Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

Is there evidence of the sales clerk forgetting the knowledge that what she was doing could potentially be harmful? She was just choosing to ignore that fact. How does the assertion that "Facts or figures we acquire without applying them to solve a problem or create a product based on what we learned, tend to erode rapidly." have anything to do with your anecdote? Sounds to me like the lady was just trying to earn her paycheck.

John, thanks for stopping by and you make a good point about the clerk simply wanting to make her paycheck. The question we are engaging here really is about what beliefs are key when we decide to act on an issue. If you know what you are going to do will clearly disadvantage another person (or in this case hurt a person’s credit rating), what choices do you have? What decision will you make? That really is the key... and thanks for opening a good discussion. It is also true that at this blog some will choose one way and some another -- and for good reasons. I'd like to hear even more about how you are supporting your view. Any examples? Thanks again for the good insights.

Hi Ellen!

You can read my take on this here:
http://www.customersarealways.com/2006/07/is_pushing_products_good_custo.html

Thanks Maria, your story moved me deeply and in fact while it does not suprise me that you took this response, it inspires us all! What a great story -- and thanks also for your wisdom and friendship! Made my day special!

And, I wince everytime I see somebody paying for a burger at the Sonic with a credit card. They are likely going to be paying for that extra cheese for 20 years.

There is a difference between offering choice to the customer and enabling/encouraging destructive behavior. And, I believe the credit industry (including home mortgages) has moved far into "enabling" and even, in some cases, to downright unethical predatory practices.

As for how individual employees act - sometimes it comes down to doing the right thing versus doing things right. I once had a job demonstrating instant cameras (way back in college). My job was to aggressively push the cameras on customers in places like K-Mart. I didn't sell many, because I just could not bring myself to sell to people who didn't need it (and looked like they really, really couldn't afford it.)