I recently read a new book The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It (Portfolio: New York, 2009) by Christine Pearson and Christine Porath. Pearson and Porath systematically studied the effects of incivility which they define as ‘the exchange of seemingly inconsequential inconsiderate words and deeps that violate conventional norms of workplace conduct.’ (They are in turn quoting a definition by Lynne Andersson of Temple University.)
Pearson and Porath are mainly concerned with the effects of incivility within the workplace and document, in solid bottom-line terms, just how damaging “negative emotions and ensuing negative responses” are to a business’s functioning.
However, incivility toward customers has a severely negative impact. And this begins with internal attitudes toward both employees and customers. If a culture of civility is honored and rudeness, gossip, back-stabbing, and all similar behavior are not tolerated, a positive environment is fostered.
We as market researchers can be very effective at contributing to a positive attitude toward customers by constantly probing for a greater understanding of customer attitudes and behavior. Rather than disparaging customers for their lack of understanding, it is part of our mission to uncover the customer drivers.
And the starting point of this mission is to always talk respectfully about customers to our clients.
Comments welcome!
Dr. Bob
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