Internet Etiquette - Staying Human
The Internet is essential to doing business at insightout Studio and Kennel. We are located in rural East Texas. Our area substantially restricts our kennel and studio business. The Internet connects us to the rest of the world. This connection is indispensible, but also can be cold and indifferent. It is all too easy to lose humanity in the anonymous nature of the World Wide Web format.
Because we are not face-to-face via the Internet, it appears to excuse some of us from personal ethics. Reasonable codes of conduct are lost as easily as the turn of a key. Just as with Goofy playing the part of the gentle and kind Mr. Walker who morphs into Mr. Wheeler, the crazed lunatic, frothing at the mouth ready to do battle with anyone as he turns on the key and steps on the accelerator, we too, sometimes seem to morph into inconsiderate, insensitive lunatics when we turn on our computers.
At insightout, we pride ourselves on taking the time to reply timely and courteously to all inquiries. It is very disturbing to hear from our customers how other breeders will not even respond to an email or phone call. It is surprising, others doing business through the web cannot see how they are limiting the growth of their business and more importantly, damaging their name by this unprofessional discourtesy.
It works both ways. Not only do some other businesses handle their clients rudely, but also many customers will not respond or reply when they have promised to do so. It is not uncommon for customers to make business agreements then just drop out of sight. I have rearranged an entire weekend’s activities to accommodate a customer’s request to visit insightout only to result in a no call, no show. Have we forgotten common courtesy and business etiquette behind our computer screen? It appears many people feel no responsibility to the common courtesies each of us expects as individuals living on this small planet together. With the Internet, we are all living together, one world, one home.
The Internet is a new tool we are still learning to use. With this changing electro, techno world it is crucial we use the internet as a tool to reach out and connect rather than a shield to hide our lack of humanity. With responsibility and honesty we will learn to use the net to connect us for our mutual benefit.
