Dear Customer:
I know that some of you are used to talking with someone else. You’re not really used to me, or to talking to a girl. Lets face it, you spoke with him for years and years. So when he called you, you felt not only that you could trust him, but that here was someone you are comfortable with. So you gave him an order. An opportunity to quote. An opening.
Something you might not know is that almost everyone here has been bound by a confidentiality agreement at all times. That means, in effect, for three years the person who has signed that agreement cannot call customers that they have dealt with at our workplace, use knowledge of our pricing structures to under cut us with said customers, or try and get the same products from our suppliers. To do any of these things wouldn’t just be unethical, it would be illegal for the person who had signed the contract.
It’s easy to say, “Oh, I would never do that. It’s illegal.” What if there was no confidentiality agreement? If it were legal, but not necessarily right.
Here’s what I did. I was laid off last winter (2008/2009) due the economy. At the time of my being laid off, I had *no* confidentiality agreement on file. The person who did all of our HR let it slip by the wayside. I could have gone to any one of our competitors with no legal ramifications. It was not, however, something that I could live with. So when I looked for work, I looked outside the industry. At the time, there were 10 ads in the Sunday Paper for jobs. But still I persevered. Luckily, when business started picking up again, I came back to work here full time. And I never compromised my principles.
I don’t have the product knowledge that 14 years in the industry can provide. You aren’t as comfortable with me as you are with him. Nothing but time will cure these things. But I will never do anything that goes against my ethical code. Not even to benefit myself. I’ve even told my boss and co-workers when they were doing something that I didn’t feel was right. If a customer deserves a price break, I fight for it. If there’s anything I can do, I do it. That’s who I am.
Some other changes that might amaze you: you’ll never hear me bad mouth my boss, the company, or other such stuff to you. You are my customer, I’m here to HEAR you, not the other way around (and besides, really? That’s what friends and family are for LOL). I won’t tell you one thing, then do another without telling you first, along with an explanation of why I had to do that.
So call me. Lets start to get to know eachother.
Thank you & Good Night
