Ethics and etiquette of a trade worker. Main stages of customer service

Saratov region

REPORT

Characteristics of the student’s educational and professional activities during internship

Characteristics of the practice manager

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE SARATOV REGION

state autonomous professional educational institution

Saratov region

"Saratov College of Architecture and Civil Engineering"

Speciality 02/38/05 Commodity research and examination of the quality of consumer goods

(code, full name)

DIARY

educational practice

(type of practice)

students Polyakova Ksenia Evgenievna

Well II group 21 T form of education full-time

Introduction

Instruction about the internship.

The introductory safety briefing was conducted by the practice manager T.A. Samokhina. The introductory safety briefing is mandatory upon entering the practice. We were told about the requirement of labor protection, safety precautions and industrial sanitation. In this regard, it was necessary to become familiar with the requirements so that our work would be safe and harmless to health.

No instruction was given at the Family store No. 314.

Topic 1. Professional ethics of a sales worker.

Exercise 1

Definition of moral principles, values ​​and norms of a sales worker. Characteristics of individual principles and categories of professional trading.

Answer:

Task 2

Studying the rules and principles of professional ethics of a salesperson in the workplace.

Professional ethics.Ethics - this is a teaching about morality. The subject of the study of ethics is morality, that is, the principles and norms of behavior of people in relation to each other and society.

Professional ethics is a set of certain duties and norms of behavior that support the moral prestige of professional groups in society. The task of morality is to instill moral principles and ideas about duty, honor, and the criteria of good and evil. Professional ethics is designed to help people behave correctly with other people.

Trade workers must follow the moral standards accepted as the norm of behavior in trade. For example, friendliness should become the norm of behavior for a seller.

Professional ethics in trade represents the practically established morality of the trading profession, adherence to a certain order of behavior, that is, etiquette.

Etiquette- this is a set of rules of behavior that regulate the external manifestations of human relationships (dealing with others, forms of communication and greetings, behavior in public places, manners, clothing, etc.). Etiquette is an integral part of the external culture of a person and society. It includes those requirements that acquire the character of more or less strict regulation and in compliance with which a special form of behavior is of great importance.

Compliance with the requirements of ethics and etiquette is especially important in professional activities related to service.

In order to develop the habit of complying with the requirements of professional ethics, an employee, especially a beginner, must initially control his every step. In the future, this will not be necessary, because he will no longer be able to act differently; this will become a natural norm of behavior for him.

A person’s behavior is influenced not only by the type of his nervous activity, but also by his momentary state.

It happens that a usually calm and balanced phlegmatic person can fall into a state of passion and behave like a real choleric person. Conversely, in some cases, an active and kind choleric person becomes insecure and depressed.

Therefore, you cannot be led by emotions and explain breakdowns by your type of nervous activity. Actions are a mirror of human behavior. It is behavior that serves as a criterion for a person’s moral character and the value of his individual actions.

The seller needs to build his line of behavior in such a way as to gain trust and win over the buyer. Each seller should develop professional behavior skills taking into account their individual psychological characteristics. For example, a sanguine person should develop greater responsibility in work, a choleric person should develop restraint, a phlegmatic person should develop activity, and a melancholic person should develop emotional stability.

In the process of servicing customers, the seller must show goodwill And cordiality. Kindness and attention captivate people, endear them to each other, and facilitate communication. The buyer should feel that he is a welcome guest. Buyers are uncomfortable with indifference, and sometimes even neglect. It is unlikely that, having met such a reception, they will come to this store again. But you need to rely on regular customers who bring the most income to the store, and try to have more of them. This largely depends on the manner and quality of customer service by the seller. Friendliness, politeness, and courtesy should become the norm of seller behavior.

Preservation restraint And tact will serve as emotional protection for the seller in case of communication with an unfriendly and aggressive buyer. It should be remembered that tactfulness is a measure of respect not only for the buyer, but also for oneself, a way to avoid conflicts.

Professional ethics of the seller. The seller is constantly in sight, so he should always look outwardly attractive.

Appearance includes:

• hygiene factor (clean hands, well-washed hair);
• uniform (fitted to the figure, neat, clean);
• moderate use of jewelry and cosmetics;
• the hairstyle should be neat, the hair should be tucked under a uniform headdress (for food sellers and culinary stores);
• behavior, facial expressions, gestures.

The appearance is complemented by a culture of verbal communication.

Each profession has its own speech feature. The seller’s speech should be informative, expressive, concise, reasoned, and competent.

Informativeness of speech is that, when describing a product, the seller must be able to highlight the main thing, find words that most fully reflect information about the quality of the product and how to use it.

Expressiveness of speech- skillful use of vocabulary, figurative expressions, and clear presentation.

Conciseness (brevity)- allows you to give detailed answers and advice to a larger number of buyers over a certain period of time.

You should not unnecessarily use foreign words, professional terms, or expressions that are incomprehensible to the buyer.

The seller's speech should be reasoned And convincing, which is only possible with good knowledge of the properties of the goods sold and confidence that their characteristics correspond to reality.

Literacy- good knowledge of the language, construction of phrases; correct pronunciation and use of the semantic meaning of words.

Speech etiquette presupposes compliance with the stable forms of address accepted in society. Addressing the buyer with the words “Hello”, “Please”, “Be kind”, “Thank you for your purchase”, “You are always welcome” and the like will certainly facilitate the communication itself and cause a favorable response.

professional ethics seller

Professional ethics in trade

Ethics is a philosophical science, the object of study of which is morality, and the central problem is good and evil; This is a system of norms of moral behavior for a person or group of people.

Ethics in a broad sense can be understood as a universal law that regulates the relationship between a part and the whole, as well as regulating the relationship between parts within the whole.

Trade is a branch of the economy and a type of economic activity aimed at the exchange of goods, the purchase and sale of goods, as well as related processes: direct customer service, delivery of goods, their storage and preparation for sale.

In a narrow sense, trade is the negotiation process of coming to agreement on the essential terms of a transaction.

Professional ethics is a set of certain duties and norms of behavior that support the moral prestige of professional groups in society.

The tasks of professional ethics include identifying moral norms and assessments, judgments and concepts that characterize people in the role of representatives of a certain profession. Professional ethics develops norms, standards, and requirements specific to certain types of activities. Professional ethics teaches to follow moral standards accepted as the norm of behavior of people in certain activities. The employee must be guided by these standards. By looking up to this standard, a trade worker must cultivate the appropriate personal quality. Professional ethics is designed to regulate human relations in the sphere of production. Each profession has its own specifics of the accepted and current value system. Moreover, the same act can be considered as moral, non-moral and even immoral, depending on how it expresses the attitude towards the current value system. The basis of professional ethics in the field of trade is intolerance of neglect of public interests, a high consciousness of public duty.

Components of etiquette. Rules of etiquette.

Politeness.

Politeness is one of the most important factors in establishing contact between people. In the speech of a sales worker, politeness is manifested in addressing “you”, in a friendly, calm tone. Words that appeal to the client: “please”, “be kind”, “permit”, “I will do it with pleasure” - always contribute to the establishment of friendly relations with visitors. This friendly tone should not change, even if the visitor has not ordered anything.

In business etiquette, the first rule of politeness is greeting. The first to greet a subordinate is a boss, a junior to a senior, a member of a delegation to a leader, and in our country a man to a woman. The person entering the room must be the first to greet those present. You can greet the newcomer without getting up from your workplace, but be sure to take a break from work for a few seconds. When greeting, tautologies should not be allowed. When meeting with a group of acquaintances, you don’t need to shake everyone’s hand in turn. National traditions and customs must be taken into account.

The only permitted touching of a business person is a handshake. But lately this rule has been broken. It is not decent to kiss in public places when greeting someone, even if this is your good friend. During a social reception, at a banquet, where guests are invited with their spouses, the exchange of kisses between business partners is appropriate. Presentation in business life is also an important element of politeness. According to business etiquette, to introduce someone means to say his first name, last name, position, and the organization in which he works. When you introduce people, you should introduce a younger person to an older person, a single person to a married person, a man to a woman, etc.

When a man is introduced to a woman, he stands up and bows slightly, while the woman remains seated.

When officially meeting a new employee at the company, we introduce him to the director. Be sure to include your first and last name, position, and company where the person works.

The new employee is introduced to the team by the manager.

Tactfulness and sensitivity.

Tactfulness is a sense of proportion that must be observed in personal and professional relationships, in conversation.

Forms of tactfulness are calmness, restraint, external attractiveness, courtesy.

A well-mannered person should be able to listen to his interlocutor. Even if he is bored, he should not show it, but listen patiently to the end, or find a polite means to change the topic of conversation. It is tactless to talk in a whisper in front of others.

Do not give unsolicited advice to people who are not close enough to them or to older people. A tactful person will not look closely and openly at another. Idle curiosity should not take place especially in relation to persons who have any physical disabilities.

A tactful person will not ask questions that are related to the intimate side of another’s life and will not interfere in his personal life unless absolutely necessary.

A tactful sales worker must subtly understand the unique personality of the buyer, the reaction of the interlocutor, and sensitively grasp the boundary beyond which, as a result of his words and actions, the interlocutor may feel offended. During the dialogue with the visitor, you need to skillfully ask questions, and you need to ask him only about what cannot be seen or what cannot be guessed.

In business etiquette, a sense of tact plays a decisive role in choosing a form of address that reflects the relationships existing between people. Appeals invite interlocutors to communicate in a certain tone, observing certain relationships: relationships between people close or distant, equal or unequal, official relationships, friendly, familiar, respectful.

In our country, for a long time, the generally accepted form was the address “comrade”. Recently it has been abandoned. The new form “mister”, “gentlemen” is used in the sphere of state and political relations. The address "Mr." can be used together with the surname: "Mr. Ivanov", the title "Mr. Professor" or the position "Mr. Mayor".

It is not customary to talk about those present in the third person; in this case, it seems that the speaker does not respect the person he is talking about.

There is a special rule in speech etiquette: a woman has no right to call a man by his last name.

When addressing business partners, in most cases the form “you” should be used. Addressing “you” is permissible only with mutual consent. It is not recommended to address each other on a first name basis in front of business partners or clients.

There are no special rules when it is possible to switch to “you”, but a younger person should never be the first to switch to “you” with an older person, a subordinate with a boss, or a secretary with a visitor.

Not addressed by name:

• * to a person who is older than you;
• * to an employee who is senior to you in status;
• * to your boss, if this is not a work tradition.

You should not abuse being addressed by name only. If someone older in age or position asks to call him simply Volodya, you should not object: refusal means disrespect for the friendly gesture, the desire to establish warmer relations.

Modesty.

“A person who talks only about himself thinks only about himself,” says D. Carnegie. - And a person who thinks only about himself is hopelessly uncultured. He is uncultured, no matter how highly educated he is.”

A modest person never strives to show himself better, more capable, smarter than others, does not show his superiority, his qualities, does not demand any privileges, special amenities, or services for himself.

At the same time, modesty should not be associated with timidity or shyness. These are completely different categories. Very often, modest people turn out to be much firmer and more active in critical circumstances, but it is known that it is impossible to convince people that they are right by arguing.

You should never start with the statement “I will prove such and such to you.” This, psychologists say, is the equivalent of saying, “I'm smarter than you, I'm going to tell you something and make you change your mind.” It's a challenge. This creates internal resistance in your interlocutor and a desire to fight with you before you start an argument.

To prove something, you need to do it so subtly, so skillfully that no one will feel it.

Delicacy and correctness.

Delicacy is very close to tact.

If tact should be observed in all cases, then delicacy presupposes a situation that refers to people who are familiar and, moreover, worthy of respect. This is the ability to timely and quietly come to the aid of a person who needs support and understanding, the ability to protect him from prying eyes and interference in the agitated state of his soul.

Correctness is the ability to control oneself, to keep oneself within the framework of generally accepted decency in any situation. A self-respecting person will not allow others to behave incorrectly or indecently in his presence: raising his voice, speaking obscenely, being rude. He will not pretend that he does not hear or see anything. He will intervene where someone should be put down and corrected.

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Ethics is a philosophical science, the object of study of which is morality, and the central problem is good and evil; This is a system of norms of moral behavior for a person or group of people. Ethics is a philosophical science, the object of study of which is morality, and the central problem is good and evil; This is a system of norms of moral behavior for a person or group of people. Professional ethics is a set of certain duties and norms of behavior that support the moral prestige of professional groups in society.

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Professional ethics teaches to follow moral standards accepted as the norm of behavior of people in certain activities. The employee must be guided by these standards. By looking up to this standard, a trade worker must cultivate the appropriate personal quality.

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Professional ethics in trade represents the practically established morality of the trading profession. The tasks of professional ethics in trade are determined by the prevailing production relations of a given state, a given society. Through their labor, trade workers participate in providing the citizens of our country with everything necessary for their material and spiritual well-being, thereby contributing to fruitful activity in all sectors of the national economy. Professional ethics in trade represents the practically established morality of the trading profession. The tasks of professional ethics in trade are determined by the prevailing production relations of a given state, a given society. Through their labor, trade workers participate in providing the citizens of our country with everything necessary for their material and spiritual well-being, thereby contributing to fruitful activity in all sectors of the national economy.

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The basis of professional ethics in the field of trade is intolerance of neglect of public interests, a high consciousness of public duty. The basis of professional ethics in the field of trade is intolerance of neglect of public interests, a high consciousness of public duty.

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Friendliness Store employees must greet each customer personally. This should be done first by the person closest to the exit. For the client, the phrase “Hello” or “Welcome” will be enough to set the buyer up for a positive outcome from visiting the store.

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A smile on the face and goodwill Not only the seller, but also all employees of the sales floor should smile in the store. At the same time, you don’t need to smile all the time, but only when a buyer appears, so that the smile does not seem abstract. It must be shown that the seller is happy to provide any assistance to the client.

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Politeness Politeness Politeness is one of the most important factors in establishing contact between people. In the speech of a sales worker, politeness is manifested in addressing “you”, in a friendly, calm tone. Words that appeal to the client: “please”, “be kind”, “permit”, “I will do it with pleasure” - always contribute to the establishment of friendly relations with visitors. This friendly tone should not change, even if the visitor has not purchased anything.

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Store employees should be attentive to their customers, but they should not be intrusive. For example, a sales consultant should not impose his services on a person who does not need them. In addition, the seller should not offer goods in which the buyer is clearly not interested. The duty of the sales consultant is to be in the field of view of buyers, so that at the right time they can turn to him for help. Store employees should be attentive to their customers, but they should not be intrusive. For example, a sales consultant should not impose his services on a person who does not need them. In addition, the seller should not offer goods in which the buyer is clearly not interested. The duty of the sales consultant is to be in the field of view of buyers, so that at the right time they can turn to him for help.

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Sociability Sociable sellers always endear visitors. You can talk with such sellers about current topics, and this always adds positive emotions. The buyer may want to discuss with the seller not only the products that are in the store, but also the weather for the coming week, world events, and so on. The seller must answer all the client's questions politely and with a smile.

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Talking to customers is the most difficult part of a salesperson's and cashier's job. Talking to customers is the most difficult part of a salesperson's and cashier's job. 1. The buyer must understand from the seller’s conversation that the seller is a master of his craft and knows the product range well. 2. The conversation should be calm, friendly, short and specific. Buyers do not like or trust verbose sellers. 3. During a conversation, you cannot interrupt the buyer.

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4. When dealing with a buyer, you should not look the other way or sit. 4. When dealing with a buyer, you should not look the other way or sit. 5. You cannot answer unequivocally: yes or no, since this does not say anything, i.e. doesn't explain. 6. You should not praise the product without a sense of proportion with the words wonderful, magnificent, or better yet, reliable, practical. 7. If the buyer does not agree with the seller, then there is no need to argue with him, but convince him with specific facts.

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8. We should not forget that the words “thank you”, “please”, “be kind” add politeness to the seller’s speech. 8. We should not forget that the words “thank you”, “please”, “be kind” add politeness to the seller’s speech. 9. The seller’s speech should be lively, cheerful, clear, pronunciation clear, tone confident and convincing. 10. Raising your voice does not convince, but repels customers. 11. The seller must remember that he influences buyers with his appearance and behavior.

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The seller is a service worker, a key link between the manufacturer and the consumer. Therefore, the seller is required to have calmness, restraint, visual appeal, and accuracy. The seller is a service worker, a key link between the manufacturer and the consumer. Therefore, the seller is required to have calmness, restraint, visual appeal, and accuracy. To achieve such a result, it is necessary to engage, first of all, in self-education.

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1. Never raise your voice. 2. Even if for some reason you feel a feeling of hostility towards a person, you must remain polite and courteous. 3. It is necessary to develop a “posture of attention”: this posture should express the seller’s readiness to provide a service.

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4. The seller’s face should always express friendliness, regardless of any other factors: a gloomy, indifferent expression on the face discourages the buyer from contacting such an employee, which affects the level of sales and popularity of the store. 4. The seller’s face should always express friendliness, regardless of any other factors: a gloomy, indifferent expression on the face discourages the buyer from contacting such an employee, which affects the level of sales and popularity of the store. 5. It is necessary to watch your facial expressions, because it plays an important role in the psychological impact on the buyer..

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Requirements for appearance Today, every self-respecting person strives to emphasize and reflect his originality. At the same time, spending most of your time at work, you have to solve another problem - compliance with the dress code. It doesn’t matter whether it was officially introduced or is a set of unspoken rules, clothing etiquette has not yet been canceled.

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The very appearance of the seller characterizes his professional qualities. If he is clean and tidy and smiles at his clients, he will probably have an easy time making sales. The very appearance of the seller characterizes his professional qualities. If he is clean and tidy and smiles at his clients, he will probably have an easy time making sales. Each employer has certain requirements for the appearance of the seller.

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Therefore, the requirements for the seller’s appearance in the organization’s charter are not determined by chance. You also need to be able to look good at the workplace; neatly collected hair and clean nails are the main components that decorate the appearance of the seller. Food products require a special hygienic approach to sales. And if a person works in the prepared food department, there should be no complaints about his appearance at all. After all, the seller is the face of a trading organization. . Therefore, the requirements for the seller’s appearance in the organization’s charter are not determined by chance. You also need to be able to look good at the workplace; neatly collected hair and clean nails are the main components that decorate the appearance of the seller. Food products require a special hygienic approach to sales. And if a person works in the prepared food department, there should be no complaints about his appearance at all. After all, the seller is the face of a trading organization.

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Regardless of social status or age, we are all buyers. What does the buyer want? First, purchase a high-quality, fashionable, comfortable product at an affordable price. Secondly, the seller’s competence, attentive and polite attitude. In turn, the buyer should not forget about politeness, restraint of his negative emotions and bad mood. Regardless of social status or age, we are all buyers. What does the buyer want? First, purchase a high-quality, fashionable, comfortable product at an affordable price. Secondly, the seller’s competence, attentive and polite attitude. In turn, the buyer should not forget about politeness, restraint of his negative emotions and bad mood.

Material prepared by: Ksenia Nefedova

Ethical behavior should be based on sympathy for people, education and social connections...

Albert Einstein

The modern world of increasing competition dictates its own rules, often forcing people to put their material interests above all else. But paradoxically, in such conditions, universal human principles and moral principles become more in demand. We discuss sales ethics issues with Kirill Zvyagin, a sales expert with 20 years of experience, manager of the corporate department of the Peugeot representative office in Russia.

Kirill, are ethics and sales generally compatible? Everyone knows: if you don’t deceive, you don’t sell...

- “If you don’t deceive, you won’t sell” is not an axiom. You can deceive and sell. You don’t have to be deceived and still sell. But if you deceived, then the buyer will not return to you. And if you sold without deception, then people will come to you again, they will appreciate your nobility, truthfulness, sincerity, honesty, and desire to prevent possible troubles.

That is, ethics has completely rational reasons, it is not just some blind beliefs or rules?

The sales ethics in the company do not diverge from the moral code of the person himself, with his moral principles. First of all, this is an internal attitude towards oneself
communication with another person. How does the seller perceive his client? If he sees in the buyer a source of profit, a source of money, a source of income, then it is useless to talk about ethics here. And if, as for me, the buyer is, first of all, a person who turns to me for some service or product, we are talking about help. We solve the buyer's problem, and not just bring profit to the company. You need to be a consultant, an assistant. In short, being a professional is where sales ethics begins. The word “steal” is a dirty word for me. This is the job of a trader, not a seller. And professional sellers are honest people. They come back to them, they are recommended, they bring their friends or acquaintances to them. If you are honest, if you help solve a problem, then they trust you and there is no shortage of buyers.

So, are companies at risk if they don't pay attention to ethics?

It depends on what goals the company sets for itself. Those companies that operate in supermarket mode are impersonal. They conduct aggressive advertising in the press, but are excluded from human-to-human communication. Why is there a high staff turnover in large supermarkets (judging by information from the press and TV shows that I have seen)? Employees are forced to exceed the expiration date of products, re-grade them, sometimes they are not paid extra (pushing them to steal), here there can be no question of any ethics, in this case we are talking about survival.

It's a different matter if we're talking about personalization. As a consultant, people turn to me for help, and I depend on the company that produces the product, which positions this product. If I sell cars, then I feel like a person behind whom there is a certain brand.

Do you feel that the brand is inseparable from you?

Yes, because if, for example, I am tasked with selling all the cars that are on the market, they lose image value for me. The task is to sell. Ethics is about personalization. A person feels that there is a company, a brand, a brand history, a company culture behind him; faith in this company will not allow a person to behave unethically.

Example. There were cases when people with good communication skills came and at first it seemed that they were good salespeople, but later they did not do well in sales: sales volumes did not increase. Then, when we began to analyze the situation, it turned out that the reason was a lack of faith in the brand itself with which you are working. If there is no sincerity in the words, then no matter how much you talk about the brand, these will only be soulless official phrases and the passion of the seller will not be transferred to the buyer.

If a person wants to realize himself, then he must strive, first of all, to be heard. Ethics is based on the desire to hear. A salesperson who correctly perceives the principles and norms of sales and implements them, but does not see self-realization in the company, may simply get bored, he will not violate ethics, but the company may lose such an employee. Even if he does not have a chance for rapid career growth in a company with an established structure, but the person feels that the company provides an opportunity to realize his ideas, trusts him, he, in turn, also begins to trust the company. And when communicating with clients, he will always remember that he is a representative of the company and cannot let it down, does not want to and will not.

Is ethics really based on the desire to hear?

Yes, sure! On the one hand, everyone understands that the seller must hear the buyer. But on the other hand, the company itself must be able to hear the seller, otherwise his desire to work to high standards quickly fades away.

It turns out that if we see an unethical seller, we can diagnose the company: problems with communications?

Probably yes. True, this is more true for companies that have some kind of history, at least more than 3 years.

Then, if the seller deviates from universal human norms, this is a backlash to something. And, apparently, this was something the company itself created. And in younger, unformed companies, this may be caused by other reasons.

Thinking more deeply about this topic now, I formulated something. For me, ethics lies, perhaps, first of all in a simple statement: “Language is given to people in order to agree.” Don’t dictate, don’t humiliate, don’t shout, but negotiate. It was a common language that historically allowed people to unite, become a society, a people. And today negotiations create enormous opportunities.

So ethics and flexibility always go hand in hand?

Absolutely right! That is, it is ethical not only to hear, but to be able to change your opinion by accepting the arguments of your interlocutor, you need to adapt to the situation if necessary, and sometimes remain silent.

In some cases, this, in my opinion, does not violate any ethical standards, especially taking into account the peculiarities of the mentality. For example, our doctors will not tell a patient about his terrible diagnosis; they will only tell relatives, although in the West they speak directly.

Where is the line between understatement and lies?

Lies are spoken. But the seller often has the right to understatement, especially if the issue does not depend on the seller personally: changes in prices, delivery times, etc. He does this so as not to let the company down. Although he knows that he will then take the blow first: “You didn’t tell me that!” But you can always answer: “You didn’t ask!” (Laughs.)

One of my relatives, a diplomat, said that the most difficult thing in his work is not to say something. What, in your opinion, is the most difficult thing about seller ethics?

The most difficult thing is not to forget about the buyer after he has paid the money at the cash register, not to give up on him. After all, the buyer still remains a dear and respected client for you, although you have already fulfilled your duty. And there is almost no time left for this person - others come!

And of course, it is very difficult to be ready to work with clients every day. Because without emotional resources, confidence and conviction are impossible. It turns out that if you are psychologically tired, you can only work half-heartedly. And this is unfair to clients, especially long-standing, respected ones. After all, they need your conviction.

Why does the buyer need the seller’s conviction?

For some short period in the life of the buyer, the seller becomes a very necessary person for him, like a guide in the mountains. One wrong move and a lot of money, time, and nerves can be wasted. Therefore, it is important for people to know that the seller won't let you down . And this requires many conditions, I will not list them all. Key Point: Trust is about relaxation. This is an important indicator. The flexibility and sensitivity of the seller, which we have already talked about, can be checked simply: has the client become more relaxed? If yes, he begins to trust his “guide”.

Are there examples when you came across sales ethics while being “on the other side of the barricades,” i.e., as a consumer?

Of course I have! My country house, for example, raises questions from friends and neighbors regarding the contractor. I answer: “It was built by a company, but I won’t recommend it.” In addition to some shortcomings that were eliminated with the help of the builders, having agreed with them privately, another incident occurred. When signing the work acceptance certificate, we were at the site together with the director of the company. There were scattered remaining building materials scattered around the finished “box” of the house, in different parts of the yard, some behind the fence. My wife and I spent the entire day cleaning and stacking these building materials ourselves. A week later the director called back and asked if it was possible to come to the site. Without asking why, I said it was possible. And when I arrived two days later, I discovered that the building materials had disappeared!

Call to the director:

On what basis did you take them?

These were my materials, I brought them in case there weren’t enough. But enough was enough - I took them.

But why didn’t you say this when handing in the work?! Especially so that we collect the materials in a convenient stack for you?!

The questions remained unanswered. Now this person is “closed” to me: no mention, no word, nothing. Moreover, at the moment we met, both my wife and I immediately determined that this person was not a seller. Not the same level of communication and perception. Not the same sensitivity, flexibility. But they didn’t attach any importance to this and paid the price.

There is a better example. We decided to make a fireplace in the house and contacted a company with fairly high prices. The representative, having arrived to me, began the conversation with the question: “Perhaps you don’t need a fireplace?” Because he will demand this, this and further down the list. He spoke in detail about the necessary list of conditions for a classic fireplace and determined that if they are not met, many inconveniences may subsequently arise. That is, the company representative spoke about the difficulties that I, and not he, would most likely encounter. It was not a problem for him to fulfill my order and close the issue: he has enormous experience and high-quality materials. But, having outlined the situation in detail, the man gave me the right to make a full choice. Then I asked for advice on what could be done so that in my situation I would not rebuild anything, but would get the “fireplace effect.” After some thought, the specialist suggested the option of a fireplace insert, which turned out to be acceptable for both of us. Perhaps making a “classic” fireplace for the company was easier, faster and more profitable. The principle is well known:
“You got what you wanted, and then – your problems.” But then the company would not have received new orders from my neighbors to whom I recommended it.

From all that has been said, two conclusions arise. Firstly, ethics is related to the self-improvement of the seller, his self-management. And secondly, a company working for the long term must provide each salesperson with space for self-development. So?

For a company thinking about sales ethics, I would advise them to start by holding a training session or meeting focused on one single question: “What is ethics to you?” If management can respond to the definitions that employees themselves have given, interesting prospects open up. And not only in sales.

The official name is Peugeot Citroen Rus LLC, B2B department.