My mom’s car recently died on her, very suddenly in the middle of nowhere about an hour away from Ottawa.
She was lucky her knight in shining armor showed up and rescued her with CAA.
After towing the car and waiting for a result, my mom was informed that there was a problem with the engine. Turns out this problem was happening in a lot of Toyota Corolla and Matrix vehicles. Toyota Canada announced in August 2010 that they would conduct a voluntary safety recall. So, luckily, my mother didn’t have to pay for the repairs.
When she went to pick up her vehicle after they fixed it, the mechanic (out of respect I prefer not to name names nor company) told her he COULD have not told her about the recall and just charged her.
How nice and thoughtful of him, eh?!
This little incident reminds me of the importance being honest. If I was my mother, I would never give my business to this company ever again. How can I trust that the work they do on my car, or the products they sell me are what they say they are. That trust has been completely broken. And not just the trust with my mother, but my trust, and her friend’s who will most certainly here about this, and etc.
As a business, it is just good business to be honest and truthful with your customers, clients, consumers and employees. That trust is a sacred bond, which once broken, is very, very difficult to repair, and in some cases impossible to repair.
So next time you make a mistake, over charge someone, forget something, be honest and upfront, and then fix the problem. Although your client may be a little upset at the beginning, they will appreciate the honesty and continue to do business with you.
What do you think? How important is honesty in a business? Share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment.