Courtesy in Business: Near Extinction? Part VII of our Complaints Series
There is one important common courtesy that can sometimes be forgotten in business: keeping people informed.
We often hear from our clients that they have a bad history of having been kept in the dark about things by their business partners, or maybe investors, or even their own brokers. So that’s why we’ve made it a habit to cover absolutely in writing with our clients, which we are aware that many businesses do not today. Why? Because it takes time and effort. But the end result is worth it: everyone is always on the same page, there are no questions in anyone’s heads about what’s going on with who and where and why… a simple courtesy email can be a very important thing and the best way to retain one’s clients.
Courtesy goes both ways, too; a polite acknowledgement of an important email or a brief note by a client informing us they will be unreachable for the next week, say, is a courtesy that can also be forgotten at times. So if we’re trying to reach our clients and they don’t answer emails or phone calls, we might think the worst and start imagining horrible scenarios of things that might have happened to them: did their dog eat their documents? Did they take a trip to the mall and get lost? Have they stepped through an invisible portal and are now trapped in an alternate dimension? All jokes asides, as a measure of respect between invested parties, timely updates that are conducive to positive communications interaction are not just a matter of course, but it’s just good business etiquette.
For example, if you’ve got a project that you’ve got in the funding pipeline with a company like us, you should never hesitate to bring to our attention an important change to your project, whether positive or negative; if it’s good – great! If it’s not, we can always put our heads together and figure out a way to turn it around. An experienced funder understands that a type of “heads up” can help to keep a small issue just a small issue or confront a major obstacle, where possible.
The age of emails and text messages has made everything very immediate but it has also detached people from each other, and etiquette and courtesy are going the way of the record player – not around anymore and you’re going to have a hard time finding someone who’s still got it. But we still believe in it and in fact it’s part of our own company policy. Like any relationship, good communication is key and we make sure our own clients are treated with every measure of courtesy. No gripes, no complaints. Just good business and funding on the way.
Always make sure that you make an informed decision in all cases,
All the Best,
The Capital Corp Team