Rudeness in the workplace

As a small business owner, most of the people I interact with on a regular basis – loyal, new & prospective clients, strategic partners, other vendors/service providers, staff, venues, etc. – are wonderful. However, being treated rudely by some folks is an unavoidable thing, especially those whom I have no previous relationship with. And yet, for some reason, I feel like it’s been getting worse lately.

While I’ve long since accepted that fact that not everyone will be nice, and that not every Email will be answered or phone call returned, over the past few weeks I’ve experienced the following:

• An unusually high number of Email inquiries for group team building activities in NYC, only to have my replies and follow-ups go completely unanswered – even those marked “time sensitive”

• I was asked to put together several highly customized & detailed event proposals – and even asked to redo one of them from top to bottom – only to then have the people who requested all of that work completely fall off the planet, failing to respond to repeated follow-ups and never hearing from them again

• Scheduled telephone meetings completely blown off, with the other parties simply not answering their phones at the arranged time, nor responding to follow-up attempts/messages

• A reporter seeking to profile NYC trivia companies asked me to complete an extensive Email questionnaire, which I took considerable time and care to fill out – yet after submitting, never heard from her again despite repeated follow-ups

David, you might be saying, don’t be so sensitive – each of these instances can be explained. Maybe these folks are incredibly busy, just like I am; maybe they went on vacation, fell ill, or were otherwise out of the office for a prolonged period. Maybe my Emails went to spam. Or maybe they simply took their business elsewhere.

All of this may be true. Or perhaps, these people are just plain rude.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to let someone know you will not be utilizing their services, and it comes down to basic courtesy (I wrote a post about this several months ago, highlighting an example which I thought was extremely polite and courteous, as well as another which was most certainly not). Especially when you’re a service provider of corporate entertainment activities in New York City like I am, there seems to be a growing mindset among some who would make an inquiry that office entertainment suppliers like me are disposable, that our time is meaningless.

But what this really makes me wonder is, are workplaces just becoming more rude in general? Companies are offering “interruption training,” for Pete’s sake!

Perhaps it’s time for those of us who own businesses large and small to take a step back, and ask: how do I want to be perceived by my clients, staff and the public? What does the way we interact with stakeholders say about us, our mission, and our core values? Are we in a race to the bottom when it comes to basic politeness?

For my part, I refuse to bend to this trend. I never forget that as a service industry professional, providing excellent client service is ultimately the one thing which separates me from my competition, and which keeps my most loyal enthusiasts coming back. I will never leave an Email unanswered, and in fact will almost always reply immediately; I shall do what I say I’m going to do, when I say I’ll do it; I will treat everyone who works with me or for me with the utmost courtesy and respect, and show value and appreciation for their efforts and time.

If you’re reading this, you likely agree with me – I hope you will continue to do the same.