Ricky’s Online Business Blog

I’m lucky to have a network of customers hosting their web and email server through BizPartner.  At times, they require IT services we can’t provide such as web development, computer networking, or simply purchasing new computer hardware or software.

As such, I often refer them to other IT service providers.  However, the experience has not been very positive.  To be fair, some partner companies do their job very well.  But some really provide a lousy service.

To a company whom I have stopped referring businesses to you a few months ago, please stop telling others excuses why you no longer get projects from me.  You are new and need to learn more on servicing customers.

Integrity - You didn’t deliver what you agree to customers.  You didn’t keep your promises.  You appeared very kind in front of customers but talked bad about them behind.  Your words and actions were not one.

Service - Your product standard and customer service was not consistent enough.  No doubt sometimes you did very good job. But at other times you were nowhere to be found.  I would rather like you to have average quality than inconsistent one.

Accountability - You were not accountable for you were requested to do.  I gave you a lead to call but the customer never heard from you.  People called you or sent SMS message to you but you didn’t reply until much later. Worse, you didn’t even tell me when you found a prospect was not right for you.

Do you know that returning calls and SMSes is basic good manner, especially in business? I really can’t risk people’s trust on me by referring businesses like you to them any more.

The problem is, who to trust and what to entrust them with? This comes with experience. My observation in business is that, we should be shrewd as snakes (know the workings of the devil), but be innocent as doves (be like angel believing the world can get better)

No doubt we are living in a distrustful world. There are some people who just can’t be trusted. But I guess most people are innocent like you and me, basically good people but just hesitate to trust others.

I suppose the world maintains itself based on trust, without which it will just break down. We trust our engineers have done good job that our roof won’t fall down to hit our head. We trust our banker with our money that it won’t get lost.

Managing people needs trust. We must trust our employees for certain things, or we will end up doing all the job ourselves.  Expanding business network needs trust. We must trust our partners that they will do their part, or we will end up being lone ranger in business.

There is a Chinese saying that if we use the service of people, trust them. Otherwise, do not hire him (用人不疑，疑人不用). Especially true in managing people who work for us.

Correct me if I’m wrong, the world needs more trust.  As we extend our trust to people more, good and innocent people like you and me will reciprocate their trust to us.

Between trusting people and distrusting people, I would rather choose to trust than distrust. The world needs more trust and we can do our part to make it a better world. Not only for the world, but for the advantage of ours and people around us too.

The problem is, who to trust and what to entrust them with? This comes with experience. My observation in business is that, we should be shrewd as snakes (know the workings of the devil), but be innocent as doves (be like angel believing the world can get better)

Are you checking up on your potential employees on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn?

Why not? Businesses, banks, legal firms and government agencies have been known to conduct background check on people using CTOS, CCRIS and other means.

After all, foreknowledge on people, companies and markets we are dealing with will be much useful to ensure higher success for us.

Sun Tzu even says, “Thus, what enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge” (故明君賢將，所以動而勝人，成功出于眾者，先知也)

So, why can’t employers check on job candidates before hiring them? One justification is that, hiring the wrong employee is not only costly to the company, but also detrimental to the employee who comes into the wrong job.

But are you aware of the dangers of doing such online background check?  Feel free to comment on my presentation done in December 2009 below or on SlideShare.net.

“Don’t be evil.” What a well-known statement Google declares to the world. Unlike some companies who don’t practice what they preach, I guess Google is doing a pretty good job in living out their promise. Read about their well-documented code of conduct here.

Is there is a seed of evil in us? Is it why we need laws, rules and ethics to “regulate” us so that we don’t do evil? Otherwise we can just go amok and the world becomes upside down as everyone is free to do anything that satisfies his or her own selfish desires.

There are businesses who “do evil” by shortchanging customers and employ unethical means to compete in the market. There are business people who think “touching on the borderline of the law” is perfectly OK. After all, we are all in business. You want to be nice to everyone? Don’t be in business!

What some may not realize is that businesses who don’t believe in having good ethics may not be a sustainable business in long run. They may win something today but their evil conduct can hit them back later, perhaps even hit them so hard that it costs their very existence.

There are proper ways to compete and win over customers in the market. Those who have good corporate ethics like Google are well respected. Not like those who act evil today and think they can repair their image tomorrow.

This does not apply to businesses only, but also to individuals, non-profit organizations, government agencies and yes, even political parties. What’s good in it to win a battle now only to lose a war later? And in politics, what’s good to win a state now only to lose the entire nation later?

So businesses, don’t be short-sighted. Justice will prevail. The customers will decide…