lying to customers about scheduling

[Vivid Color Zack]

^ Agreed. You never know who knows who, or who will talk to someone who was just talking to that customer the other day. The lie being uncovered will hurt you far worse than delaying a half day or a day. That's a risk I'm not willing to take.

[Harold Mansfield]

Personally, I can't fabricate excuses because I forget what I said and end up screwing it up anyway...and you can never get that back.
Once people (paying customers) have reason not to trust you, even if it's the smallest thing, you have lost trust forever.

[thx4yrtym]

I would have called the original job and explained that you just got a call for an emergency and explain what is needed and that it will take xx amount of time. Then ask them if they are alright with delaying their project that long to help these folks out.

If they agree to it, you just made them feel good about it rather than feeling slighted. They appreciate your honesty and became part of the solution to these other folks problem.

If they don't agree, well they still appreciate your honesty.

[huggytree]

the emergency was a commercial property with 2 sump pumps which failed...it would have flooded...i would have lost the job if i didnt do it the next day..i didnt have to take the job...it was a referral from a new source...i would have wrecked that source for future work if i didnt take care of his customer...

i couldnt tell the original customer the truth because they wouldnt have understood...it was either lie or lose $1,350 and a new referral source...

everything worked out in the end..the project was completed on time and both customers are very happy...

[rob0225]

I'm not saying I've never told a fib...but you probably need to take this statement off your website if it's not true:

"Honest. What we say is what we mean, every time."

[huggytree]

thats why i wrote this post...i dont lie (normally)...it bugs me....i was wondering if anyone else runs into these situations and what they do.

it was either lie or lose $1,300...

[rob0225]

I'm not trying to ride any high horse here or anything, but I have always valued my integrity, my word over anything else.

I have always found it is better to be honest and straight forward from the get go. The consequences of being caught are ALWAYS worse then if one told the truth from the beginning. It's like I've told my kids, if they do something wrong to be honest about it. Sure they may still get in trouble, but the punishment will be much more severe if I've find out they have lied.

You compromised your word and integrity for the almighty $$$. Was it worth it?

Robert

[Steve B]

You may need to re-write that line in your website, or just take it out. You are either honest every time or you are usually honest, but you can't be both. If you clarified that you are ALWAYS honest unless there is a significant financial motivation for you to lie, it wouldn't come across very flattering so you'd be much better off removing it.

I don't understand how you can be so sure your original customers wouldn't have understood. Perhaps you're right, but you'll never know.