As most of you probably know, I am hot, hot, hot on customer service. Not that there is very much to write home about these days as eye contact and a smile is usually lacking in most of the shops I frequent. We have enough disappointment and angst in our lives and a friendly smile can really make a difference to our day. It’s good to feel special and wanted and it doesn’t really take much effort on the part of the sales assistant so why they don’t make more effort is beyond me.  

So I was quite intrigued by a session called Civility Counts on my recent trip to Vancouver. In North America and the East, it seems that civility is a huge subject. I wasn’t aware of the damage and under performance created by bullying, worrying about others in your workplace, actively avoiding them and so on. Add to that offensive bad manners, which often people don’t realise they are doing – such as answering their mobile phone when in a conversation with you or avoiding eye contact on meeting, and the world does appear to be a very selfish and self centred place.

I have to say that I’ve been hooked on this subject and how it affects all of us, whatever our background or employment, so I’ve just ordered the ‘manual’ to help me figure it all out and ensure that I’m not breaking the rules!

‘Choosing Civility’ by P M Forni – fascinating. If you feel that your environment is not what it should be in terms of civil behaviour, manners, respect, restraint or responsibility then this book is for you.

I feel so strongly about this subject that I plan to run workshops – so if you would like me to help out, please ring to chat further. After all, image is obviously concerened with Appearance but also incorporates Communication and Behaviour so in my profession I have a duty to include this in any corporate workshops. Enable and empower your people to be civil and just watch your productivity rise.