Posts Tagged ‘ethics’

Recently I had a problem with Dish Network and their billing practices.  To make a long story short, I had three months worth of free HBO/Showtime coming to me from December 3, 2009 to March 3, 2010.  After March 3, 2010 they would bill me for the channels if I didn’t cancel them.  I got my bill for February service and they charged me for HBO/Showtime.  I questioned them and they told me there was a glitch in their system for the previous month and I received the three credits on that bill instead of them breaking it down to two credits last month and one credit this month so I have to eat that cost because I only paid what my bill from last month said I had to. During the whole ordeal that I faced with Dish Network they turned it around to make it seem as if it was my fault because I paid the amount my bill said last month. Needless to say, I was infuriated by this whole scheme. I felt as if I was being scammed and there was nothing I could do about it and I felt betrayed by a fellow business.

As a business owner, you have to take responsibility for your billing practices.  If that means that your billing system had some glitches in it and a client was under charged, then it is your responsibility to get in touch with that client and explain the situation.  Most of them will be very understanding.  They will appreciate the fact that you made the effort to inform them of your mistake so that they are not in for a shock when they get their next bill.

Those who get upset with you and refuse to pay it, then you may just have to eat that cost. After all, it was your mistake.  It is unethical to just spring an additional charge on a client without informing them because you made a mistake.  Sure the mistake may cost you a lot of money but I guarantee that mistake wouldn’t happen again.

A consumer has the RIGHT to expect that the charges their bill states are the correct charges.  It IS the responsibility of the consumer to make sure the bill is correct. But it is the responsibility of the business to make it right if errors are pointed out. Mistakes happen – we know that. But good businesses take the responsibility instead of trying to push it off onto the customer.

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Recently I have been trying to decide as to whether or not I want to continue being a virtual assistant.  Not because of lack of work but because of lack of ethics, customer service and personal attention that other VA’s are displaying.  I’m totally appalled and in shock.

I must say not all virtual assistants are only interested in the paycheck and not the client.  In fact, there are several who do have great work ethics and really listen to their clients and enjoy the work they do, not just for the paycheck but for the sound in their clients’ voices when they have dropped their stress level significantly. To them, I say thank you for overcoming the challenges that bad virtual assistants are causing us.

Just this week I have seen numerous people complaining about their virtual assistants.  One person hired a VA and fired her within 4 days.  Another person is not getting the personal attention and the customer service that they should be getting from their VA and he is so fed up with it that he is willing to give up on virtual assistants all together.

What the heck are virtual assistants who really in truly look out for our clients supposed to do when so many VAs are giving us a bad name? I have seen virtual assistants talking about requirements for VAs such as schooling but even that isn’t going to help. Schools can not teach virtual assistants how to implement good ethics into their business.  That is something that needs to be learned on their own.  They need to learn the finer point of skills such as defining and applying good ethics, and to put the client first instead of the paycheck.

One of the reasons that I think so many people are becoming virtual assistants is because it has been advertised that all you need to be a good virtual assistant is a computer, internet connection, printer, and telephone.  Amazingly enough I just saw a blog post today that said “Earn Big Bucks (right now) by becoming a virtual assistant.” While computer, internet, printer and telephone is all you need to become a virtual assistant it is not all you need to become a GOOD virtual assistant.

I can also guarantee that just by saying you are a virtual assistant and opening your “doors” will not earn you big bucks. Becoming a good virtual assistant means not just saying you do, but actually implementing the following, listening to clients, finding out their needs, going that extra mile instead of taking shortcuts. If they desperately need your help but can’t afford the $40 per hour that you charge, then why not work out a plan so you can give them the help they need without breaking their bank.  Maybe when they say I need help with this, and this, and this but I can only afford to pay you this, don’t kick them to the curb, instead sit down and figure out what should be their priority and handle that project.

One of the complaints that I have been hearing is I only need a part time person but nobody is willing to work part time.  Doing part time work may not sound appealing but that is the reality of being a VA. You work for many clients, a little here and a little there. Full time work is the exception, not the rule, and it comes as a result of doing piece-work. Once you do part time work for somebody and then with the passing of time your client begins to rely on you and trust you, it may turn into full-time work. Not to mention the fact that if they are satisfied they will tell their friends, which means more business for you.

What’s sad is that a lot of the bad VAs are complaining about the competition from virtual assistants over in the Philippines, China, India charging $5 per hour when they shouldn’t because if clients get the kind of customer service that I have been hearing about over here in the states, who can blame them for going overseas.  At least if they are only paying $5 per hour, they expect bad customer service.

When a VA gives good service, overseas competition ceases to be a threat. Good service consists of competent performance of required tasks, combined with a willingness to go the extra mile, and to look out for the best interests of the client. The VA industry needs more VAs willing to do that, and fewer who think it is just about the money. When it ISN’T just about the money, earnings go up!

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Lately I have been researching experiences, both good and bad, that business owners have had with their virtual assistants. I did find some good experiences but what surprised me were the bad experiences that people had with their virtual assistants.  Some of the bad experiences I expected like learning curve, time to plan, and virtual assistants not offering what they need but what I wasn’t ready for were some of the other complaints like, not working productively toward the goal, not having good work ethics and not taking the initiative to get the work complete.

As a confidential virtual assistant, I was appalled. There will always be bad apples in the bunch but I just couldn’t believe how many people had the same complaints.  Why is it that when people go into business for themselves it becomes all about them and not the client/customer? I’ve seen it a thousand times, people who only think about themselves and how much money they can make and not about helping the client and putting their customers’ needs first.   What happened to personal attention, integrity, and ethics? Unfortunately, they are all becoming a dying necessity.

Personal Attention-Many years ago, personal attention was the way of life. People actually listened to their clients but now people are so concerned about ways to cut costs that customer service has become a thing of the past.  Look at any big corporation in America. They have cut costs by automating their phone service ( you know press 1 for this, press 2 for this) when all you really want is to talk to a real live person.  A person who speaks your language good, a person who is willing to help and not just reading from a script.  A person who really listens.

We’ve all come across situations like that and unfortunately you can not do anything about it.  You have to deal with it.  Some people may say just leave that company but sometimes that isn’t possible because of funds, the only provider of that service in your area, or other factors that make it impossible so instead we are left to be frustrated, not feeling important, feeling like another number.

Personal attention is not fully forgotten, there are people who do still believe in personal attention but finding that can be extremely difficult. In order to find out if you are going to get the personal attention you need is to pay attention.  When you email a potential service provider, see how long it takes you to receive a response.  If it’s more than 24-48 hours, walk away because obviously they don’t feel you are important enough for them to get back to you.  If you want to set up a phone appointment, see how they approach it.  If they tell you when to phone, you are not important.  Instead, they should email you and ask when a good time is for you and then if it’s not good for them they should explain why and try to set up another time based on your schedule. When you do speak to them, they should listen to your needs and try to offer suggestions and then once the phone conversation is over, they should take the time to put in writing what those suggestions are and why they feel you need that particular service.

By being alert and paying attention to these little details, you can easily discover who will provide the personal attention and who only thinks of you as another client, paycheck or number.

Integrity-Honesty, truthfulness, trust are all words that describe integrity. Somehow throughout the years these words have lost all meaning. Unfortunately, to so many people integrity means if you say it and it sounds true then it is true.  We see it in the media, they only say what people want to hear, not necessarily the truth. Loss of integrity might get you where you need to go but I guarantee, eventually it will come back to bite you.

Loss of integrity can have a huge impact on clients’ wallets and businesses. People who have lost their integrity know how to manipulate people into believing what they want them to believe.  They know how to make things sound great without making it sound too good.

The best way to fight back is to arm yourself with knowledge. Talk with the potential service provider via phone.  Ask them questions about their business see how they respond. Ask them questions about their business and their past clients, if they seem to be stumbling through and making excuses, then walk away.  Ask them about their background if they can’t seem to give you any information, walk away.  If you do start to work with them and they start to make excuses why something didn’t get done instead of owning up to the fact that it was their fault,  walk away.

Ethics-What is ethics anyway?  Ethics is a set of beliefs, priniciples and morals that you set in place for yourself to follow.  One persons belief may not be the same as another persons belief which is fine. However, every industry has their own standards that everybody in that industry should follow.

Without ethics both personal and industry-specific, you will see the value to clients decrease.  You will find people who just don’t care.  People who are more concerned about the almighty dollar as compared to what their clients need.  They will overcharge, under deliver. Unfortunately, they will do just enough and make it sound good just to get the client to go along with it and not fully consider the clients’ needs.

Fortunately, some people out there do still believe in ethics, but telling them apart can be extremely difficult in the online world that we live in. Start out by talking to the potential service provider; ask them questions both personal and professional.  Ask them to send a proposal.  Go over the proposal with a fine toothcomb.  If you believe they are overcharging you, call them on it or go with another provider.  If the proposal seems legit, do a simple Google search on both their business name and their personal name.  It’s amazing what you can come up with. Ask to talk to their past clients.  There may be times when they are not at liberty to disclose their clients’ identities due to confidentiality.  If that is the case, look at their websites and if they have testimonials/comments, ask to speak to those who provided them because they are obviously not afraid to have their name disclosed to potential clients otherwise it would not be on their website.  If they still give you a hard time about talking to those clients, then walk away because something isn’t right. Find a provider who tells you what you DON’T need, not just what you do.  Those who will tell you when a service is not to your benefit are the ones who will truly look out for your interests.

By taking these extra precautions, you will be saving yourself a lot of headaches and possibly even money because after all, knowledge is power.

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