Do you think my Friend is wrong for what she did?

Question

She owns a Business where they service Vehicles. They do Audio Equipment, Window Tinting, and Interior Work. She decided to have a no Check or Credit policy because she got stiffed too many times. Now she lost a large number of black clients because of this. The only reason she changed the policy was because the majority, according to her reports every month, about 90% of those who stiffed her were black. Now that she changed her policy to no Check or Credit, she lost a great number of black costumers. Now the black community around here are talking bad about her, calling her a racist and what not. Did she do something wrong really?

P.S. The policy applies to all her clients.

Answer 1

What your friend did was commmon sense and a god way to prevent herself from being victimized. The only reason the black people are "talking bad" about her is because THEY cant victimize her anymore and that pisses them off..... I wouldnt take a check either.... As long as the policy isnt "no blacks", then they cant *****. Its pretty simple - have the money in a checking account? then go get it and Ill wait til you come back with cash...

Maybe she can take credit, but only with photo ID. No check policy. Then, they cant *****. Heck, if she took the time to explain that she stopped taking checks because she was being given rubber checks, then maybe THEY would understand. But I doubt it. Thats the "black attitude" you can expect.... HOW DARE YOU TAKE AWAY OUR ABILITY TO ROB YOU!

Its funny to me that people think it is odd that she bothered checking ethnicity of the bouncers, and that it is suspect. Why is she a racist because of the fact that 90% of the people were black? Thats a fact - not a racial slur, but a fact. Yet, its her fault....makes no sense.

Answer 2

I don't think your friend was wrong it what she did. The problem is word of mouth does travel fast, truth or not, and may hurt her buisness(if it hasen't already). It is really hard to have any constructive help, because dealing with this kind of service, you can't really take back the work if they can't pay. Make sure your friend has a sign (that is very visable) explaning why she has changed her policy. Perhaps your friend should get payment before the work is done? If someone pays by check, have her explain as soon as the check clears, that they can start the work. People will understand, if they don't, they they prebably couldn't afford the job anyway.

I'm not sure about US law(if this is in he US), but when people paid by bad check, or stiffed her with credit. can they not be charged with theft?

As for people calling your friend a racist, I don't know your friend so I can't really say. But I do ask when the reports are being done, what does it matter what colour they are? I don't think changing the policy makes your frien a racist, just makes her want to keep your buisness profitable. And her paying customers know this.

Just my 2 cents, hope it helps in some way :)

Answer 3

She's simply being a smart business owner... I would have avoided checking how many of the folks who "stiffed" her were black. What was the point in that? It was obvious that she was losing on the folks who didn't pay or whose checks bounced- that was clear... so why look into the ethnicity of them? That would be where her mistake was; it could be that she's losing customers not so much because of the new policy but because of another attitude or feeling that's being portrayed.

Answer 4

She didn't make up the data. Is it her fault that the customers who were guilty of stiffing her the most were black? Statistics are statistics. She has every right to institute a "Cash only" policy regardless of the facts of who stiffed her. She isn't a racist, she's a business owner.

Answer 5

My girlfriend is African American. She owns a small retail business that is also no checks, cash or credit cards only. She also suffered from bad check writers.

A policy that is put in place that applies to all customers is not racist. As a business owner, you have the perogative to determine and enforce policies as you see fit. As long as you apply those policies straight across the board, they are not discriminatory.

Answer 6

I would have to agree with everyone else that has answered, she did nothing wrong. You said that 90% of the people that didn't pay her was black but that means that 10% wasn't. Which means that she didn't do it just b/c they were black. If she wants to be able to pay her bills she needs to make sure she can get paid. Everyone has bills, including people with businesses. Too bad more people don't realize this. Its a shame for her to have to change her policy b/c there are some people who try to get everything for free.

Answer 7

Your friend may be a racist but this is not the proof. She made a good business decision and regardless of the rest, she has good reason to make the change that she did. Business is business is business.
We would all do well to remember that. Maybe so many small businesses wouldn't fail if we made the hard decisions like a big business would.

Answer 8

"The only reason she changed the policy was because the majority, according to her reports every month, about 90% of those who stiffed her were black."....I thought the reason she changed the policy was because she got stiffed too many times....sounds fishy to me.....

Answer 9

No. She made a choice based on business and common sense. If someone is constantly passing bogus checks, you stop taking checks. The old adage about the majority suffering for the bad behavior of the few is applicable here. She made a sensible choice.

Answer 10

I don't think she is a racist or wrong. The survival of her business depends on being paid.
If I have the money to write a check then I have the money to go get the cash from the bank.
Maybe she should hook up with one or more of those finance companies?