Is this ethical?
Is this ethical?
(OP)
I recived an e-mail from within my company asking for inovative ways to get work that included the following:
"For example, offering to attend city council meetings free, lump sum contracts, offering a limited amount of hours free and if the client likes our work he would then hire us, instead of going out for RFP offer the client the equivalent amount of time free and so on."
The ASCE code of ethics has a connon that states "Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others."
Is giving the client free work building our reputation on the merits of our services?
"For example, offering to attend city council meetings free, lump sum contracts, offering a limited amount of hours free and if the client likes our work he would then hire us, instead of going out for RFP offer the client the equivalent amount of time free and so on."
The ASCE code of ethics has a connon that states "Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others."
Is giving the client free work building our reputation on the merits of our services?





RE: Is this ethical?
It's a way to demonstrate the merits of your work. Many clients are reluctant to try new sources without getting some sort of warm and fuzzy that the new source is capable of and qualified to do the work. Your free work is a way to demonstrate the quality and competency of your work.
Bear in mind that, ultimately, nothing is really free. The "free" hours are simply amortized over your paid hours, e.g., it's an overhead burden on your hourly rates. This may affect your overall ability to compete against others.
TTFN
RE: Is this ethical?
Everyone gets free samples, but selling things under you cost is sometimes illegal.
RE: Is this ethical?
The problem, though, is that:
1. You are doing this at risk
2. Some unethical clients may keep baiting you to perform more free services without any intention of giving you true work later, and
3. In many cases you diminish your reputation by "grovelling" for work by offering your highly valuable services at no charge.
RE: Is this ethical?
Your potential clients may go to a "good" firm when they need serious work. They may think those guys that work for free are not that good.
There are lots of ways to build your image in the community besides doing free work.
RE: Is this ethical?
aspearin1
RE: Is this ethical?
I refuse to devalue my service by giving it away to prospective clients. I prefer to show them my past projects and the standard of my work and to take them to clients (mainly related to the good projects, but sometimes I include jobs that have gone wrong). This demonstrates that I am not perfect or rigging the references and that I am responsible for my errors. I actually got one of my better clients this way, he saw both sides and decided to go with honesty rather than perfection.
regards
sc
RE: Is this ethical?
TTFN
RE: Is this ethical?