There's an old story about a farmer who sold butter to a local baker in a nearby village.  One day the baker complained that the farmer was selling his one-pound blocks of butter an ounce short.  He measured each block of the next shipment, and sure enough, all of them were short by an ounce.  He sued the farmer and took him to court.

The judge asked the farmer if he had accurate weights to measure his butter.  The farmer replied that he didn't.

"Then how do you know the weight of each block of butter?" the judge asked.

"Easy," replied the farmer, "I use a one-pound loaf of bread that I purchased from the baker as the standard for my scales."

Points to build on

It is easy for people to claim "business is business" as if there is a different set of ethics for business than for the rest of life.  Solomon wrote a number of proverbs concerning basic business principles:

Honesty will produce good long-term results while dishonesty leads to eventual ruin.

Proverbs 11:1:  "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight."

Proverbs 16:11:  "A just weight and balance are the LORD's; all the weights in the bag are His work."

Proverbs 21:6:  "Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death."

Business deals built on deceit and an attempt to hide information in order to gain an upper hand tend to backfire on the deceiver.

Proverbs 11:18:  "The wicked man does deceptive work, But to him who sows righteousness will be a sure reward."

Proverbs 20:17:  "Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his month will be filled with gravel."

A rich person tends to be deceived by his wealth into an exaggerated sense of wisdom and importance.

Proverbs 28:11:  "A rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding searches him out."

The best way to build wealth is through hard work not "get rich quick" schemes.

Proverbs 13:11:  "Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase."

Business people must use caution in dealing with dishonest customers.

Proverbs 20:14:  "'It is good for nothing,' cries the buyer, But when he has gone his way, then he boasts."

Application

Whether business owner or customer, treat the other person as you want him or her to treat you.