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An arrogant and arrogant customer at an antique shop was forcing the shop owner to drag out fragile old items and commenting on the poor quality and high prices. After about an hour she looked at her watch and said she had to go.
“You think I’m a nuisance. You’re just pretending to know what I’m talking about,” she said.
The owner bowed politely. “If you say so,” he said. “In my store, the customer is always right.”
Being polite is good business. If your mother is like my mother, your middle name is polite. “Please” and “thank you” are just the beginning, followed by respect, tact, patience and compassion. I now consider myself incredibly lucky that she and her father worked so hard to pass on these values to her sister and me.
Politeness never goes out of style, but we see it less and less these days. Business in general has become more impersonal. People are becoming less concerned about the long-term consequences of their actions.
People now conduct business using mobile phones, the Internet, and email. There is little pressure to be businesslike and efficient. Sooner or later, you have no choice but to put up with it.
I think some of the problems may have been exacerbated by the pandemic lockdowns, when personal contact was rare. Newsflash: That phase of life is over. We need to remember how to interact face-to-face.
The quality of customer service is at an all-time low. A classic example is a telemarketer who calls you at a time when you’re most likely to interrupt your dinner and advertises a product that few people would buy over the phone.
I would like to start a campaign to restore civility to business. I want the people behind the counter to see me as more than just an account.
I don’t necessarily want to get personal. I just want to be a human being. I want to leave a transaction feeling like I’m a valued customer who deserves someone’s best behavior. And then we go back to the establishments that are showing interest in servicing their customers.
Showing politeness does not make the person look weak. Rather, it shows a person’s maturity and ability to respond appropriately to business situations. Would you rather have a salesperson that customers look forward to working with or a bulldozer who will stop at nothing to get orders?
Recently, I didn’t respond to a party even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to. The invitation sat on my desk for days, but I ignored it because I was so “busy.” Finally, the landlady called me and politely but firmly let me hold it. Of course.
Whether it’s accepting an invitation, responding to a phone call or email, or simply showing respect, we expose our weaknesses when we display thoughtless or disrespectful behavior. I think one of the most offensive four-letter words someone can call me is “rude.”
This is the final story to illustrate my point. A grumpy old man was about to enter the building when he noticed a small boy opening the door with great effort.
“Don’t worry about that,” said the grumpy old man. “I don’t need your help.”
The little boy smiled at him and said, “You’re welcome.”
McKay’s lesson: Being polite is just as easy as being rude. And you never have to apologize.
McKay is a Minneapolis businessman. Contact us at 612-378-6202 or email harvey@mackay.com.
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