Miss Manners: Is his sloppy appearance an ethical shortcoming?
Dear Miss Manners, Please help. My boyfriend and I got into a big debate last night about business ethics. We disagreed on the fact that appropriate appearance, amongst other factors of course, is a part of conveying business in an ethical way. My boyfriend felt “Appearance has absolutely nothing to do with ethics.” I felt – it sure did. I felt that showing up on a service call (as an electrician) in a yesterday’s “wife-beater,” unshaven was not the most ethical way of conducting business. I believe in looking sharp – because it conveys a certain level of competence and gives the client confidence in the serviceman and the services that they are about to receive. My boyfriend felt that as long as you are doing a great job and not cutting corners – it doesn’t matter, whatsoever, how you look – as long as you get the job done right. “It’s part of staying true to myself – it’s who I am” – he felt. His arms and back are covered with major tattoos, and although beautiful, they can be intimi
