Integrity: Not Just for Individuals

Dictionary.com defines integrity as "adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty." Interestingly enough, those are some of the same characteristics commanded in the Bible, but also highly valued by most of us.

Often we think of integrity as an individual trait, but businesses can also be designated as having such -  it just depends on who's running it and who's representing it. As a former customer service manager, I believe that we should praise such individuals and companies that demonstrate integrity through customer service. A business truly shows its integrity, not just by the product it offers, but how it handles the inevitable problems that arise. Thus, my praise for a USA-based company, and please read the entire scenario.

I use a mobility scooter, and during the past 15 years or so, I've had three. The first two served me very well. My most recent one, however, turned out to be a lemon after only a year and a half, and I was most fortunate that the manufacturer was one of integrity.  

Less than six months of owning my scooter, a repair had to be made when the scooter would travel about 10 feet, beep several times, and then shut down. The handle that controls the seat position also had a portion break off. Fortunately, one of my old scooters was available to use while I awaited someone to fix the new one.

A few months later, the seat began to rip at the seams, followed by a rip in the rubber on the handle, chunks of the rubber tires fell out, and the inner tire hubcaps broke off when scraping against the vertical part of a door frame.  That was soon followed by more ripping on the seat where no stress occurs. 

There was no way that this scooter would last five years before I would be eligible for a new one. So, I handled this in the manner it should be handled - I nicely wrote to the President of Golden Technologies, a family-owned company that manufactured the scooter. 

My first letter was via postal mail, but when no response was received, I emailed the company. They had glowing reviews from others so I knew that something must be amiss. I also realized, that despite best efforts, manufacturing can still produce an infrequent sub-par product. Since this product was made in the USA by an American company, I was hopeful that was the case with my scooter.

Shortly after sending that second correspondence, I received a nice email from the executive assistant, Mary Walsh. I emailed pictures of the problems to her, and after several emails, it was arranged to have contact from one of their division heads. 

The end result was communication with the person who handles the mobility tech service, Mark Mrugal. He provided excellent customer service and kept me informed of how resolution was occurring through phone calls and email. Thanks to him, I received a completely new steering shaft with handles, three new tires, a new seat, and a new shroud kit (the color pieces on a scooter). 

So what can be learned from this? Integrity (both individual and cumulative) makes this world a better place because it's basically a true gauge of how we value one another. As a side effect, it's also a good business trait as it produces customer loyalty. Thank you, Golden Technologies, for demonstrating your integrity and making my world a little better place!

(Check out Matthew 18:15-16 to learn how the Bible says to resolve issues that arise. It works with businesses as well as other people). :-)