Don't Mention It

Courtesy and respect can help sell sweaters

Did I say thank you for reading this?  Well I should. Courtesy is important in social interactions, no matter how they are conducted. I remind myself that the mission statement for the National Campaign for Courtesy is one that we apply at The Tweed Pig:

• Good Manners
• Respect for self and others
• Honourable behaviour

Courtesy can be good for business too, as it vastly improves customer loyalty and staff retention. I say this because I visited a clothes shop recently where there was a greeter at the door. I'm in two minds about the whole greeter idea, generally. Anyway, I said good morning to him as I entered and he looked at me as if I wasn't worth the bother of responding to, with a face that said, "Why are you speaking to me? I'm too good for this job and have no interest in what we sell."

As a consequence, I was not exactly in the mood to browse in the shop or buy anything. The thought of asking for assistance seemed fraught with difficulty. A poor experience and a shop's reputation tarnished. I will not return.

Good manners are a social contract that businesses ignore at their peril. What's more they cost nothing to employ. The Please and Thanks initiative, as part of the National Campaign for Courtesy, is an important one. Perhaps, now more than ever, we all need to remind ourselves that courtesy is a strength.