Manners in Irish Business

December 2009

Welcome to the winter ezine from Business Performance Perspectives Ltd. The focus of this ezine is on the results of the 2009 Manners in Irish Business Survey.

The business etiquette survey was conducted on the www.pamelafay.ie website in November 2009.

During that time there were 113 complete responses to the survey.

Please see the results enclosed with short commentary.

Please note if you would like to discuss the results in more detail, drop me an email to pamela@pamelafay.ie

In this issue:

Survey Headlines
The Value of Manners
Trends
The Manners of Others
Table Manners
Bad Language
Alcohol Consumption
Dress Code
What is Rudeness?

Survey Headlines:

100% of respondents value manners in their business dealings
68% have been embarrassed by the behaviour of a work colleague
50% believe that rudeness in business is increasing
Nearly half (46%) of respondents would move their business elsewhere if they were on the receiving end of bad manners (up from 26% in 2008)
83% believe that manners are more important in challenging economic times
99% of people would take action if they were treated well by a business:
- 50% of people would mention their positive experience to other people if they are treated well by a business
- 29% would refer others to a business that has treated them well
- 20% would go out of their way to do business with a company that has treated them well

The biggest difference in the results of the 2009 survey versus previous years is that people are more willing to reward good service in business and move their business if they are not treated well by a business.

The Value of Manners:

Participants were asked how they would respond to being treated well by a business. They were only able to choose one response.

50% would mention their positive experience to other people. (up from 40% in 2008)
29% would refer others to the company. (down from 40% last year)
20% would go out of their way to do business with the company. (up from 15% last year)
1% would take no response.

I often get asked whether manners make a difference to actual sales and referrals. These responses show the real value of manners to a business. Positive word of mouth is the most important sales tool that there is.

Trends:

Are manners more or less important in challenging economic times?

83% said more important
17% said the same

Do you think rudeness in business is increasing, decreasing or staying the same?

50% said increasing
17% said decreasing
33% said no change

This result shows that manners and customer service should be a focus area for each business manager in 2010 to ensure that their team is at all times focusing on the needs of customers and clients and meeting those needs in a mannerly fashion.

The Manners of Others:

Have the manners of a colleague ever made you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed in a working environment?

68% said yes
32% said no

The most common examples of bad behaviour given by respondents were: bad language, interrupting meetings by taking phone calls, taking too much alcohol leading to inappropriate behaviour, smelling of drink at work, bad table manners, the use of bad jokes, the use of racist or sexist jokes or comments, being too personal with colleagues or clients, yawning in meetings, personal hygiene issues, aggressive behaviour and arriving late to meetings.

Many respondents were embarrassed by a more senior person in their business and did not take action as a result.

Table Manners:

Are good table manners important in Irish business?

99% said yes
1% said no

Is punctuality important in Irish business?

99% said yes
1% said no

Good table manners and punctuality are two fundamental qualities of a well mannered business person. Both behaviours show respect for the person that you are meeting. If you think that you are going to be late for an appointment, always call beforehand to let the person know.

Bad Language:

Is it acceptable to use bad language in work?

11% said yes
89% said no

Etiquette is based on three things, your appearance, your behaviour and how you communicate. If you do use bad language, the problem is that you don't know who you are offending and it affects your credibility as a business professional. Many people say that it is okay to use bad language with colleagues but not in front of clients but remember that walls have ears.

Alcohol Consumption:

Is it acceptable to consume alcohol at a business event?

40% of respondents said yes (down from 53% in 2008)
36% of respondents said only when it is an in-company event with colleagues
24% of respondents said no

Our guide on consuming alcohol is that no more than two alcoholic drinks should be consumed at a business event. No matter how social your business is, it is still business. The trend in this answer is showing that alcohol is less acceptable at business dinners and lunches. There is a perceived difference between client facing entertaining and in-company entertaining. Businesses should consider this when organising client events.

Dress Codes:

What dress code are you required to wear at work?

26% of respondents wear a business suit.
26% wear business casual.
41% wear a combination of business suit and business casual.
7% wear other.

Do you think that a casual Friday policy is a good idea?

59% said yes
41% said no

How you dress in work should be to a large extent determined by the expectations of your clients. If you are going to dress differently to the industry standard just ensure that you are consistent in your approach. Clients and customers want to know what to expect when they are meeting with you.

What is Rudeness?

Participants were given a number of options to define rudeness, they could choose more than one definition:

86% defined it as an abrupt voice tone or rude language.
78% said rudeness was someone wasting time.
75% said rudeness was someone being rude on the telephone.
71% defined it as indifference or inattentiveness.
77% said it was people not returning calls or emails.
65% defined rudeness as a lack of follow up on commitments made

There was broad agreement on what rudeness is. At all times business people need to ensure that they are looking after clients and customers. We should always be trying to meet or exceed customer expectations. It does not take any more time to be nice that it does to be rude and it is one of the things in life that is still free.

Participants were asked what behaviours they valued most in business:

79% said that it was someone being helpful, even if it was not their job.
71% said that it was efficient service.
61% said that they valued someone who honours their commitment to response or call back
57% said that they valued a friendly greeting

What action would you take if you were on the receiving end of bad manners?

7% would do nothing.
25% would give feedback to the individual themselves. (down from 50% last year)
22% would report it to the individual's manager. (up from 16% last year)
46% would move their business elsewhere. (up from 26% last year)

Overall the results show us that all things being equal, people will do business with people that they like. Manners are an integral part of life. They show respect for other people. As well as making life more pleasant, manners can make good business sense too.

Feedback

I would be delighted to receive your feedback on any aspect of this e-zine. Please email Business Performance Perspectives on info@pamelafay.ie.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish clients, colleagues and friends a very happy Christmas and New Year.

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