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Casual Articles - Take the high road
The WEEE directive - the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment - will be implemented across Europe over the next 12 months. With just a few exceptions, electrical consumer goods that are at the end of their life will need to be taken back, dismantled and recycled. Up until now most of these goods were simply thrown away with the majority ending up in a landfill site.The way the scheme will work will vary from one European country to another. In general though, producers, wholesalers and retailers will be given the responsibility of operating, or paying for, the take-back scheme.The products that will be most severely affected are those containing parts that are hard or impossible to r
Once you know what’s happening, what do you do? You can simply ignore it and let your strong reputation and community spirit protect you. Or you may want to take action. You should not complain until you do something about it. Just don’t do it ‘hot headedly’. You can report the unethical activity to the right people. Here are a few options you might want to consider: Report it to a professional organization, Report it to a regulatory agency, Talk to the owner of the company involved, Talk to professional competitors and or Confron
Shrink wrap tubing is the most economical way of packing items. It is almost similar to centerfold shrink film, with the difference that the non-folded side is sealed to create a tube. In shrink wrap tubing, items are tucked in between the folds of the tubing, and then the bottom and top edges are sealed.Shrink wrap tubing is available in PVC, polyethylene and polyolefin. PVC shrink wrap tubing is the most popular type. This is commonly used for packing soaps, battery, candles, CDs and other products. PVC shrink wrap tubing comes with high gloss and clarity, and will shrink at low heat. Thus, PVC shrink wrap tubing is easy to work with. It is available in various sizes, most commonly within the range of 2 to 34 inches
What do you do when the competition cheats and/or hits below the belt? We recommend that you take the high road. Let them drown in the flood. Remember, he who laughs last! You must resist the temptation to retaliate by descending to their level. You should read the book by W. Michael Hoffman who is Executive Director of The Center For Business Ethics at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. He presented another good reason to do the right thing. Not only will the high road give you better karma, but if you do something unethical in retaliation, it’s usually you who gets caught and if it’s illegal, there are far more reaching ramifications. Not to mention you will be in violation of your belief system or religion, which is a personal issue indeed. There are many variables to consider when handling competitors who hit below the belt. You need to consider:
What exactly it is that they are doing?
Where that activity falls on an ethics scale of 1-10 (Is it not nice or is it illegal?)
Is the competitor targeting your company specifically?
How many other companies are victims?
What is the impact on your business?
How much damage, if any, does it do to the industry?
Will it hurt your customers?
What is motivating this behavior?
Are they trying to get business any way they can?
Is this a last ditch attempt to stay in business now that you’ve taken market share?
Do they understand what they are doing?
Is the unethical action being done by a single employee?
What is the company’s philosophy?
Write all these down and elaborate two paragraphs on each of these topics. You will not only find out a lot about your competition, but also a solution. Talk to your mentor, a business consultant or your regional director about it. We have encountered everything over the last twenty years. Things such as: Slander, Stolen equipment, Sabotaged equipment, False complaints to government agencies, Etc. Our company happens to be in the car wash business; we’ve even had a competitor pay the landscapers to blow dirt and leaves on the cars we have just washed in the parking lot next door. Unbelievable. First we were mad. Then we laughed. We told our customers what they did and our customers told ten friends and so on. Needless to say, this strategy backfired on our competitors. Not only did it backfire but also it showed us how desperate they had become, letting us know we were winning the market share and they were getting closer to defeat.
Once you know what’s happening, what do you do? You can simply ignore it and let your strong reputation and community spirit protect you. Or you may want to take action. You should not complain until you do something about it. Just don’t do it ‘hot headedly’. You can report the unethical activity to the right people. Here are a few options you might want to consider: Report it to a professional organization, Report it to a regulatory agency, Talk to the owner of the company involved, Talk to professional competitors and or Confront
The different types of fasteners include screws, nuts, bolts, rivets, retaining rings, pipe plugs, pins, panel fasteners, clinch studs, bolts, bits, and anchors. Fasteners have become a very important in every industry because of the basic but important purpose that they serve. Each component in a machinery or vehicle is dependent upon the fasteners that hold it together. Failure or nonconformity in a fastener can lead to disasters that can be horrendous.On September 14 1997 a jet plane that was performing in an air-show in Maryland crashed because four of the five fasteners that held one of the wings of the plane in place were not fastened because they were hidden from the gaze of the maintenance crew. Such accidents
What exactly it is that they are doing?
Where that activity falls on an ethics scale of 1-10 (Is it not nice or is it illegal?)
Is the competitor targeting your company specifically?
How many other companies are victims?
What is the impact on your business?
How much damage, if any, does it do to the industry?
Will it hurt your customers?
What is motivating this behavior?
Are they trying to get business any way they can?
Is this a last ditch attempt to stay in business now that you’ve taken market share?
Do they understand what they are doing?
Is the unethical action being done by a single employee?
What is the company’s philosophy?
Write all these down and elaborate two paragraphs on each of these topics. You will not only find out a lot about your competition, but also a solution. Talk to your mentor, a business consultant or your regional director about it. We have encountered everything over the last twenty years. Things such as: Slander, Stolen equipment, Sabotaged equipment, False complaints to government agencies, Etc. Our company happens to be in the car wash business; we’ve even had a competitor pay the landscapers to blow dirt and leaves on the cars we have just washed in the parking lot next door. Unbelievable. First we were mad. Then we laughed. We told our customers what they did and our customers told ten friends and so on. Needless to say, this strategy backfired on our competitors. Not only did it backfire but also it showed us how desperate they had become, letting us know we were winning the market share and they were getting closer to defeat.
Once you know what’s happening, what do you do? You can simply ignore it and let your strong reputation and community spirit protect you. Or you may want to take action. You should not complain until you do something about it. Just don’t do it ‘hot headedly’. You can report the unethical activity to the right people. Here are a few options you might want to consider: Report it to a professional organization, Report it to a regulatory agency, Talk to the owner of the company involved, Talk to professional competitors and or Confron
When considering buying a franchise there are some secrets you need to know about. There are lots of franchise opportunity directories available both online and at the local bookstores. First you need to narrow it down to the categories, which interest you. And you may be surprised to find that some franchises are listed in some directories and others in others.Some franchises investments do not show up well in the search engines for franchise opportunities, but show up well for consumers who may but the product or service, which is offered by the franchised outlets. This is of benefit to you once you start, so consider that long-term thought.I recommend Robert Bond’s Franchise Directory Books and you can find
Will it hurt your customers?
What is motivating this behavior?
Are they trying to get business any way they can?
Is this a last ditch attempt to stay in business now that you’ve taken market share?
Do they understand what they are doing?
Is the unethical action being done by a single employee?
What is the company’s philosophy?
Write all these down and elaborate two paragraphs on each of these topics. You will not only find out a lot about your competition, but also a solution. Talk to your mentor, a business consultant or your regional director about it. We have encountered everything over the last twenty years. Things such as: Slander, Stolen equipment, Sabotaged equipment, False complaints to government agencies, Etc. Our company happens to be in the car wash business; we’ve even had a competitor pay the landscapers to blow dirt and leaves on the cars we have just washed in the parking lot next door. Unbelievable. First we were mad. Then we laughed. We told our customers what they did and our customers told ten friends and so on. Needless to say, this strategy backfired on our competitors. Not only did it backfire but also it showed us how desperate they had become, letting us know we were winning the market share and they were getting closer to defeat.
Once you know what’s happening, what do you do? You can simply ignore it and let your strong reputation and community spirit protect you. Or you may want to take action. You should not complain until you do something about it. Just don’t do it ‘hot headedly’. You can report the unethical activity to the right people. Here are a few options you might want to consider: Report it to a professional organization, Report it to a regulatory agency, Talk to the owner of the company involved, Talk to professional competitors and or Confron
If you have ever simply watched people at work you will find that many often come in late or miss work entirely for days on end. We may be able to draw a connection in our reasoning that says all these people showing up 10 minutes late can add up to lots of lost revenue for the company. The problem is how to control attendance issues and still treat everyone fairly?A CCH study on unexcused absenteeism indicates that 83% of employers feel that unexcused absenteeism will continue to rise. The problem is that absenteeism costs have been growing which now range around $800 per employee per year. It doesn’t seem like much but when this cost is multiplied by 10 or 20 employees the numbers speak for themselves.Absente
Once you know what’s happening, what do you do? You can simply ignore it and let your strong reputation and community spirit protect you. Or you may want to take action. You should not complain until you do something about it. Just don’t do it ‘hot headedly’. You can report the unethical activity to the right people. Here are a few options you might want to consider: Report it to a professional organization, Report it to a regulatory agency, Talk to the owner of the company involved, Talk to professional competitors and or Confron
Copyright 2006 Cari HausThere’s a new sub shop in town, and their service—and food—are exceptional. We live in a small town with limited options, so the first thing I did after trying this recently arrived spectacular fare was tell the next five people I saw. I wasn’t really trying to be a walking billboard, it just came naturally.That, of course, is what every thinking business person wants to have customers do for their business. What could be a more effective marketing tool than a truly excited “customer evangelist”? If you want customers to truly fall in love with your business, here are some things you can do:1. Make a CommitmentIf you don’t commit to great customer service, you can be su
Once you know what’s happening, what do you do? You can simply ignore it and let your strong reputation and community spirit protect you. Or you may want to take action. You should not complain until you do something about it. Just don’t do it ‘hot headedly’. You can report the unethical activity to the right people. Here are a few options you might want to consider: Report it to a professional organization, Report it to a regulatory agency, Talk to the owner of the company involved, Talk to professional competitors and or Confront the individuals.
If you report to a professional organization such as the BBB, local Chamber of Commerce, Industry Association, Detailers Association, Entrepreneurs Club, etc., that would be a good start. If you want to report to a government agency, let an industry representative do it for you. There is no reason to look like a ‘tattle tale’ especially in a small tight knit town, trade association or industry.
Many times it’s important to go right to the source. If you know the owner, you might be able to use this relationship to open communication lines. Start your conversation with “I’m hearing some things that concern me and I feel obligated to tell you. I know how hard you work and I think you ought to check this out.” Try not to position yourself as a victim. Remember, your competitor is the underdog if they attempt terrorist style methods. You are the lead dog and there view will never change. Position yourself as a friend or colleague. Put him at your level even if he is not, you might be surprised how well this does.
The more business owners help each other, the stronger our industry’s image will be with the consumer. Many times the person doing the slandering or questionable activity is the owner. But do not directly accuse them. No sense making enemies. If you don’t get proper satisfaction going directly to the source, contact others in your industry. Chances are they have also been victims. Quite often unethical activity works only when it is concealed. When you talk to people, be specific about the facts, not personalities involved.
When confronting an actual individual, such as a certain employee from another company, be vague and say something like: “I’ve heard such and such and I wanted to clear up any misunderstandings. What can you tell me about this?”
As an alternative or even a supplement to direct confrontation, publicly flatter your competitor even if you despise the person. There must be something he does well that you can compliment him on in front of others. It makes it real tough for someone to shoot at you after you’ve flattered them publicly. Perhaps they had been offended previously and this is just a revenge thing playing out in their Machiavellian self, remedy this by killing them with kindness. So remember:
Take the high road
Talk highly of competitors
Do something about disreputable slandering by competitors
Learn about your competitors from remarks from customers
Alway
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