Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Don't Be an Asshole

Here's an example of asshole behavior following a disaster.  

Note that one company practiced price gouging and another showed civic responsibility.  The latter displays far greater business acumen.  If you act like an asshole, you can rob people while they are helpless.  But they will hate you for it, and they will not forget.  They will turn on you if they ever get a chance.  Conversely, if you help people, they will think of you favorably for a long time to come.  That inclines them to keep doing business with you and encourage their friends to do likewise.  It makes your society a happier, more productive place.

Don't be an asshole: it's not just immoral, it's actively counterproductive for you as well as your victims.
Tags: community, economics, news, safety
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  • 5 comments
siliconshaman

siliconshaman

July 10 2013, 22:12:21 UTC 7 years ago

Pretty sure if that got more coverage, people would be saying "Well, see if I use them again!"
ysabetwordsmith

Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

July 10 2013, 22:14:09 UTC 7 years ago

That's why I shared the link, not just as an example, but to help Toronto folks make more informed decisions. When a company behaves that selfishly, you can help by spreading the word.
lb_lee

lb_lee

July 11 2013, 16:03:36 UTC 7 years ago

One of the things that made my last job so soul-crushing was that it was on the fringe of health insurance and medical billing red tape work. It was AWFUL. Though it wasn't price-gouging, such as in the case you mention, I found myself having to make decisions like, "do I try and squeeze $500+ out of this dying woman in the hospital, or cook the books so my boss never finds out?" and, "do I make this man at risk of amputation wait another three months as we gather the paperwork that wasn't even REQUIRED until last month, or do I skip it just pray we don't get audited?"

These were decisions I never wanted to have to make, and no matter what I did, I wasn't proud of my conduct. And we just did ORTHOPEDIC SHOES and the like, I can't even IMAGINE how horrific it would've been if I'd been working for a hospital.

I know that I never want to have a job where I'm forced to make those kinds of heart-numbing decisions again.

The idea that businesses would choose this kind of assholery WITHOUT red tape nooses is horrifying to me, but alas, not surprising.

--Rogan
ysabetwordsmith

Alas!

ysabetwordsmith

July 11 2013, 19:23:21 UTC 7 years ago

That's very sad.

Harming people to get their money is evil. Forcing someone to harm other people is a recognized form of torture.
starcat_jewel

starcat_jewel

July 11 2013, 23:22:18 UTC 7 years ago

Watch the price of generators go up all over town when there's a hurricane, blizzard, or ice storm predicted. Watch the price of gasoline spike at the end of every heavy-traveling holiday, when people have to get back home. This kind of behavior is nothing new.

And you're right, the best way to push back against it is publicity.