Common Courtesy

It’s amazing how much common courtesy can do to improve one’s day. I think what is more amazing is the number of people who don’t realise this or more disappointingly, the number of people who just simply say “Meh”.

To this day I have no qualms in stating that I am a proud ex maccas crew person. I do remember my days in training and how it was drilled into us to ensure to provide a friendly greeting, say hello to customers if you come within 2 metres of them, and just move with a purpose and to show you are doing it for a customer. I generally can’t go to a McDonalds now because I find that I hold the staff to standards I was held to and well.. I get disappointed. No.. actually I get angry. Greet me! Ask how I am! Present the tray to me! Don’t scrunch the bag! Double fold! I’m carrying 3 drinks and my telekinesis is on the blink – offer me a cup tray! Tuck your shirt in!! Yeesh!

It happens elsewhere too. Just the other day I decided to join a friend at her local gym and I was quite amazed to be snubbed by the staff at the gym! SNUBBED!! I’m one of those people who can’t stand the super intense and happy sorts but to get the polar opposite, I was questioning whether I had walked into a gym or maybe some sort of worm hole to an alternate dimension. It certainly wasn’t an alternate dimension (I checked to ensure donuts weren’t raining from the sky ala The Simpsons) but it lead me to question what has happened to the level of service and why do we see such indifference in some people’s work ethic?

Alas, I cannot really answer the question but I know what it did show me, it made me realise that I was identifying these attitudes and behaviours which in turn, showed me what NOT to do when dealing with my clients. This “Meh” attitude is what can lose you new and returning clients. Having a genuine and friendly approach where you work out what sort of person they are then match a intuitive and friendly attitude to them; will provide more positive outcomes and experiences for both you and your clients.

Common courtesy can leave your clients feelings happy and thinking “wow he/she really did care to ask me how I was and to offer help because it was a nice thing to do!”. No need to overdo it (no one likes the super happy fake attempt to win brownie points!) It’s certainly not the nicest to be on the receiving end of a “Meh” person either.. but you can strive to ensure no one ever gets that vibe from you. Focus on how you’d like to be treated and odds on you’ll ensure a quality customer service experience for your clients. As I said in the beginning of this article/rant, being educated on the basic principles of customer service and by educated, I mean drilled – it did become a habit. And really, is there anything bad about having a genuine, friendly, honest approach to dealing with people as a force of habit? Didn’t think so. On the flipside though.. If you like being treated like dirt and making people feel uncomfortable, well... I’m pretty sure there is help out there for you.. somewhere.