Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Lost Art of Saying "Thank You"

The wiliingness of people to stay thank you in this fast moving world seems to be diminishing all the time.

We are all too busy to move on to the next thing to take the time to thank someone for something that has been done or provided.

When was the last time a shop assistant in a supermarket thanked you for your business?

Even in McDonalds, a business based around systems and built on customer service seems to have lost the ability to say thank you when completing the sale.

I find in everyday dealings that I'm asked to provide information, reports etc by email. I promptly respond to these requests but rarely receive a thank you or even an acknowledgement that they received it!

In these troubled times where no one seems to worry about common courtesy or manners, its time to make a stand!

Make common courtesy and good manners a cornerstone of your business values and make your team accountable - it might be just the competitive advantage that you need!

What are your thoughts and do you need to make some changes?

2 comments:

Jo Bird said...

You are so right Chris and it is one of my biggest "erks". Only yesterday did I stop part way in the middle of an intersection of traffic to allow an elderly gentlemen in a gopher to cross the Road. It was raining and I thought "I would like someone to stop for me". Not only did I get a foul look as if to say "about time you stopped" but he did not even have the courtesy to nod his head, raise a finger or anything as a gesture of thanks. Next time I see him I will make him wait and get wetter, grrrrrr. (probably not as I was brought with up manners and respect for the elderly)

In business many are quick to criticise & tell you what you havent done for them and very slow to praise you for going the extra mile. It is a sad state of affairs as you say that manners and courtesy are now
non-fashionable. I hope this all turns around for the better.
How do we improve this? Alot has to do with going back to basics and being taught at home. As parents we need to take the time to teach our own in order for them to hopefully one day pass it onto their own.
"Oh and by the way thanks for an interesting topic of thought"

p.s BTW why do I see last night's time when I only have just read it today. Do I need to adjust anything to make the time right?

chrisfoster1959 said...

Hi Jo
Yes I agree that older people can be just as rude as those younger - what a great example to set.
The best place to teach courtesy, respect and manners is on the home and from there it should spread to the rest of the community. Unfortunately, many don't see this as important and thus contributes to the deterioration of the fabric of society.
And, oh yes, the time is US time, not Aus which explains the discrepancy!