Welcome to the Community of Practice

Workplace Rudeness Turns Customers Away

8/11/2015

In last week’s Capsule we wrote about the costs of Incivility to workers. But there is yet another group for whom incivility has a negative impact: customers.

Studies conducted by Georgetown business professor Christine Porath with marketing professors Deborah MacInnis and Valerie S. Folkes at USC found that people were less likely to patronize a business that has an employee they perceived as rude--whether the rudeness was directed at them or at other employees. “Witnessing a short negative interaction leads customers to generalize about other employees, the organization and even the brand,” writes Porath.

Why is respect, or disrespect, such a powerful motivator? Because even brief interactions affect our view of how others see us, which in turn can shape how we define ourselves. A smile, an acknowledgment, the sense that we are being heard can uplift us, while rude, dismissive behavior can leave us feeling devalued.

Sadly, Porath’s research shows incivility has soared over the past two decades: 25 percent of those surveyed in 1998 reported being treated rudely at work at least once a week. That rose to nearly 50 percent in 2005, and over 50 percent in 2011. Imagine how much lost employee and customer goodwill that adds up to! It’s time to reverse the trend, starting with identifying small moments when a slight change in demeanor can raise people up instead of bringing them down.

We want to hear! Have you ever stopped patronizing a business because workers there were rude to you or to one another? Join the conversation and click "comments" on our Community of Practice Forum.

8 Comments

Merry link

8/11/2015 07:01:03 am

Absolutely! Just did it last week in fact. A restaurant that I really enjoy their food. When I ordered a large to-go order and got to the destination, there was an item missing. I called to ask about it, since there was no itemized receipt included in the order. I was very rudely told that they were out of that item. When I asked if I had been charged for it, I was told "I don't know, probably not.", and then hung up on. It was a very unpleasant experience, and even though I like the food, there are other places I like too.
Places with customer service and friendly staff.

susan

8/11/2015 07:41:52 am

What a grrrrr experience that was, Merry! Definitely enough to keep me away too, Sometimes I wonder whether a letter or email letting them know why they won't be seeing us anymore would be useful, given that the owner/manager probably is completely unaware of the rude behavior. Hope you have a lovelier response the next time you do takeout!

8/12/2015 02:23:25 am

Susan, Unfortunately he WAS the manager. It is a family business and they have a bit of a struggle at times I think with keeping up with orders. That day there was a long wait, and then no one seemed to know the prices or how to do things. Not sure what the problem really was, but it was not a good experience. The food was great, as expected, but an item was missing, and without a detailed charge slip, there was no way to know if I had paid for it or not.
His attitude was very rude and made me feel I was not really welcome as a customer there. I do not feel comfortable going back.

We deal with that in our own business too, to be honest.
There is one individual that does not seem to understand the significance of rude or inconsiderate remarks or attitude towards customers or other employees. Unfortunately she is an owner and refuses to moderate her behaviors. It makes everyone else try harder to make people happy, and to fix the damage she does.

8/12/2015 07:00:22 am

As you well know, Merry, family business has its own set of challenging dynamics! BTW: Just yesterday I got a reply to this Capsule on Twitter about a horrible air travel experience. The carrier this person was traveling on changed their policy for paid luggage half way through this person's trip. When he was checking in on the final leg home, he was suddenly charged for his bags and told: This change was made yesterday but you still have to pay. When the individual objected he was then told: You have 2 choices, pay or leave your bags here. So there is no shortage of the kind of dysfunctional communication we wrote about in this week's Capsule!

8/13/2015 12:55:12 am

Susan, Unfortunately rudeness is a form of disrespect for that person, and for their business. It says loudly to a customer "We don't care about your business, and do not have any interest in getting or retaining you as a customer." With the extremely depressed economy and businesses going under daily, that is a serious mistake to make.
I would suggest the airline customer call the head office of the airlines and explain what happened. There are also consumer advocate blogs and websites that LOVE to get involved in such an incident. I don't think the airline will want that much negative publicity. I have also seen the effectiveness of online ratings that are published on Google, and different rating platforms that are available for every kind of business. If nothing else, hit them hard on social media sites. They all have them, and they don't want negative comments. They cannot control YOUR personal social media either. Get the word out. There is power in the media now.
I have made it a point to rate good businesses and services, and one doctor, in particular, had nothing but three horrible ratings and comments. He had treated many thousands of patients, but the happy ones had not rated him. So, I went back in and gave him positive ratings.
I wanted to point out that if a business is rude to you, you DO have options. Online ratings cannot be taken down by the business.
If you go to their Google ratings, for instance, you can rate them, and tell what happened. They have the option of posting a reply, and if they do, you know you got thru to them.
Just a thought.

8/18/2015 05:07:04 am

On-line rating does make a difference, Merry. So true as an option. Like you, we also try to send positive reviews given how infrequently that is done. And we all know that reinforcement is the strongest way to shape behavior!

Janis

9/1/2015 02:22:09 am

One thing not really mentioned in the article that always turns me off is when employees at a business where I am a customer are grumbling to each other about their workplace. As a customer, I don't want to hear the negative feelings they have about their employer, even if it's not directed toward me.

A friend of mine shared her stock response to rudeness from customer service people. She asks them, "Is this the best customer service you can provide for me?". I've tried this many times, and more often than not, it results in a quick change in the tone from the customer service rep. I have had a few occasions where the answer was, "yes", and my response has been, "Could you then let me speak to someone who can better meet my needs?" It's a much nicer way of asking to speak to the manager.

9/1/2015 11:14:47 am

Thanks for this Janis. We so agree that having to listen, as a customer, to employees complaining about work is not in any way ok! And we will try out your questions the next time we want better customer service. Look good from here!

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

Workplace Rudeness Turns Customers Away

Leave a Reply.

Archives

Categories