Is Integrity Necessary?

When I was asked to write a blog for CEDIA to submit to TWICE, I was very intimidated. I have never done that before nor did I ever think I would get the opportunity. So I took a different approach. 

I have been designing and installing custom systems for more than 15 years. I have been where a lot of you are. From installing to designing and now teaching, there have been a lot of relationships along the way. The most underlying factor that keeps me motivated is not the money, toys or science about what we do. It is simply the relationships I cultivate and the smile on the customers face. This is really the passion that drives me and any good A/V professional.

Think about it. As professionals, how many of us know other A/V professionals and have known them for years, even decades? How many of us call each other on birthdays and on holidays to just say hello? How many of us are known for our integrity in the profession? Now relate that to our client. How are we interacting with them? In this day and age, when money is tight, the way you do business and the way you represent your products, companies and, more importantly, yourself is critical for success. With the economy affecting us in every way right now, clients are looking for upright and respectable companies that have the integrity to follow through with their promised services, on budget and on time.

We are in the service industry and since we serve others, I think that it is a disservice, harmful to the industry and to ourselves if we are not showing the upmost in integrity. This relates from having the right pricing on our services and products, to answering the simple email request and following thru with calling our clients back. I know how it feels to let a customer down. But when we acknowledge our shortcomings and show them that we are human and can relate to their worries, then relationships start to solidify and trust sets in. When we follow through with honest and upright answers and give correct expectations, then clients respond with buying more services and offering more opportunities for repeat business.

It is critical in today’s market place to separate ourselves from the competition and blaze our own trail for success. As a professional who really loves what he does, I think it is more paramount that we provide the best in service by truly representing the client with integrity and honesty. Molding these relationships and becoming someone our clients trust and respect goes even farther than having the best price. Clients will always shop for the best price and will sometimes fight you tooth and nail. But when the client knows your word is your bond, they will never be swayed from doing business with you. Never.