I think a seller has an obligation to inform a buyer about his product – not someone else’s product. At the same time, a seller should not scam a buyer or talk them into anything they will regret. If the buyer asks how your prices compare to other sellers, tell them the truth. Then tell them why – what ever those reasons may be. I think that is honest business.
I think the main question here is this: Is is reasonable to believe that an omniscient customer would buy your product?
If the answer is ‘no’, then you may be taking advantage of people. If the answer is ‘yes’, then you are not taking advantage of people so long as you are honest in your dealings.
Good point. I was going to also add that deception and being unforthcoming with the truth are not the same things. If a person practices deception, it is usually his intent to follow it through the transaction. The deal, having been made, and the price paid, the deception becomes a sin because you deceived someone into an unfair arrangement.
However, in being unforthcoming with the truth initially (in hope of reeling the customer in so they perform a closer observation of your product and hopefully want to buy it), but being open to telling the the truth if questioned, is not the same as deception, since in this scenario, the seller does not intend to deceive the potential customer. The customer, by asking questions, is rewarded with tips, suggestions, and advice. In the world of business and trade customers exchange consideration of purchase (window shop, browse) in exchange for the understandable ambiguity that exists about the product until closer inspection. It is only until the customer desires more information that more information can be given about a product. It is at this point that the seller comes into the picture and has the means to be honest or dishonest and how he exercises this and is able to exercise this depends on his interaction with the customer.
When you walk into a store, what does a salesman say, usually? “How can I help you?”.
If the customer just says “I’m just looking”, which is typical from a customer caught off guard, then it is only the salesperson’s responsibility to mention any popular items or sales they have going on, and then to say “if you need anything feel free to ask”.
The salesman has done his job morally and this is not changed by whether or not the customer takes him up on his offer for more information. It is not the job of the salesman to sabotage his own company’s efforts or profits, work against his own role in the company, at any point in the offer for additional information or assistance. Only if the customer asks questions directly related to price would the salesman be required to be forthcoming. If the salesman is a good person, lets say a christian, then he’s morally/religiously obligated, I think, to tell the customer where the real deal is, if the salesman is aware of it.This is an act of charity that God will reward, I think.
Before that has the possibility of happening, however, it is not the salesman’s job to go out of his way and do the research for the shopper or to sabotage his own company’s profits, as you could argue that in referring a customer elsewhere (without first trying to make some business with them, for your company), you are depriving your company of a sale, which, in the greater scheme of things, impoverishes your company, and, in turn, reduces the paychecks of your fellow employees, as the company is less financially stable and less able to provide full benefits, raises, etc. That would not be an act of charity, as you put the needs of one before the needs of many and before you attempted to do your job. Your co-works, managers, and bosses are counting on you to help make the company financially successful. Employees would understand if a fellow salesman’s negotiation ended in a failure, and so could see there’s no harm in giving the customer a free tip, since nothing can be salvaged from this failure, but the salesman owe it to his profession, co-workers, and bosses to try to make the deal go through. I know this is an extreme example, as 1 ‘honest’ salesman most likely wouldn’t be the ruin of a company, but if there were enough people like him it would be a problem, which gives this example validity.
