking. Or am I just hopelessly out of date? You can have the best PR team in the world, but if you mistreat other people and take advantage of them....I think of a quote I read once: "Reputation is valuable, but character is priceless." I think every person who runs a business should have it emblazoned on a sign behind their desk. I welcome any thoughts on this matter.
Cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jan 05 2010 : 6:05:32 PM
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I believe you have to have a good reputation and character at the same time, they go hand and hand with each other.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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queenofdreamsz4u
True Blue Farmgirl
3845 Posts
Stephanie Suzanne
Smoky Mountains Tennessee
USA
3845 Posts |
Posted - Jan 05 2010 : 6:53:42 PM
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*Wolves in Sheep's Clothing* is the first thing I thought after reading your post. There are many people in business today that present seemingly good character and a good reputation. But behind the scenes they are arrogant, ruthless, uncaring and exploit people that they consider below them... socially and economically.
This treatment isn't confined to just big business anymore..even those with a small number of employees are managing their employees through intimidation tactics...very sad....and the ones that are the customers may think they are the greatest....I think part of it is probably more that they like their prices or products and have no interest in who the owner really are.
It seems that manners and customer service has *gone to hell in a handbasket*.
Steph
 Queen of Dreamsz ~ keeper of dream kingdom
* * * * * * www.queenofdreamsz.blogspot.com * * * * * *
"Imagination is more important than knowledge"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Albert Einstein ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jan 05 2010 : 8:03:11 PM
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Steph--yes, wolves in sheep's clothing--that's exactly what I meant! And the saddest part is I've seen it played out in the most unlikely scenarios--not just the way businesses conduct themselves, but in a church I once attended as well. People can claim to love God and love their neighbor, while systematically excluding anyone who doesn't fit into their little clique. Likewise, businesses can claim to be responsible stewards of the environment, while destroying the rain forests and the livelihoods of people who live there. Every business that I know of is devoting more and more time and money to PR propaganda. And the scary thing is, people hear those messages so often that after a while, they start to believe them. Truth--and values such as character--are smothered beneath the need to appear reputable and otherwise perfect. And I don't know what to do about it
Cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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cheneygal
True Blue Farmgirl
503 Posts
Suzie
Cheney
Wa.
USA
503 Posts |
Posted - Jan 05 2010 : 8:31:53 PM
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Boy, you gals really got me going on this one.....I just returned to work after a 5 mo. leave of absence. I was hoping things had changed, but to no avail. I work for one of the biggest farm and ranch chains in the U.S., I've been with them for 9 years....and I take great pride in my customer service. I do, however have a co-worker that has lived in this town all her life, thinks she's got a great reputation (but does definately not), and, character....but the way she treats the customers, well guess it depends on her mood, sometimes overly sweet, sometimes not nice at all....I just don't get it, what has happened to the "good old fashioned" way of just helping the customer?? Not to mention sometimes bad mouthing a customer or two....when my mom and dad taught me about retail (they had a lumber and hdwe. business for almost 40 years, and a good reputation in town)it was "the customer is always right, no matter what". Think I've gotten way off track here and guess I just wanted to vent, I could go on, but I think not!!
live, laugh, love |
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Fiddlehead Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
4562 Posts
Diane
Waupaca
WI
USA
4562 Posts |
Posted - Jan 06 2010 : 05:32:27 AM
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This is so true, I have noticed that so many employees in restaurants and stores are just always miserable. No smile, no manners and no customer service. Especially the younger generation. Is everyone just always in a bad mood? I also noticed that when driving anywhere, it seems that a lot of the other drivers out there are also very angry. If I ever get the "one finger gesture", I just smile and wave, that really makes them mad! You got me going now! I recently left my full-time job for these same reasons. I was a service manager in a new car dealership. I was the one that greeted the customer, wrote up the repair order, dispatched the work and called the customer with the estimate and delivered the car when it was finished. I had been doing this job for over 5 years and had a large customer base. I always believed that you should treat the customer the way you would want to be treated. It worked for me, because I believe what goes around, comes around. I also had all my technicians treat the customer's car as if it was their grandma's car. I had won numerous awards from the manufacturer for my customer service. When asked what my secret was, I just said the Golden Rule, "do unto others as you would have done to yourself". To make a long story shorter, I left there because the owner of the business just did not do business this way and neither did my boss. In fact, I was doing my boss's job too! After I left, they realized that indeed I was doing my boss's job and they fired him and tried to get me to come back. Apparently the customer's were complaining about the service after I left. Needless to say, I went back for two months and nothing had changed. The customer's were grateful that I was back but the owner tried to have me add $300 onto a customer's bill just because his car was beyond repair and he bought a new vehicle, but not from us. I refused, but the owner did it anyway. I gave my notice the next day. Just to be rotten, they fired my son, a technician at another one of their dealerships, actually they called it "layed off permanently". Since then, numerous previous customers have called me at home asking where they can get service. My son is now working out of his home on some of these vehicles. I just could not continue working for a business that treated customers this way. We miss the income, but I have had a lot less stress and more time to garden and paint.
Thanks for letting me vent...
Why not go out on a limb, that's where all the fruit is! "Mark Twain" |
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simplyflowers
True Blue Farmgirl
489 Posts
Jamie
Locust Grove
Virginia
USA
489 Posts |
Posted - Jan 06 2010 : 10:47:46 AM
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This is interesting to me. I work in the "wolf is sheep's clothing market" I work as a business developer for my company and compete avidly for Marine Corps business. We are a good company and treat others in the market [even the competitors] the way we want to be treated.
Our company's reputation is extremely important. That's how people know us. How did we get our rep? Well, by being honest, treating out customers [the USMC] fair, treating our employees good, and treating our teammates good.
I work with a lot of teammates [Our company is teams with 25 other companies]. We compete together with some of the teammates for work and then share the profit and workload. Are all of our teammates great companies....NO not at all. Some are just sneaky and underhanded and try to steal business....but on the downlow. The funny thing is they think they have a good rep. Really, people see right through that.
Someones reputation is ONLY as good their ability to be a good human.....even behind the closed door.
~Jamie
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." -- Thomas Edison
Check out my blog!! http://thehappycalamity.blogspot.com/ |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Jan 06 2010 : 12:22:42 PM
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| Prairiehawk, you are so right about churches. Unfortunately, they can be some of the worst in this respect. Big reason why my husband has a seminary degree but never became a minister. Ministers are some sick, sick people. |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jan 06 2010 : 6:08:30 PM
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Amie--well, I guess some ministers are sick people, but I do believe there are some good ones out there too. Actually, it was the people who made up the congregation who appeared to be so Christian on the surface, but were really more concerned with their social standing than anything. The minister of the church in this case was rather clueless. I left that church and went to another of the same denomination and the pastor there was much wiser and refused to allow his parishoners to behave in an unChristian manner. Once, when some people in his congregation were being rather ungodly, he gave a sermon on his authority to withhold communion (it was an Episcopal church) from anyone he deemed unworthy to receive it. That straightened them up real fast. I liked that church, but then he had a heart attack and passed away very unexpectedly. Now they have a very conservative
pastor who is also biased against women and people who are "different".
Jamie--your response is very interesting. I would imagine that since your customers are Marines, you have to treat them with respect. I can't see the Marines doing business with any company that treated them shoddily. I'll say right here that I work for a hospital that treats its patients and employees very well; I was at a competing hospital for a meeting and found a copy of their code of ethics. It included a statement to the effect: "I won't get angry at my co-workers and throw things at them". I about fell off my chair laughing when I read that one. Yet the company that runs this hospital brags about what a fine institution it is. And maybe the medical care is first rate, but if you have employees who are so tee'd off that they throw things--I think I'd be looking for another hospital. The hospital I work for may not have quite the upstanding reputation of this other hospital, but I can guarantee you'll be treated better at my hospital. And you won't have to worry about the nurses throwing things at each other.
Which brings me again to the question: what does it really mean when we say that a particular company has a good reputation? do we know for sure that it's an honest reputation? Or is it all smoke and mirrors? In this day and age, it's often hard to tell.
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Across the Fence: Reputation vs. Character |
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Reputation vs. Character
