"The customer is always right."....well.... maybe not always. With these few words in mind however, we see social responsiblity, an excellent aspect of the business world. Most customers do not want to endure any extra stress by feeling they are not treated respectfully when it comes to a business issue. Most consumers are stressed out enough and do not want to waste more time arguing with a clerk.

Being fair with employees, not showing partiality when it comes to promotions and other benefits, demonstrates social responsiblitiy. This, in turn, encourages respect and better work ethics in goods and services.

'May I help you", is another way to demonstrate social responsibility while running a business. Dealing with the public, keeping prices fair and reasonable is being socially responsible. When a business is mostly conducted by phone, using trained workers who can answer reasonable questions, enhances the business. By putting untrained workers, who the public knows are trying to bluff their way through with answers they dont know, is being socially irresponsible....both to the worker and the customer and the business.

Today, lack of good manners and a sincere desire to help customers solve a problem, with goods and/or services, not only creates frustration in the business world, but it also damages the reputation of a business.

Being socially responsible in business means, not referring to those who pay their credit card bills on time as, "dead beats." In the credit card world it was allegeded through a TV expose, that some credit card companies no longer value customers who show responsible bill-paying habits. Why not? It is quite obvious, that money takes precedence over customers.

When irresponsible credit card companies want customers to be late so they can raise interest rates and charge exhoribtant late fee charges, this attitude or reflection of company thinking, shows a gross lack of social responsibility.

Another example is, a certain well-known international company use to provide lots of polite workers who wore blue vests witht big words written in yellow, "MAY I HELP YOU?" Now, it appears, that only happens when one of their chain stores opens in a new area. After that, the blue vests disappear and one has a hard time getting any help to answer the shopper's questions, like where are certain items located. You can not tell staff from the customer!

A socially responsible business, goes beyond good customer services. It gets involved with the community. It looks for organizations that could use some support and helps out by making some tax-deduction charitable giving.

Being a socially responsible business means treating the employees with dignity, respect and equality. The business oversees all safety issues and is quick to help settle grievances between employess and/or management.

It appears, the bigger individual businesses get, the more impersonal they can become, and, in the end, this is a sad loss to the business and to society in general.

Learn more about this author, Victoria Rose Perkins.
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