Christian Services: Service or Using Others?
176
Business > Customer Service
Mar 1, 2007
Michael A. Verdicchio
Christian Services: Service or Using Others?
I know a good Christian lady who cuts hair for a living. That?s her occupation. That?s how she makes a living. She is very good at it. Why is it that when Christians come to her shop they expect a ?discount? just because they go to the same Church that she attends? There are some who refer to this practice as a ?believer discount?.
Now I am not opposed to finding discounts and deals, but not at someone else?s expense. If someone decides that they want to give me a haircut at no charge, or half price, out of love, then that?s fine. But to just expect that Christian businesses are supposed to give discounts to all the ?brothers and sisters? is not love. It?s actually an indication of a poverty mind set. I?ll explain that later.
For me to think that my Christian brothers and sisters are obligated to give me a cheaper price is selfish and it takes money away from them. Suppose you couldn?t find a Christian for the service or product you needed? What would you do? You would end up paying someone the price they charged.
I know some Christians who are very good at doing car repairs and some of them even do it as a business. And hardly a week or two goes by that another Christian asks them for help in fixing their car, expecting to pay little or nothing for services rendered. That is very selfish and, again, an indication of a poverty mentality.
Here?s a startling thought: pay your Christian brother or sister more than they normally charge! Now that?s a concept that has love written all over it. Why would you do that? First of all it is indeed a blessing to have a Christian provide a service or a product. If they operate their business with integrity and love, that love will have an impact on my life. Secondly, by believing God?s promises of abundance you can go over and beyond and give more to the person who is providing you the service or product. That increases their prosperity. But, if you have a poverty mentality, you are always looking for someone to charge you less for everything and expecting any Christian to give you a discount. Why not believe God?s promises of prosperity, receive His abundance, and then share that abundance with others?
Now I would rather pay a Christian for a product or service, but there is another side to this coin. Just because I am a Christian does that mean I have to find another Christian to provide my products and services? Suppose I know a Christian who could get the job done, but not with the quality I require? Am I obligated to hire a Christian anyway and then have inferior work done? Some say that would be the ?Christian thing to do.? I say, ?No.?
If I hire you to fix my car I am expecting you to know what you are doing and to do it right the first time. If that doesn?t happen then I have wasted the money God gave me to steward, not to mention the time that I have lost. Perhaps the ?Christian thing to do? would be to be honest and tell someone that their work is not the quality that it could be. Instead of feeling obligated to hire them, why not give them some money so that they can get the training they need so they can do quality work? Feeling sorry for someone and then having them do a job that they or someone else will need to re-do it is not helping my brother or sister.
As a final thought, why shouldn?t Christian businesses be the best businesses on the face of the earth? That takes a lot more than just having a Christian sounding name. It means quality work. It means integrity and honesty. It means operating biblical principles of giving more value. Having a Christian business reflects back on our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, whether we own a business or are simply employed by someone, the ?Christian thing to do? is to work heartily, ethically, and honestly with the love of God. Our light should so shine that everybody, Christians and non-Christians alike want our products and services. Michael A. Verdicchio is the author and producer of ?Inspirational Pep Talks?, available at www.inspirationalpeptalks.com. He has produced other motivation and inspirational items, including the audio CD, ?Healing Words?, available at www.christianinspirationalgifts.com. He is also the author of the book, ?Healing from God is Available?. Michael is a husband, father, minister, and broadcaster. He has been the voice on numerous productions over the years. He is the voice for the current series, ?Stories for Joshua.?
Now I am not opposed to finding discounts and deals, but not at someone else?s expense. If someone decides that they want to give me a haircut at no charge, or half price, out of love, then that?s fine. But to just expect that Christian businesses are supposed to give discounts to all the ?brothers and sisters? is not love. It?s actually an indication of a poverty mind set. I?ll explain that later.
For me to think that my Christian brothers and sisters are obligated to give me a cheaper price is selfish and it takes money away from them. Suppose you couldn?t find a Christian for the service or product you needed? What would you do? You would end up paying someone the price they charged.
I know some Christians who are very good at doing car repairs and some of them even do it as a business. And hardly a week or two goes by that another Christian asks them for help in fixing their car, expecting to pay little or nothing for services rendered. That is very selfish and, again, an indication of a poverty mentality.
Here?s a startling thought: pay your Christian brother or sister more than they normally charge! Now that?s a concept that has love written all over it. Why would you do that? First of all it is indeed a blessing to have a Christian provide a service or a product. If they operate their business with integrity and love, that love will have an impact on my life. Secondly, by believing God?s promises of abundance you can go over and beyond and give more to the person who is providing you the service or product. That increases their prosperity. But, if you have a poverty mentality, you are always looking for someone to charge you less for everything and expecting any Christian to give you a discount. Why not believe God?s promises of prosperity, receive His abundance, and then share that abundance with others?
Now I would rather pay a Christian for a product or service, but there is another side to this coin. Just because I am a Christian does that mean I have to find another Christian to provide my products and services? Suppose I know a Christian who could get the job done, but not with the quality I require? Am I obligated to hire a Christian anyway and then have inferior work done? Some say that would be the ?Christian thing to do.? I say, ?No.?
If I hire you to fix my car I am expecting you to know what you are doing and to do it right the first time. If that doesn?t happen then I have wasted the money God gave me to steward, not to mention the time that I have lost. Perhaps the ?Christian thing to do? would be to be honest and tell someone that their work is not the quality that it could be. Instead of feeling obligated to hire them, why not give them some money so that they can get the training they need so they can do quality work? Feeling sorry for someone and then having them do a job that they or someone else will need to re-do it is not helping my brother or sister.
As a final thought, why shouldn?t Christian businesses be the best businesses on the face of the earth? That takes a lot more than just having a Christian sounding name. It means quality work. It means integrity and honesty. It means operating biblical principles of giving more value. Having a Christian business reflects back on our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, whether we own a business or are simply employed by someone, the ?Christian thing to do? is to work heartily, ethically, and honestly with the love of God. Our light should so shine that everybody, Christians and non-Christians alike want our products and services. Michael A. Verdicchio is the author and producer of ?Inspirational Pep Talks?, available at www.inspirationalpeptalks.com. He has produced other motivation and inspirational items, including the audio CD, ?Healing Words?, available at www.christianinspirationalgifts.com. He is also the author of the book, ?Healing from God is Available?. Michael is a husband, father, minister, and broadcaster. He has been the voice on numerous productions over the years. He is the voice for the current series, ?Stories for Joshua.?
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
This article may upset me people. Money can be a touchy subject. And when you combine the subject of money with religious feelings, there can be conflict. I saw a commercial on television that really bothered me and I wondered why it was
Category:
2. Fear Not
Modern psychology day seems suggest that living with fears is normal. Some popular phrases are, ?Accepting your fears?, ?Managing your fears?, ?Embracing your fears?, or, ?Coping with your fears.? But is that really the way the Crear intended us
Category:
I know a good Christian lady who cuts hair for a living. That?s her occupation. That?s how e makes a living. She is very good at it. Why is it that when Christians come to her op they expect a ?discount? just because they go to the same Church that
Category:
Other links at Business > Customer Service
of the Game If you as a small business owner have a web site and need to deal on a regular basis with a web hosting provider, web development company or a web site design vendor, you may have experienced less than stellar customer service.
Category:
Any time that you enter a restaurant and are greeter by the hostess, when you are bombarded in a department store by an employee who ask if they can help you or the cashier at the grocery store, you are experiencing a tiny bit of customer service.
Category:
Whether your business is small or large, an internet marketer cannot do without a support ticket system for long, especially when the customer inquires start pouring in...
Category:
A thoughtful gesture can delight a customer and result in enormous good will toward your product or service. I witnessed something spectacular that improved my philosophy about caring about customers. With one simple act, a colleague of mine created buzz
Category:
A robust and aggressive business environment thrives on customer relationship.
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68228
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
