As technology forges ahead, are you keeping pace?
Last week a caller to the Better Business Bureau offered one of our counselors some sound advice. He said, “Young lady, always keep up with the latest technology or life will pass you by. I never learned how to use a computer, and now I feel so left out. I look just as silly as my dad did when they introduced automobiles. I can still see him sitting in that Model T, hands gripping the steering wheel, shouting Whoa!”
How sage those words are.
Two weeks ago, in this space, I looked back at 2007 and what caused people to file complaints and seek our advice in larger numbers than ever. This week, I want to take a look at what we will focus on in 2008 and into the future. Technology has changed so much of what we all do, and its effects on the marketplace, the workplace, and life are profound.
We all have boomers now working alongside people who are 30-plus years their junior. Managing the different generations is a challenge for any company. Learning styles differ; motivation methods are night and day apart. Some suggestions:
“Get diverse groups together to problem solve.
“Avoid creating double standards.
“Understand a sick child is as worrisome as a failing parent.
“Learn to be flexible or you are setting yourself up for constant battles where nobody wins.
Health products that overstate benefits
Not a day goes by that we don’t receive a complaint from someone who purchased the latest and greatest cure-all, anti-aging treatment or weight-loss pill. Of course, it doesn’t perform the miracle they thought it would, and to complicate matters, that famous “money back guarantee” is not so easy to execute.
If someone were to discover a magic cure to whatever challenges you, do you really think they would need a half-hour infomercial to tell you about it? Nope, it would be headline news.
Some things to keep in mind:
“Celebrity endorsements are just that, not medical testimonies.
“If the product seller suggests that you ignore sound medical advice, please see your doctor first.
“There is no easy way to avoid aging or to lose weight.
“Money-back guarantees are only as good as the company behind them.
Fake checks: from victim to criminal
The BBB, along with local and state law enforcement agencies, took a stand against one of the biggest scams of 2007. You know those checks you get in the mail, payable to you, that look so real? The businesses that cash them often are left holding the bag.
The first time you’re told the check you have is phony, information will be collected. If you continue down the street to try to cash that check, you no longer are a potential victim; you’re a criminal. Take the first business’s advice that it’s not real, that this is just one more twist to the Nigerian scam that brings you all the inheritance faxes, e-mails and letters offering millions if you help someone get money out of the country. Tear up those checks.
Green marketing standards
Everyone wants to be green, so we’re beginning to see a lot more statements referring to it in advertising. On a national basis, the BBB system is working on standards of what makes a company green, what makes a product green, and what standards can be agreed upon.
Keep in mind, many customer relationships begin with advertising, and going back to the BBB roots of truth in advertising, we are working with industries to make sure when a company or product is touted as “green,” there is trust that the statement is true, and there are standards to measure that truth by. Exciting stuff for the future.