more firm give-aways to get/keep clients

What do you think of this incentive?  This is how a local firm tries to get/keep business.    Some of the pictures may not come through so I don't know if this will post fully. 

Actual ad edited out as who the firm is doesn't really matter.  The guts of the ad is a $25 gas card for every dep booked in a certain time period with a link to 8 disclaimers and conditions; one of them being that it's not the individual reporters but rather the corporation providing the "gift."  NCRA gifting is $100, this particular state's is $50.  Not an indictment of the firm doing it. Just one of many "incentives" given out.

The crux is:  Where does it stop?  Is business so slow that you have to spend thousands of dollars to get deps booked?  Is it just to intice new business?  Who's getting the incentive:  the paralegal who called or her attorney/boss or the atty's client who is paying for the dep in the end?

 In one day I've had seven other reporters forward the ad to me with grumblings that can't be repeated and two clients who, hopefully, jokingly said, "Well, when you're on vacation next week maybe we'll call them and get our free gas!"

I don't know, folks, but it seems this razor's edge is pretty darn sharp.

 You left off an important bullet point, which is the 8th one:

8. Prior to running any promotion, Brown & Gallo, LLC reviews the applicable rules of professional conduct and laws to ensure that our gifts, incentives and rewards are appropriate. The key issue in Georgia is that under the mandatory Code of Professional Ethics of the Georgia Board of Court Reporting, a certified court reporter may not give, "directly or indirectly, any gift, incentive, reward or anything of value to attorneys, clients, or their representatives or agents, except for nominal items that do not exceed $50.00 in the aggregate per recipient each year." See Ga. Bd. of Court Reporting, Code of Prof. Ethics and Guidelines for Prof. Practice (1994), Part I (H). Brown & Gallo, LLC offers this promotion on behalf of the corporation and not on behalf of its individual court reporters, directly or indirectly. The court reporters assigned to take depositions or other reported proceedings have not authorized or participated in giving these gifts, directly or indirectly, and have not received any benefit or compensation associated with this promotion.

Yes, that is an important one, Candis .

D. 

unintentional leave off-sorry about that.  cutting and pasting must not have gone far enough.  the point isn't really about breaking rules, GA or NCRA.

gas, cookies, washer/dryers, sports tickets, restaurant vouchers, hooters girls, etc.

 what happened to just providing a good product in a timely fashion at a rate you and your client are happy with???????

 what happened to just providing a good product in a timely fashion at a rate you and your client are happy with???????

That describes my firm!  Anyone else?

 Not that I agree with this philosophy, but some would say "it's just business."

Maybe it's just my kneejerk reaction, but that seems to be an attempt to comply with the letter of the "law" but not the spirit.  It's a concept that slices ethics mighty thin, IMHO.

But for court reporters, it just can't be "business as usual."  that's the whole crux of the anti-contracting argument.  we are not Wal-mart.  We are impartial keepers of the record.  We don't have any responsibilitiy to anyone except to provide the impartial record that is an accurate transcript and in a timely manner.  We don't have to have  fiduciary responsibility to our corporate shareholders.  That's the BIG difference from business as usual!

 I agree with you, Judy.  I was simply stating what some people's argument is for having these promotions.