6-2 Discussion: Balancing Business and Customer Expectations

Customers are at the center of every company, and therefore it is important for businesses to be influenced by customer requests and pushes for different products, product features, or services. But customers frequently do not consider people, planet, and profit when making requests. In this discussion, you will consider how businesses can influence their customers to consider ethical approaches to people, planet, and profit.

In your initial discussion post, address the following questions:

• What are the positive and negative impacts of the “Amazon effect” for customers?
• As ethical concerns regarding business practices such as poor employee treatment, negative environmental impacts of production, and decreasing use of local storefronts are recognized, how much, if any, of the responsibility of these unethical practices fall to the customers, and how much, if any, falls to businesses?

In your replies to at least two peers, continue the discussion surrounding the influence and impact of customer demands. You may use the following questions to guide your response:

• How can organizations influence consumer behaviors and increase awareness of the value of the triple bottom line?
• How can an organization leverage its mission, vision, and values in its communications with customers?
• Should organizations ignore customers with unethical demands? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of doing so?