Honest Business: Is There Such A Thing?

In the history of business, it is overall accepted that there is some underhandedness that is common. You frequently hear things like, “Make sure to read the fine print,” or “The Devil’s in the details.”

In most cases, a company will do anything short of breaking the law to make sure their bottom line expands as much as possible. Some, ignore the boundaries completely.

Understandably, most of us are not naive enough to assume that every business we run into genuinely has our best interest at heart. So, how do we tell the honest from the not so honest? Here are a few suggestions for finding true integrity within a business.

Word Of Mouth

If there is one form of advertising that will never die, it is the simple word of mouth. You hear it every day. People gladly and easily complain and gossip about those who have done them wrong and will almost as easily offer up a good report about those who have had their back in a sticky situation. Take the time to listen.

For example, if you are building a house and are considering using the services of your local material supply business, ask around about them. See what people have to say and don’t stop at the first sign of trouble. Every company has a bad day or the misfortune of hiring a disrespectful employee. Get several opinions and ask for the details of their experience.

Repeated Success

How many auto mechanic shops did you go to before you found one whose work was repeatedly successful? How about a grocery store that consistently had courteous cashiers? Anyone find a lawyer who wouldn’t hide costs from you until the last minute?

One of the easiest ways to determine the integrity of a business is to weigh how constant their success rate is. Do they strive to make sure that every aspect of the experience in the customer business relationship is genuinely working on a regular basis?

Everything from manners to quality of work or service should be included here. If you have visited several times and receive the same great service time and time again, there is bound to be a good measure of integrity somewhere in the chain of command.

Humility

One thing integrity will indubitably produce is humility. In the world of business, a mistake usually means a punch in the money sack. Most companies put into play rules, regulations, and policies to do their best to avoid them. With that said, they do happen.

A business that lacks integrity will do everything they can to cover up a mistake, throw the blame on the customer, or flat out ignore it all together. A company with integrity will show humility by admitting the mistake and fixing it for free.

Yes, I said free. Everyone makes mistakes. There are no perfect people and thus no perfect businesses, but if either one have an ounce of integrity, admitting their mistakes and doing the best they can to make it right is a no brainer.

In short, yes, honest business does still exist. You just have to look a little harder these days. Make sure to refer to these tips the next time you are on the hunt.