Why white lies don't work

I received an email last week which started with the line "I tried calling but got no answer"

Now that doesn't sound so bad but we have an answering service so the phone is always answered. This was evidently a standard email which had been sent to any number of people

Its not that I mind getting a blanket email, but I do mind being lied to

From that first sentence I could not trust what was being said. Given that the email was from a search engine optimisation company that small lie effectively meant I had no inclination to work with them.

As a soft toy and knitted toy wholesaler we have always struggled with the whole issue of SEO and have wasted £000s on companies promising the world. If this company was prepared to start a relationship with a lie how on earth could we trust them with our money?

So I did learn something from them. However easy it may be, and however small the lie may seem to us truth is the best option