While in Australia, it is unfortunate for me to come across two unethical companies. Unethical not in a sense of what they do for business but rather techniques that they use to “get” business.
One company runs a gym and another is a telecommunication company. I’m not going to name these companies however.
The gym uses sales tactics of handing out free passes to people and tell them to come to try out the gym, obligation-free. Upon entering the gym, you are asked to fill in two kinds of forms and asked to sit down and wait for a membership consultant. After waiting for about 5 minutes, the membership consultant starts asking you all sorts of questions like what do you plan to achieve, where do you live, bla bla bla bla. Then they start telling you about how great their facilities are and bring you for a tour of the gym. Then you sit down again and now the consultant tries to persuade you to join them TODAY. They give you all sorts of offers and tell you things like it all ends by 5 o’clock today or tomorrow is the last day. The offer will never repeat again! Then you say the usual, “hmm, I’ll have to think about it first.” The next thing you know, the dude makes the offer even more attractive and tells you again that this offer ends soon! You tell him again “I NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT FIRST.” Then again, an even attractiv-er (if that’s even a word) offer is being made. You know the drill. By the time you realise it, it’s already close to 30 minutes you’re sitting down with this bugger. After that, they tell you that they need to hold on to your ID while you work out in the gym (for the free pass). All for “insurance purposes”. Wonder what that means. After a session of working out, you go to reception to get your ID back. They say, “Sure, have a seat and somebody will come to you.” Guess what? Another membership consultant comes pestering you. Once again, the usual drill of “I’ll have to think about it.” Then he says, “Oh, sure, come back by tomorrow or the offer will be gone. Oh, by the way, the other membership consultant who you talked to earlier will give you a call tomorrow to see how things are going.” Let me ask you one question? Who doesn’t get angry being ****ed around like this? Free passes? RIGHTTTTTT. By my experience, the gym uses the same tactic every time. Back in Malaysia it’s the same, here in Australia it’s the same. How do I know this? I’ve experienced it myself and a few others told me the same story.
On to the story of the telco company. I used to be a customer of the company but migrated to another one. A much better one. After a while, the telco company starts calling you through their telemarketers asking weird questions and try to persuade you to come back to them. The most annoying thing is that they really love to call you during odd hours. While you are asleep, while you are having dinner, while you are cooking, while you’re relaxing after a hard day of work and etc. They keep calling you over and over and over and over and over and over again. Same questions being asked, and same answer from me, which is a huge “NO”. Will they ever stop? Thank goodness the Australian government had the initiative of inventing the DNC (Do Not Call) Register. Once you register your number, it is against the law for them to call you anymore.
I just wonder sometimes, what do these people actually have in their heads? What are they thinking? Harassing and pestering people is fine as long as you get your money? Geez…
Moral of the story:
It’s great to have a business and it’s great to make money. But, do keep your ethics in check and please please please… Do the right thing!