Monday 23 July 2007

Doing the right thing

This is something I've been thinking about for a while and follows on from a post Julian made: Conduct Unbecoming of a Gentleman

I'm a reader of SMSTextNews as is Steve Procter of iTagg. It's not unheard of for him to mention in his comments how iTagg are a wonderful company that follow the rules and make sure subscribers of the services they host don't get ripped off.

Now, I'll be honest, I used to think, 'give it rest Steve, being sanctimonious isn't endearing'.

I've changed my mind.

At Esendex, we work from a premise too of doing all the right things. Like enforcing compliance on our customers to ensure consumers don't get ripped off. Like, not bare-faced lying about other companies as described in Julian's post.

I think it's time to shout from the rooftops about being responsible, acting appropriately and distancing ourselves from the companies facing allegations surrounding the GMTV debacle and all the other sordid stories.

Companies who want a service for the long-term need to know that the service provider is going to be around for the long-term. Flounting the regulations and acting irresponsibly/dishonestly means the service provider is at risk of being heavily punished. That punishment, and/or the ramifications, can destroy a company.

Now that approach may suit some key individuals who have made their money and are happy to walk away. But what about their customers who are left without the service they've come to rely on. For so many of our customers, our SMS service is integral to their business processes. Losing it would cost them an awful lot of money.

Now I'm sure some of you are reading this and thinking what a load of wishy-washy, liberal nonsense and heh perhaps even a little sanctimonious towards the end. Maybe, that I should stop being naive, business is war, any weapon, any cost, winning is all that matters.

Ultimately the market will decided and we'll see who's left standing at the final reckoning.

Our flag is raised, we've shown our colours, now bring it on.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Adam, you’re right on the money. A successful service provider can only grow by constantly demonstrating its integrity. This has many connotations. It certainly means the functional quality of its 'product' and the reliability/availability of the service. It also means the way you treat your clients, staff, suppliers and investors. This extends to the way you win business too. Far from being wishy-washy your public declaration of being a fair-minded and ethical company to do business with is exactly what you should be doing. All this adds up to earning a reputation of which you can be proud, which will help retain your existing clients and attract new ones. It will also help you in seeking new investment when you need it to support your growth. Finally, and possibly most importantly, a hard earned reputation based on your leading principles will help you retain and attract the right kind of staff. Like-minded people will continue to champion your behaviours and make your growth plans a reality. Nice one Adam and good luck.