Meeting Customer Expectations as an Ethical Business

Julie Starr • May 3, 2022



In modern society, consumers are savvier than ever. With growing awareness of the damage the planet is facing and increased understanding of the part that a consumerist society plays in this, it has never been more critical for businesses to operate ethically. 

Starting an ethical business should never simply be a marketing ploy to lure customers in under false pretenses. Organizations that greenwash by exaggerating or manipulating claims that they are environmentally friendly will never be able to get away with it forever. Once greenwashing is uncovered, a backlash is likely, as consumers will not take kindly to being misled. So, if you plan to run a business that states it is ethical, it must live up to these promises or risk significant reputational damage. 

Running an ethical business should always be based on a strong desire to do the right thing and protect people and the planet. Setting out to enhance and protect rather than deplete resources is an essential starting point for any ethical business. As well as helping the planet, launching an ethical company also makes good business sense. Consumers are increasingly basing their purchase decisions on the environmental credentials and ethics of a business, as eco-friendly business operations are evolving from their previously niche appeal. As well as attracting customers, an ethical company is also more likely to attract the best employees. While the point of working is to earn money, many people want to work for a company that aligns with their own ethics and feels like they are making a difference. So, operating an ethical business is good news all around.

Ensuring that no area of your business operation is overlooked is vital when trying to run an ethical business. Here are just some ways you can ensure your ethical business meets and exceeds customer expectations so that it does right by the planet and the consumer:

Clear Corporate Social Responsibility Statement

Starting off as you mean to go on is the best way to avoid any oversights when running an ethical business. Setting out your intentions from the very beginning will ensure that everyone in the company clearly understands what is expected and is working towards the same aims. Writing a corporate social responsibility statement is the best way to ensure this happens.

Launching an ethical company can feel like a significant undertaking, and getting your corporate social responsibility statement right can be a lot of pressure. To help you get started, it is a good idea to begin by thinking about the core values and goals at the center of your organization. These points should be the key areas of focus that encapsulate your vision for the organization. Once you have established these key areas, you will be able to move on and begin expanding on these points. Using the United Nation’s 17 Goals for Sustainable Development is a helpful place to get started.

Transparent Business Dealings

 

After working so hard to build an ethical business and establish your brand, you must protect it against possible oversights that could compromise its values. Your company’s reputation is precious, so finding ways to safeguard it is vital. Reputational damage can occur so easily, even when you run an ethical business, so being on the lookout for potential causes is essential. Reputational damage is often caused inadvertently and can be caused by association rather than direct action by your business. Finding out that a supplier or a stockist for your products is not operating ethically can cause you to become guilty by association. To avoid this situation occurring and the damage it could cause to your ethical business’s reputation, you need to ensure that all your business dealings are transparent. Vetting your suppliers and your stockists, along with any other organization that your business is associated with, should help prevent any nasty surprises that could impact your reputation and ethical credibility.


As a part of this, you should ensure that everything to do with money and finances is above board too. If there is anything that seems a little strange or unusual this can mean that people find it much harder to trust you. So everything from budgeting to carrying out an international wire transfer is going to be hugely important here, and you’ll need to make sure you bear that in mind.

 

Exceptional Customer Care

Providing exceptional customer care is essential for the success of all businesses. However, when you run a people-centered ethical business, consumers will expect even higher standards of customer service that are in line with the rest of your business values. The best way to offer exceptional customer care is to focus on communication and a seamless customer journey. Identify potential pain points that your customers could potentially experience when using your services. Seeking to remedy these possible pain points is the best way to ensure that every customer receives the best experience when using your business. 

When it comes to providing the best customer care, you need the right tools to facilitate this. Improving your communication systems so that your staff can work collaboratively to provide the highest level of customer service is essential. Implementing Salesforce phone integration will enable you to use your CRM and join up your business communications to provide a system that equips your team with all they need to deliver the best quality service. With an integrated system in place, you will be able to exceed the expectations of every customer and provide a consistently high level of customer service. 

Fair Treatment of Employees

Showing respect to the community, the planet, and your customers is essential when running an ethical business. But, in addition to this, it is also vital that you treat your employees fairly. Companies with a positive reputation as a good employer are likely to be viewed more favorably by consumers. To enable you to embody your status as an ethical business truly, you need employees to hold the same values and represent your company in the same way. The best way to achieve this is by fulfilling your customers’ expectations and ensuring that every aspect of your business operates ethically. From choosing your suppliers carefully to treating your employees with fairness and respect, many factors go into making a business genuinely ethical. Ensuring that you treat your employees fairly will ensure that they want to carry forward your company values so that your business is not just ethical but exceeds expectations.

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.
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