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Rough Trade
- Denotes a style of business in which by all appearances the proprietor seems upright and responsible but in fact they are culturally disembedded.* He or she seems to share the same values as the client but does not. This in itself does not constitute rough trade. It is in the way a business person execut es the sale. Here they take liberties by making choices, often expensive ones for the client. They sometimes find it easier to ask forgiveness rather than permission as they proceed with a sale. Their cultural contempt shows slightly around the edges as the client gets lightly jerked around. Their work may lack precision and many details other similar businesses traditionally offer, they do not except for a steep price. Their cultural values are hidden thus there is an annoying collision between the two values systems. Many times this goes unnoticed by the naive shopper. The deal is more or less ok but client is left slightly dissatisfied with the job, the product or the service in general.
- Tough Guys: There is no hiding a cultural disaffection here. But tough guys are only being straight forward and honest. Many times they deliver on the product or service. Rough Trade only relates to their appearance or cultural standing.
- Denotes a very poor person just trying to get by in which they willingly or unwillingly treat their clients roughly out of desperation.
The rough trade category not only includes small businesses but large businesses as well. Think of a business that essentially has bad manners, leaving you on the phone, disconnecting your call, swiftly changing the prices, denying anything is wrong when it is obvious it is, and more important a concealed attitude of detachment from ethical concern. If one is interested in ethical conduct these are expressions of a culture that do not share your values. They are clues to shop elsewhere.The ethical point here is that businesses tell you in many ways who they are and what their moral values are. If a buyer choses to ignore the telltale signs of a business that is likely to be a problem, and they are, the client shares some of the blame. See the distinction between hunting and farming businesses
*Disembedded is a scholarly term used in ethics relating to criminals who do not share cultural values outside their immediate group. If you are not in the group you are fair game to exploit. An embedded person upholds the morals and values which most people around them have learned growing up in a certain environment.When a business person does not acknowledge accepted values they are free to charge people exaggerated amounts to the point of gouging. They feel no qualms about such behavior and most clients reluctantly pay.
See mathematical game theory and the opportunistic strategies of "defecting" from values and ways to counter such moves.
- Scripting
- Not Listening
- Cocealed Disembeddedness
- Sometimes Nickel & Dime Tactics
- Sometines Passive Aggressive Habits
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