Time is running down in the 2nd half and we need a touchdown to take the lead and advance to the playoffs. We had mounted a sustained drive down the field and were within range of the end zone. From the huddle, our quarterback, deciding we should take a shot at the end zone, called a post pattern to me. I split out to the right side of the line, feeling my heart pounding in my chest. On the snap, I sprinted out about ten yards, faked to the outside and cut hard toward the middle and the goal line. Looking back I see a perfect spiral on target for my outstretched fingers. With a grip of steel, I grabbed the pass from the air and crossed the goal line, victory was within our sights.
Turning around to celebrate with my teammates, to my horror, I saw a yellow hanky back at the line of scrimmage. Apparently, the referee spotted a hold on our line. No touchdown, no celebration, no victory. But that wasn’t the worst part. The referee picking up the flag was one of our own fraternity brothers! Needless to say, his reception when he arrived back at the frat house was less than cordial (considering his clothes were on the front lawn and most of his underwear was up the flag pole.)
But this story doesn’t end there. Several years later, while at the wedding of my best friend and roommate all through college, a group of fraternity brothers were standing around catching up. Joe, our honest referee, had since finished law school and was running for county judge in Texas. Another fraternity brother, I’ll call Sam, worked for the labor unions. When Joe mentioned he was running, Sam asked if he needed some funds for his campaign. Joe, of course, said “yes.” Sam next asked, “Do you want the funds under the table or above?” Honest Joe answered, “Above board, through the proper legal channels please.” Sam’s next comment was, “You know we might need a favor from you some time,” to which Joe replied, “I don’t think I could do that.” I immediately chimed in reminding everyone of the referee story, with the moral that if he wouldn’t overlook a penalty call in a football game, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t going to compromise his integrity for a campaign donation.
For businesses today, how is your integrity and honesty? Do you conveniently overlook little things for the sake of profit or gain? Do your customers, clients and employees recognize you as someone with high integrity? Honesty and trust will be remembered for years to come. Clients will refer your business if they know you are trustworthy. They will come back or remain loyal customers, despite “better offers” from people they don’t know.
For businesses, reputation is everything. It takes time and a conscious effort to build a solid reputation. Conversely, it only takes one slipup to ruin a reputation. We have all had experience with “challenging” clients/customers. No matter how hard you try, you’re not going to please everyone. But it is as important to treat the difficult clients the same way as your prized clients. While your goal is to get positive reviews from your raving fans, treating your challenging ones fairly and with the same personal touch, you can mitigate them writing a negative review. Your actions reflect your attitude, your honesty and your integrity.
Are you one that would keep the flag in your pocket or stand uncompromisingly by your principles?