How Would You Like a Business to Behave? 115
professorhojo asks: "These days on the 'net, it seems like a company can go from being regarded as a Good Citizen to Evildoer in a matter of hours (witness Yahoo!'s willingness to time and time again reinterpret their own privacy policy as it suits them and their advertisers). I am at the helm of a new software company and I want us to stand apart from the rest with rock solid ethics, and policies that put the user first, that won't change or waver at the behest of advertising money. What I want to know from you is simple:what are the essential things a company has to promise and stick to? More importantly, what things have companies done, which have made you do a double-take and totally reconsider doing business with them? Why am I asking this? Well, I believe that in the future, the ethics of a company will greatly impact on their bottom line. What's good for our customers is good for us, and customers will be drawn to us BECAUSE of it." It sounds good, but reality has a tendency of getting in the way of good ethics. What suggestions would you make to keep difficult choices from compromising the ethics you would like your company to embody?
Don't know what to suggest . . . (Score:1)
He Does (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:He Does (Score:1)
Or you could systematically hunt down and eat the employees that leave the application open :).
Re:He Does (Score:2, Insightful)
Yes it is, but a really ethical company is ethical EVEN if it costs them money... The problem is that a lot of companies who were previously ethical, were ethical, as long as they made money through a Dam's water entrance.
And now that they struggle to survive, they eject the Ethics, while the regular citizens expect the ethics to sink them, or at least, that the Ethics is so important to company culture, that they are willing
Price of ethics (Score:2)
Ethics are like sexual harrasment (Score:1)
In reality do what matches your belief system and follow the law. That is all you need to do.
Remember a corporation is a legal entity that doesn't expire. Unfortunately most companies operate like a sociopath, no conscience.
don't be a relativist (Score:1, Interesting)
Who cares, just be consistent (Score:5, Informative)
Simple pricing structures with simple paper work and no hidden costs.
Simple, honest price increases. If you just need more cash, say so. Don't blame it on "market events."
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:2)
o Treat your employees like GOLD and give good benefits
o FIRE the ones who are bad / take advantage, don't let them hang around and bring morale down
o Never "sell out" to the point where you lose control over the company's direction (and don't let your loyal employees be fired!)
o Throw a good Christmas party and hand out bonuses where applicable / beneficial.
--That's just off the top of my head, but it's AMAZING how many companies DON'T do these.
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:5, Insightful)
o DON'T force your employees to work >8.5 hours a day. Hire enough people to spread the work around.
o If anyone has to work over 8.5 hours, PAY OVERTIME.
o And remember to hire *good* middle management who will actually stick up for, and defend, their employees - NOT mistreat them.
o Promote from within wherever possible, and give good raises if someone has to go from hourly to salary.
o DON'T take advantage of salaried workers. The tendency is to overwork them. Make sure all their hard work is appreciated.
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:5, Insightful)
That's a huge one for me - I just did overtime for the last 4 weeks while we were running one of the courses the charity I work for runs.
I'm not getting paid for it, just some extra time off over christmas - however I'm more than happy to do it because all through the time I've been thanked for doing the work, and generally enjoyed myself.
Another big one is to make sure your employees are happy doing what they're doing - and more importantly, if they're *not* happy, listen to that fact, and try to let them do more of what they do enjoy.
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:3, Interesting)
The extension to this is that if you must push your employees hard, then you need to compensate/reward them properly. Some examples of ways to reward employees were discussed in this earlier Slashdot thread [slashdot.org] (re: Christmas bonuses).
As well as giving performance bonuses (and sometimes gifts as tokens of appreciation), at the request of some of my full-time employees I've also give
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:2)
The place I work right now, if I don't show up for the xmas party, where people sing religious carols, drink (I don't do that either) and basically make asses of themselves, I have to wait two extra weeks, because anyone who could give it to me will be on vacation.
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:2)
o Thrown on a Friday night
o Optional.
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:2)
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:2)
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:2)
If you show
Re:Who cares, just be consistent (Score:1)
Brutal Honesty (Score:5, Interesting)
Itemized features? The kind that have a column for yours, and a column for theirs? Shock your potential customers by putting in a few of the features they have but you don't, and put a "NO" in your column and a "YES" in theirs. This kind of advertising would make me move the despisometer from zero to "surprising respect".
I've gotten to where I automatically reject as dishonest EVERY ad I see on TV or read anywhere.
Honest advertising that was obviously honest would be such a huge change from the norm that you would definitely stand out in a positive way. (Think "Miracle on 34th Street")
Re:Brutal Honesty (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Brutal Honesty (Score:3, Funny)
Internet Explorer works and you should find it usable for light use. However it still has some problems, and is not quite ready for production, full time use yet.
So now they're claiming that IE works as well in Crossover Office as it does under native Windows. Go figure.
Re:Brutal Honesty (Score:2)
It's interesting to read this thread. Cliff says in his editorial:
Almost all of the readers' comments, however, boil down to one or more of the following.
You're not the only one. In fact, some research [useit.com] strongly su
Re:Brutal Honesty (Score:4, Funny)
Their product: Yes!!
Our product: No!!
Google (Score:5, Insightful)
"Don't be evil."
Re: (Score:2)
Oh, and one other thing... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Oh, and one other thing... (Score:1)
This sounds good... (Score:5, Insightful)
However, the founder of the Computer Game Developers' Conference, Chris Crawford, wanted to CGDC to be a non-profit organization. But their treasurer wanted a for-profit corporation, he convinced the other members of the board that this was the way to go. Eventually the board members kicked Crawford out, took his stock and sold the conference for $3 million, giving Crawford only a small piece of what the others got.
I had second thoughts when I read this in the book "Chris Crawford on Game Design." All it takes is the other people in your company to decide your ethical ways of doing things are compromising profit. If this happens your screwed.
But by all means don't let something like this stop you from trying, I'm sure there are ways to prevent take overs, I just don't know what they are.
Re:This sounds good... (Score:2)
You're bang on. The only way to keep a company ethical is to own the majority of it, and to smack down the MBA's, bean counters, and assorted wide boys every time they open their mouths. If you can't do that then sell your share as soon as the value is high enough to start another company without partners. With the current state of business ethics you're screwed as soon as you allow others to control you.
Re:This sounds good... (Score:2)
Re:This sounds good... (Score:1)
I've come to realize that this would jeopardize my stake in the company should my partners decide profits are more important than ethics. So instead I would have to settl
Re:This sounds good... (Score:2)
A non-profit can be run very much like a for-profit in many respects, bean counting and all.
Re:This sounds good... (Score:1)
Do something ORIGINAL! (Score:2, Insightful)
Provide a good product that does something your competitors dont do or dont do well.
Document it and make it idiot proof and then back it up!
Good luck, good ethics will help you alot. Keep to your goals.
A software company? (Score:3, Insightful)
First, register your software's copyright, and include a full and complete copy of the source, sufficiently well-commented that once the copyright expires, people will be able to make reasonable use of it. (not to mention learn from it whilst still copyrighted)
Second, don't use adhesive use contracts e.g. EULAs. There's nothing wrong with just outright selling software instead of making dubious claims of licensing it, and it doesn't leave you unprotected to do so. The last book you bought at Amazon didn't have a EULA -- why should your software?
Re:A software company? (Score:1)
Re:A software company? (Score:2, Informative)
"Section 8. The Congress shall have power...
To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries"
Notice the phrase "limited times"
You might want to point this out to your congressman.
Re:A software company? (Score:1)
Re:A software company? (Score:2, Interesting)
On the other hand, people are stu
A few pointers (Score:5, Insightful)
One of the most important commodity you'll have to maintain is trust. This is not simply not changing your policies repeatedly; it is a combination of factors:
Privacy
Your customer's data is important information. Almost every type of company imaginable now takes andvantage of it, and shares it with others. This includes, but is not limited to: banks, phone, cable, utility and insurance companies, subscription-based services, etc. It's scary just how many companies will "opt you in" to their marketing schemes, some of which they no longer control once it leaves the company.
It is important that you protect your customer's data, both from fraud and industrial espianage... as well as from your own company. It's pretty straightforward: Think about what your company will do with the data, then ask yourself if you would trust your own personal information to your own company. If the answer is no, you might want to make some policy changes.
Customer Service
The United States is an interesting place. Customer service seems to be a far greater deal than it is elsewhere, according to all of my international friends and relatives. Because of this, your customer-facing employees can win you evangelist customers, or sink your company just with words over the phone. Here's a couple of tips:
Communication
Your actual policies aren't all that important. You will discover which ones will work, and which ones won't, based on customer response. But you must stick with those policies. From a customer perspective, what you tell them you will do is your policy. If you break your policy for a customer, you'd better be damn sure that they know that they shouldn't expect it in the future. It's even safer to not break your policies at all... but that is sometimes necessary to appease a disgruntled customer. But also bear in mind that this customer might not be in the right. If this is the case, it's not necessarily y
Communication Timing (Score:1, Insightful)
The most pertinent advice I can give is this: never let your inboxes turn into blackholes. Nothing will ruin your reputation faster than slacking on email. I've had to do this on occasion (there are only 3 of us in my company, and when we're all very busy with a p
IPO (Score:2)
The important thing is not what you promise, but that when you make a promise you stick to it, whatever it is.
That said, realize that this takes time--years. I need to see promise after promise to not be broken, each held commitment increasing the company's credibility in my esteem. You can't do it in just one quarter.
And you need to have consistent management--every senior management change, and you basically start from scratch. And one of the quickest ways to lose control over the process is to go pub
Stop being Machiavellian (Score:2)
For instance, if a company's lifespan has come to an end, and if they extend it past this, only undue suffering for all and the corruption of capitalism will be the result, because these companies usually resort to unethical methods in order to survive (see SCO).
Some suggestions (Score:2, Interesting)
#2: Don't get yourself a generic patent meant to serve as suing fodder years down the line instead of something being designed for a specific product/piece of S/W.
#3: Check out any downbeat memo at internalmemos.com or stories from fuckedcompany.com and try not to re-create them.
#4: Don't sacrifice experienced employees for cheap ones.
#5: Try not to have employees living under the constant threat of layoffs. Sticks instead of dangling carrots g
Re:Some suggestions (Score:2)
Re:Some suggestions (Score:2)
Re:Some suggestions (Score:2)
You didn't hire stupid or naive staff, right? Call it a layoff, explain honestly why you're doing it, and understand that in the absence of guarantees, job security is purely a matter of perception, so it's your job to keep people comfortable with their job situations. If you're offshori
Hire ethical people, don't sell out to VCs (Score:5, Insightful)
While we're at it, resist the lure of VC funds for as long as you can. VCs are (almost-universally) ethically-suspect, not-very-smart people who have too much money and lots of friends at the golf course. As soon as they get a hook into your company, the rot will set in - even if it's only you having to BS them at board meetings.
Re:Hire ethical people, don't sell out to VCs .. (Score:2)
Once you sell out to VCs or go public you've lost, because your company invariably ends up with the "we have a responsibility to our share-holders" line that is used whenever something "unethical" happens. Whether you founded it, or even hold a controlling share of the stock won't make much difference...
So basically, keep control of your company, and you probably know what customers want anyway!
Ponxx
Don't sweat it... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Don't sweat it... (Score:2)
What he's looking for is how to establish and maintain ethics...not to just wing it.
I might trust you, and trust is based on individuals, though organizations can (if they have people with ethics) make the whole group more trustworthy.
One policy I heard of that worked for a 2,000 person company covered internal politics. Basically, the policy was 'muck around in internal politics and you will be fired'. The import
Re:Don't sweat it... (Score:1)
What he's looking for is how to establish and maintain ethics...not to just wing it.
There's no formula, though. Certainly not within the framework of a for-profit company. Maybe if you went non-profit you could do it, but for-profit company's exist to make money. That doesn't exclude ethical behavior, but it makes it very difficult to enforce it. Winging it is about all you can do.
I might trust you, and trust is based on individuals, though organizations can (if they have people with ethics) make t
Re:Don't sweat it... (Score:2)
Agreed.
Certainly not within the framework of a for-profit company. Maybe if you went non-profit you could do it, but for-profit company's exist to make money. That doesn't exclude ethical behavior, but it makes it very difficult to enforce it. Winging it is about all you can do.
Didn't I give an example that would contradict this statement? :)
Trust is not always based on individuals. A well established company with a long history of trustworthiness and the ability to prot
Re:Don't sweat it... (Score:2)
Didn't I give an example that would contradict this statement? :)
Not at all. You gave an example of a company which eliminated office politics. That has nothing to do with ethical behavior, and certainly not ethical behavior of the company as a whole, when dealing with its customers. Frankly I wasn't sure what your point was with your example, which is why I largely ignored it in my reply.
That's what he's trying to establish, though it can be fragile because we are dealing with people who make choic
Re:Don't sweat it... (Score:2)
Agreed on formulas...though giving up and always winging it isn't very smart either. (IMNSHO)
Re:Don't sweat it... (Score:1)
The example can apply to just about any coroporate situation. Extrapolate.
OK, so a corporation can set up policies to ensure that it behaves ethically. I thought that was bleedingly obvious.
Agreed on formulas...though giving up and always winging it isn't very smart either. (IMNSHO)
I don't see any choice other than winging it. What policies you need depend too much on the specifics. I guess there are some small things which any software company can have as policy. Follow the law. No shrinkwrap
Publish Buglist (Score:4, Interesting)
Nothing I hate more than doing a google search, not finding anything, then spending time to prepare a tested step by step description to repeat the bug, only to have a 2nd level support guy tell me that it's been in their private bugbase for months.
Startup documents (Score:1)
Employee's (Score:2)
I currently work for an evil company, and they are not evil just because they disrespect the customer, they are evil because they also direspect there employee's.
so treat everyone you deal with with respect, and try to be fair also
Be careful what you rationalize to yourself. (Score:4, Insightful)
It's probably a fair guess that most companies don't start making ethically questionable decisions like the above example unless they would otherwise go out of business. What you really need to ask yourself is whether or not you are prepared to let your company go under rather than letting go of your ethical standards. It's not an easy question to answer.
companies should maximize profit within the law (Score:1, Interesting)
Sounds hopeless? Tired of the Microsofts and SCOs in this world? Well, the solution is to pressure government to pass better laws.
Having said that, there *are* different "personalities" of companies. For instance I would rather hang out with Apple (snobbish artist) than Microsoft (arrogant prick).
The personality I like t
Re:companies should maximize profit within the law (Score:2)
Microsoft at most controls the OS and some of the software, Apple controls the OS, the hardware, and much more of the software...
Tim
think about the future (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm glad you said that, because "future" is the key word here. I believe that libertarian and Adam Smith economics can work, but they're based on the idea of people looking at what's in their own long-term best interest.
Every time you make a decision, ask yourself how it impacts your profits in the long run. If
Support your Products (Score:4, Insightful)
You're going to be tested.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Furthermore, the big disappointment will be the customers themselves. As you strive to ship a quality product for a fair price, they will beat you up wanting more, for less before it's done. Or as a friend said, "they want God in a box for free"
I wish you well. You will live in exciting times.
How to keep your ethics sound (Score:5, Informative)
As a consultant / system administrator / programmer in business for myself, I have one rule: all I sell is labor. Because of that, I don't sell software and I don't charge a markup on hardware I recommend. It makes everything so much simpler, and I never have to defend my choices as being self-serving. Here are some other suggestions, some of which I've learned the hard way:
Three things (Score:2)
2) Respect the property of the customer. If you're not sure, err on the side of the customer. Although you may own the copyright to the software, the particular copy on my system is *mine*, so don't try to control it. If that's not the way you want it, don't preten
Quality prevails (Score:4, Interesting)
Amazon aren't the cheapest place to buys books from. But I have remained a loyal customer due to the excellent "people who bought
However take the RIAA. Or the music industry in general. I feel quite strongly that the rise of napster and subsequent p2p networks is to do in part with the quality of the product. And the fall in music CD sales is also due to the quality of the product and not to do with p2p. Consumers aren't interested in pop music which is samey and generic and meaningless. A boy band in 2000 regurgitating the same cheesy song the Osmonds sang in the 70's isn't appealing to most. What the music industry today has done is instead of making music that some consumers will really enjoy (and some will detest) they have created a bland product which everyone finds inoffensive.
SCO have got people's backs up because they are appear to be trying to destroy Linux, which many people are passionate about. However I would argue that the reason they are probably currently the most unpopular company in the technology industry is because they don't have something of their own which they can sell to consumers but instead are taking advantage of others hard work.
My point is that if you create a good product and don't just adhere to the risk averse bean counter methodology then people will notice this. Promote what makes you stand out and if it's good enough people will love you.
Not in the consumer market (Score:2)
this more indicates the public's dissatisfaction with the single-driven nature of pop albums. $20 an album, and only 2 or 3 songs they like is just not a good deal anymore. though they're angry with the legal distribution channels, the download statistics show that most people -
Be true to yourselves (Score:3, Insightful)
To me, though, great businesses are all about truth. They know the truth of their own capabilities, the truth of what their customers need, the truth of what works and what doesn't, and without bullshitting anyone, they just get on and do the business.
That's not to say you dont have marketers or lawyers or accountants: you need these in modern business. But as soon as you have marketers and lawyers battling over just how much to lie to the public, and accountants doing "creative accounting", you might as well shut up shop.
Ethics 101 (Score:1)
A good example of this is Google who right from the start have followed an ethical policy because of the beliefs of the two guys who founded the company.
Another example (but this time of lack of ethics) are companies like Yahoo who change the terms and conditions at the drop of a hat then expect the users to follow.
Maybe the CEO of a company should be forced to take ethics 101 once a year to make sure they fly straight.
Ed
Be straight in your speaking. (Score:1)
besides don't be evil (Score:1)
'private' doesn't always mean 'honest' (Score:2)
Having worked for both types of companies (and worked in the public sector too), I found that more sketchy things happened in private companies (like dozens of partners bonusing themselves instead of making needed capital inv
Stick to your guns. (Score:2)
Decide how you're going to act, and DO THAT. Do NOT change policy simply because a few people start whining. This doesn't mean that you stagnate, but it does mean that you understand that no matter what you do, it's going to piss somebody off.
Only partially true, unfortunately (Score:4, Insightful)
What is right is not always expedient.
What is expedient is not always what is right.
Honesty starts with yourself: exactly how much are you willing to compromise on your beliefs? Which ones are really important?
If the answer to the first is zero and the second is all of them, then you either are purer than virtually anyone else in business or you haven't really figured out where you want to draw the line. If you don't decide in advance then you'll probably end up letting circumstances draw the line for you.
In the end, the main check is this: what would be the result if the thing I am about to do were made public? In a sense, ethical behavior can help reduce certain downsides from recklessly unethical behavior. On the other hand, in extreme circumstances, if expedience is your only guide then you will take the Faustian bargain: either your company continues with tainted ethics, or it dies and the people workig for it are let go. This is hard because, selfishness aside, people depend on you and if you are sensitive you will feel this as a moral obligation, and you will have a hard time teasing out what is purely selfish and what you are doing for your people.
Integrity is the one ethical virtue which is a true business asset.
Integrity in the business sense is when your deeds reflect your words. This can be a competitive advantage. But it's harder, because it means knowing when (and how) to say no.
But in the end, the full spectrum of ethics doesn't do much for your business. You must choose the ethical way because it is what you believe in, because of your self-regard, the desire to preserve your own character.
Listen to your customers (Score:4, Insightful)
The customer is not always right. However, the customer always thinks he is right.
If you blindly follow your customer's whims you will end up with a car designed by Homer Simpson that nobody wants.
If you LISTEN to your customers, and then THINK about what they said, however, you will end up with a product that they will want to buy.
However, the tricky bit is dealing with a customer that you disagree with - you must show tact in how you blow them off.
Case in point: I used to be a regular customer of the Super8 motel chain when I travelled. I would stay there preferentially to other chains. (you may note the use of the past tense in those statements).
One day I received one of those "fake check" mails from them - what looks like a real check, but in
Those sorts of things piss me off. I found the name of the CEO of the company, and sent him a nice letter explaining that I felt such advertising was unacceptable, and that while I was sure that they didn't really MEAN to do that, they should look into the company that they hired to do this and re-evaluate their position.
In short, I gave them every possible out to use to say "OOPS! Sorry!". I was NOT accusitory in the letter.
I seriously injured my jaw on the floor upon reading their response. It wasn't a polite-but-bland "YourConcernsAreImportantToUsThankYou" form response. It was not a "You are right, the responsible individuals have been sacked" reponse.
It was a "Shut up! You Suck! We aren't doing anything wrong! This is NOT misleading! IS NOT! NEENER NEENER NEENER! We are making money doing this, HOW DARE YOU CRITICIZE US!" response.
Needless to say, they lost my business, and I take every opportunity to pass this story along to others.
In summary - listen to your customers - they may not always BE right, but they always THINK they are right. If you don't THINK they are right, then DON'T just blow them off.
Re:Listen to your customers (Score:1)
Super8 is not cheap (Score:1)
The reason I *used* to do business with them was that they *used* to have a pretty good continental breakfast. However, other motels are offering that, and more and more Stupid8s think "Continental breakfast" means some nasty coffee that has been on the burner since the '60s and a couple of cheap donuts, "served" starting at 7:00 (by which time I am usually 200 miles way).
But
Re:Listen to your customers (Score:2)
1. The legitimate complaint where we fucked up and we will apologise profusely for having done so.
2. The complaint from the chronic whiner, who, in his mind, finds insult in something that is standard practice, and we have no intention of changing for him.
To the first category (very infrequent), we send the humble beseeching-your-forgiveness letter, and meant it.
To the se
Re:Listen to your customers (Score:1)
But you can blow a customer off nicely, or you can piss them off - and no matter what else, pissing them off unnecessarily is not a good idea.
Just one question (Score:2)
Business has been going ok for a while, you have several employees who depend on you including one with a sick kid, but now you have a desert experience. Cash reserves are almost exhausted, there is no sight of a customer for miles and you're about to bite the dust.
Then Customer X turns up and offers you wads of cash. The company will be sorted for at least the next ten years, everyone will get pay rises, little Jimmy will get his kidney and so on.
The problem: Customer X requires you to
Re:Just one question (Score:1)
open, original, independent, informative (Score:1)
I see too many companies take something that has been in an open-source product (like a Linux window manager) for years, and rewrite it, add a few features, and release it on Windows, for money. Probably the simplest example is popup blocking, even though most of them are free -- Mozilla and Firebird supported popup blocking long before even the first freeware plugin for Internet Explorer.
So the way to do this right is to do your homework. Before you even start planning on a project, make sure it is a u
Promises you won't keep... (Score:2)
BERNSTEIN: You don't wanna make any promises, Mr. Kane, you don't wanna keep.
KANE: These will be kept. I'll provide the people of this city with a daily paper that will tell all the news honestly. I will also provide them...
LELAND: That's the second sentence you've started with "I."
KANE: People are gonna know who's responsible. And they're gonna get the truth in the Inquirer quickly and simply and e
Here goes. (Score:2)
X day money back guarantee if dissatisfied. Many companies won't offer it because someone could just lie, get their money back, and keep the software. But on the other hand, most people will not use that option if satisfied, and those that will could have alternately looked to other methods of piracy. A lot of business software purchases are high risk, and a big question on many potential customers' minds is "What if we spend all this money and it d
What if you're wrong? (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm sure this isn't the ONLY reason you want to be ethical, but it's a little disconcerting that you cite it as your main one. I'm not saying I'm the MOST ethical person out there, but I do believe in an absolute standard for what is right and wrong, and I believe that a person should adher
Fabled Service (Score:2)
"Fabled Service: Ordinary Acts, Extraordinary Outcomes" by Bonnie Jameson, Betsy Sanders.
The reason I say "open your mind" is that the book is about Nordstrom's, the upscale department store. They have survived, and they thrive, because they have empowered each and every employee to offer the highest level of service to everyone who walks into one of their stores--including people who "have no business" being in such an exalted atmosphere.
When Is The Customer Wrong? (Score:1)
If the customer is unhappy, and it's your fault then it's your fault.
If the customer is unhappy, and it isn't your fault, it's still your problem. Frequently, they're unhappy about something other than the problem they're nattering on about and it's your job to figure out what and where the real problem is and fix it.
In practical terms, this means staffing your customer support team so that they can spend time with your customers working through their issues. Don't punish
Put up an online community.. (Score:1)
Put that community up and leave it up, rain or shine. Politely answer everybody, even the lamers and flamers, and do it quickly. To hide the off-topic crap, allow your customers to gently moderate the discussion--link to hidden messages, never delete--and don't touch that button yourself.
You will also reap fanatical user loyalty, repeat business, and price
Blessed are the meek... (Score:1)
We've been having this 20-something, moral relativistic, why are humans animals, why are corporations greedy discussions on Slashdot for a while. Why are corporations greedy? Because it's easy and fun. Either you believe in absolutes and a higher power or you don't. It's that simple. If you don't believe in a higher power, than why should you act ethically? Especially if you can legally do so? You say you care about other people? So, what. Th
Running a business (Score:1)
Not everyone who wants to be a customer should be (Score:2)
Good Employment Agreements (Score:1)
Honesty, Morale and Honor (Score:1)
one simple question to ask before... (Score:1)
"How would I feel if I was a customer who was affected by this?"
Another take: What *shouldn't* be promised? (Score:2)
For example, many people have proppsed on the privacy front to never sell the names of contacts or clients. That database, howev
Whatever you do, get a lawyer to check it over (Score:2)
While I do not know the legal standard for such things, it would not be surprising for a court to treat your posted policies as legally binding agreements with the client. An attorney can help you avoid any unforseen pitfalls (e.g. Could a loophole in you
COMMUNICATION: Read the Cluetrain Manifesto (Score:2)
Communicate with your customers, partners, suppliers, and employees in clear, simple, unambiguous, TRUE language. Don't mislead by omission. Don't obfuscate. Don't hide the truth in-amongst tons of verbiage. Make sure the letter of your message is the same as the spirit of your message. Don't hide behind legalities and technicalities. Say what you mean, and mean wh
Re:brrrp (Score:1)