Regarding the question in the June 26 issue on the bad apples, that is certainly an easy one to answer. I would put bad apples at 80 percent and good ones at 20 percent.
The important point is I would define "bad apples" not as the agent walking into a merchant but the organization (bank) behind the agent.
My view comes from everyday contact with both local bank managers and their business clients. In the past 20 years it has definitely gotten worse. But that is good for me because I get to point out what the other person neglected to tell the client, and the deal is closed.
If you need convincing, make like you're opening a store (antique shop or anything) and make sure your English isn't too good, and call in all the big name banks and/or processors. I think you would be very surprised and a little saddened.
Bradley Quick, Payment Finesse Ltd.
Thank you, Bradley, for weighing in on this topic. The discussion in Readers Speak began with a question about how to avoid bad apples in the industry in our May 22, 2017, issue and continued in Readers Speak in our June 26 and July 24 issues.
Those who have weighed in so far have been in agreement with you about bad actors in our industry outweighing the good. We aren't prepared right now to impersonate merchants opening stores to see what kind of overtures ISOs and merchant level salespeople might make. However, we do need to keep a discussion going on what can be done about improving overall ethical practices in our industry. If there is indeed a preponderance of bad actors in our sphere, changing the situation will only benefit everyone involved.
Are you taking action to combat bad actors in the industry? What about your partners? Are they taking steps to ensure ethical practices in their companies? What should the industry as a whole do to foster best practices? Let us hear from you at greensheet@greensheet.com. 
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