It isn't located in any particular generation, either. It seems that courtesy is yet another casualty of our time-poor, harried lifestyles.
Perhaps lack of consideration for others is the inevitable consequence of lack of consideration for ourselves?
Even in business or the so-called service industry, a lack of basic consideration and/or respect undercuts the most unctuous servility of manner. Here are some examples of what NOT to do.
Keeping people waiting without explanation or apology.
At a posh chocolate cafe recently, one customer service person fiddled endlessly, and pointlessly, with boxes and packaging, avoiding eye contact with waiting customers.
Not signaling the end of a customer transaction, or the necessary next step.
At a checkout the customer stands, uncertain, with their receipt in their hand while the service-person busies her/himself. Eventually, the service-person barks (in this scenario they always bark), "Was there something else?" Or the customer asks, "Is that all?" and is met with, "Yes, that's it." Or worse: "what are you waiting for?"
The variant on this is expecting the client to know your internal processing. Banks and telcos are notorious for this. I recently opened a new business account to better fulfill my needs. The bank staffer asked if I needed to have eftpos facilities with that. I said I already have them. I thought I made it clear that the new account will supersede the old account after a necessary transition period. Turns out there is a whole separate process to be undertaken, to get my eftpos linked to the new account, which was explained to me in aggrieved 'how can customers be so stupid' tones.
I'm coming to the conclusion, in an old-trout fashion, that front-line staff don't need more customer service training - which tends to encourage proceduralism anyway. No, they just need to learn some basic manners!
What manners are those? Other people are really real and their time is valuable and they are not mind-readers and it's your job to make their life easier, not the other way round. And say please and thank you and make eye contact, and would a smile that makes it to your eyes be totally out of the question?
This is post 65 of 100 posts in 100 days.
Sent from my iPhone
1 comment:
I totally agree with you. Manners are disappearing - especially in "brand name" shops (which are increasingly replacing "mom and pop" brands) and "brand name cities" (big urban centers).
I think the issue with customers not respecting company representatives as much, and company representatives not respecting customers as much is rooted in the fact that increasingly, the customer representative involved is nowhere near the "owner" or "c-level" in the company totem pole. I'm not endorsing it, but I don't think I'm imagining that people generally tend to treat "ted from ted's tires" with more respect than "john, the mechanic at Jiffy Lube". You can also expect far better service from the owner of a family restaurant than an increasingly underpaid p/t-er for any of the restaurant chains.
Sadly, I think it's a social change caused by the disregard from the world's capitalists for cultural capital (as well as environmental capital - both of which aren't part of the balance sheet, although human capital and resource capital often are).
Anyway, great post. :) Really enjoyed getting all pent up about this - haha! I totally hear where you're coming from!
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