Yesterday, my brother arranged for a group of us go to the Detroit Pistons basketball game. There was a lengthy presentation prior to the game during which many of the famous players from previous versions of the team were honored for their achievements... including the "Bad Boys" of the Isiah Thomas era. It was a nice, feel-good session with highlights of past achievements and good-natured banter about which group was the best.
Then the game began. I have to say that I've seen a lot better performances from college teams. The Pistons had nothing to play for since they had already locked up their 2nd place position for the playoffs. The players who started the game ambled back and forth across the floor and took shots with the enthusiasm of a gas station clerk. The fans could barely muster a sarcastic cheer whenever a Piston player actually scored some points.
It wasn't until the last few minutes... after most of the spectators had left... that the 2nd/3rd string players mounted a rally that nearly tied the game. For some reason, they decided to give real effort... and it showed... and the remaining fans responded with some real appreciation.
The point of all of this is that even when looking back on past greatness, you should never forget that what you are doing now is important.
Sure, the fans understood that this was a meaningless game before the playoffs, but they still expected the team to perform to their ability... not take the night off. After all, the customers still had to pay to get in... and they were not necessarily paying to watch a pre-game ceremony.There is an implied ethical contract that the seller of services or products makes with the customer. It is that the seller will provide a product or service that meets a reasonable level of quality based on both past performance and competition.
Losing the game was not the breach; losing because there was no effort to perform was...