Honesty Matters

This weekend my wife, Melody, and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary with a trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. We stopped at one of our favorite local restaurants on Friday morning to enjoy some breakfast before hitting the road. There was nothing unusual about this ritual except what happened when we paid our bill. But I’m getting ahead of my story.

I’ve titled this blog entry “Honesty Matters”. Since it’s not phrased as a question you can assume I believe this short statement to be true. There was a time in America’s history where integrity mattered, where reputations were valued, and where character was more important than money and status. Today’s leaders and businesses often forget the important role that honesty plays in shaping client relationships, in attracting and retaining dedicated employees, and in building goodwill that creates a lasting brand.

Small businesses have the most to lose by not practicing honesty. They are generally more leveraged financially with less capital to invest in marketing and public relations campaigns. Owners represent the “face” of these enterprises so their own personal reputations are on the line when things go wrong. There is also the power of “word of mouth” to quickly affect the community’s opinion in a negative way if fraud or deceptive business practices are uncovered. In fact, entire industries, like remodeling, can suffer a damaged reputation at the hands of one unscrupulous contractor.

That’s why my experience at the cash register is so relevant. The warm and friendly person greeting us as we approached to pay our bill was Mary, a friend from our church. We often meet her under these circumstances so conversations quickly turn to the day’s events or inquiries about family and friends. Today’s banter was different. As I reached for my credit card, Mary produced a separate receipt and $1.37 that she placed on the counter. She quickly explained to my astonished wife that when she had rung up her lunch ticket earlier in the week, the cash register had failed to override a mistaken entry on her part and the money now in front of us represented what we were owed in change.

After the initial shock, we both responded in amazement that an error had been found and asked why she had held the money so it could be returned to us. After all, it was a small sum with little implications for our family budget. But Mary knew why honesty was important even under circumstances that had only small financial consequences. Her simple acknowledgement of a mistake, her sincere apology on behalf of the business, and the restitution of our $1.37 left a lasting impression.

Leaders everywhere would benefit from teaching employees about honesty and empowering them to make things right with customers. They would do well to model truth telling in the workplace and marketplace. Our experience with Mary is a wonderful reminder that integrity matters, regardless of the size of the mistake.