tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post5586244110630879929..comments2023-09-23T07:12:58.944-04:00Comments on Sulako's Blog: Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-9196377313928837822008-06-23T17:33:00.000-04:002008-06-23T17:33:00.000-04:00If you were selling real estate, this wouldn't be ...If you were selling real estate, this wouldn't be unethical, it would be a REQUIREMENT TO STAY IN BUSINESS!!! I'm sure some of your clients started with small businesses and I'm sure almost all of them would understand the idea of good prospecting. It's the basis of ALL business.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-48078965419725763132008-05-09T12:04:00.000-04:002008-05-09T12:04:00.000-04:00I tjink you handled it in an ethical manner. If y...I tjink you handled it in an ethical manner. If you had flown them before, then they are fair game, if you haven't flown them before it's fair game (cold calling). The only way you could get sideways is if you start pitching them while you are running a subcharter, and you already said you wouldn't do that. Go forth and grow the business and get a shit load of profit sharing...you'll need it to pay Lisa's speeding ticket ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-74194872688398385232008-05-04T13:10:00.000-04:002008-05-04T13:10:00.000-04:00You should definitely call them. If anything, it's...You should definitely call them. If anything, it's a good opportunity ask how you can improve your service. I think it is good business sense to be aware of why they chose that company and not yours. <BR/><BR/>I agree with not going for the sub-contracted passengers though. I think that is tacky.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-26728214007649296412008-05-03T19:40:00.000-04:002008-05-03T19:40:00.000-04:00Your take sounds fair, provided you aren't bad-mou...Your take sounds fair, provided you aren't bad-mouthing the competition ("I wondered if you wanted to change air carriers, now that A-Jet had that negligent accident"). <BR/><BR/>I wonder what the customer said to your competitor about the call. "SulakoJet called me to try to lure me back there, isn't that hilarious"?Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-85782140806691172512008-05-03T18:52:00.000-04:002008-05-03T18:52:00.000-04:00There's nothing un-ethical about calling potential...There's nothing un-ethical about calling potential customers. But it is possible to behave in an unethical way when you do call them. It's about how you do it. Potential customers who are not with you will either be with another operator or a greenfields opportunity. If everyone is doing their job then your customers will be getting calls too.<BR/><BR/>I agree with your ground rule about customers that are subbed to you being off-limits - except of course if they approach you.<BR/><BR/>What you have to watch for is that competition doesn't become stupid. Sometimes another operator will target you and your business - your customers. When that happens in my business we go a little feral and target that operator, their customers and just for good measure their employees. That tends to take their minds off the idea of targetting us - they find they need to divert their energy and effort to protecting their own business. We never start a game of individually targetting a business unless there is good reason - maybe very dissatisfied customers. Otherwise the cost can be greater than the gain as "Mafioso" style warfare results.<BR/><BR/>Go forth and compete, but always smile at your competition and be polite to them and never ever bag the competition to the buyers.<BR/><BR/>Regards<BR/><BR/>MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-424007811277592172008-05-03T18:33:00.000-04:002008-05-03T18:33:00.000-04:00Ethical? I say absolutely. You have no obligation ...Ethical? I say absolutely. You have no obligation to them. Their customers are sentient and have agency. (Unless, perhaps, you are involved in kidnapping?)<BR/><BR/>Is it wise? Well, that's the harder question. Sometimes it's better to be nice for reasons other than ethics. Reasons of cooperation. Goes around comes around, that sort of thing. Hard questions.<BR/><BR/>Don't be afraid to serve self interest within the bounds of ethics, and on the other hand don't be afraid to be nice either.<BR/><BR/>Disclaimer: I am not a pilot, though I play one on my PC. Nor am I a successful entrepeneur, though I have enough business to support my grad school habit.elghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066906311180527381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-42570169521815295772008-05-03T14:08:00.000-04:002008-05-03T14:08:00.000-04:00You have no ethical bonds to your *competitors*, e...You have no ethical bonds to your *competitors*, except perhaps as a part of the emergency subletting arrangements (which could themselves be based on contract rather than mere friendliness). "Ethical" does not mean the same thing as "submissive".Frank Ch. Eiglerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06535966377820034604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837202.post-83982982567780231532008-05-03T12:44:00.000-04:002008-05-03T12:44:00.000-04:00When your business goes belly-up and you lose your...When your business goes belly-up and you lose your job because you did not go after enough clients, would you think it still more ethical to not have done so? Your work is like most others businesses: based on competition. I think what you did is fair game. And, it sure looks like the guy who called you to complain is engaging in his own competitive actions by intimidating you with the phone call. Better to be thought of as a bit if a ba$tard than as an overly ethical guy who ends up unemployed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com