  As the marketplace for products has grown more complex and the products more sophisticated, buyers have become increasingly dependent upon salespersons to know their products and to tell the truth about them. An enduring question in business ethics is whether a salesperson’s role should be viewed as that of paternalistic protector of the interests of the buyer. Suppose, for example, that a consumer wants a sprinkler system in his yard to water his grove of evergreens. He loves the sound and look of sprinklers. However, these sprinklers are worthless for appropriate watering of the roots of his evergreens: The owner needs drip-hose for his large collection of pine, spruce, cedar, and cypress. Should a salesperson insist on selling only drip-hose, refusing to sell sprinkler heads; or should the salesperson acquiesce to the customer’s preference for sprinklers?