Mind your manners

When one enters any business house one would expect to be greeted with a “hello” or “Salaam,” which is generally reciprocated because that is what is simply considered to be good manners. If one is being paid to provide a service, then it comes with the job.“Why is it that these days Pindiites need to be taught office etiquette, mobile phone etiquette and just plain etiquette? It is a no brainer and something our parents and their parents grew up on and it took people very far. Sad to say, though, it is a dying culture,” says Mehdi Zaman.“Take for instance any business – be it a souvenir shop, an art store, fast food restaurant, or a hotel. Treating the customers with good manners works for the success of job,” adds Mehdi Zaman.“Manners obviously start with the first point of contact, be it visual or verbal, and should be followed up by small pleasantries. As the saying goes, first impression is the last impression, no matter how many times a customer returns,” says Imdad Ali.“We can witness a drastic decline in business because of poor customer service. The message sometimes seems to fall on deaf ears as there has been little to no improvement among some of those on the frontline of our customer service industry,” says Rahat Hasan.Noreen Naqvi says: “In many instances manners are taught at home; however, it appears that they are shed when individuals arrive at their various workplaces. For some people, walking into the workplace seemingly causes adverse reactions. The stresses of the job simply overwhelm them and frustrations spill over to the customer.”“It takes nothing from you to say, “Good morning,” “Please,” “Thank you,” “Can I help you?” “Pardon me” – all with a smile, which goes a long way. Customer service educators endeavour to instil in Pindiites the importance of the simple smile. It makes a great difference when one is experiencing a bad day,” says Farhat Abbas.“Recently a letter to the editor appeared in this daily, outlining the rudeness of an office guys. The writer wanted to know where the manners have gone the people of this city once displayed, not only to each other, but to strangers as well,” says Kamila Zaidi.“We the Pindiites can no longer live with that kind of mentality if we want to survive in this competitive age. This city is not the place where people can find their food attractions and everything to their taste. However, in this city, appetizing food remains, but some of the people have fallen far from mannerism's grace. Things must change and that change must begin with us, the Pindiites,” adds Kamila.

from The News International - Islamabad http://bit.ly/2IPKtBS