Savoir-Agir@Work

Rudeness is generally defined as a display of disrespect, a breaking of social norms or expectations, a breach of etiquette, or ignoring "accepted" behavior. It can also mean someone behaving inconsiderately, aggressively or deliberately offensively.

The word "accepted" is important, because rudeness can mean different things to different people, or within different organizations or environments. For example, shouting and swearing might be considered normal in a busy restaurant kitchen or on a construction site, but it would be regarded as inappropriate and unacceptable in most offices.

Similarly, there can be cultural differences to consider. For example, in Japan, something as seemingly innocent as laughing with your mouth open is a no-no. So, it's important to be aware of possible cultural faux pas, especially if you are working with a culturally diverse team.

Rudeness can be a way of displaying power, trying to get your own way, or provoking a reaction. It can also be a response to stress, pressure, frustration, or some other form of unhappiness and may lead to aggressive and bullying behavior.

According to a study in the Academy of Management Journal, rudeness can seriously damage team morale and performance, reduce helpfulness and collaboration, and negatively impact workplace productivity and relationships.

Throughout your customer service career, it is probable that you will be confronted with situations you would have preferred to have avoided. “Big” problems, such as an angry, threatening, aggressive customer are great challenges, but are also rare. However, our days are often seeded with “small” problems or delicate situations that are difficult to manage, based on their trivial-looking nature and the absence of processes and guidelines. When it comes to either saying “no” to a client, share bad news, or give an apology, most people are not comfortable with confronting these delicate situations.

However, these situations are inevitable – one must tackle them. If they’re ignored, they risk becoming difficult situations that are even harder to manage and If ignored, they may become difficult situations to manage and your professionalism and your credibility could be questioned.

Now and then, you’ll find yourself in the situation where you are asked a question to which you don’t know the answer. You don’t want to appear incompetent or uninformed. So, what do you do?

First, it’s never ok to make assumptions (even if it seems like common sense). If you don’t know, don’t guess or lie. That’s misleading and dishonest.

Second, it’s never ok to brush them off with an “I don’t know” and make the customer keep searching for the answer.  That’s your job and you are being rude!

Finally, it’s perfectly ok to not know an answer. People will always appreciate an honest response, even if you have to say:

 - I’m not sure, but I will find out!

 - That’s a great question. I want to give you the correct answer, and I will check with someone.

 - Here’s what I know, here’s what I don’t know, here’s how I’ll find out.

 - I'm not sure how to answer that. Hang on and I'll find someone who can help you.

And then you look up the answer or find someone who knows the answer.

You aren't expected to know everything, but you are expected to do what you can to figure out the answer. Just know where to go, or who to go to, to get the correct answer.

It’s not our ability to answer every question that matters as much as our ability to handle every question with proactiveness and professionalism.

Harvard Business School social psychologist professor Amy Cuddy says people judge you based on 2 criteria when they first meet you:

* Can I trust this person?

* Can I respect this person?

Psychologists refer to these dimensions as trustworthiness and competence respectively, and ideally you want to be perceived as having both. Interestingly, most people, especially in a professional context, believe that competence is the more important factor. After all, they want to prove that they are smart and talented enough to handle your business. But in fact trustworthiness is the most important factor in how people evaluate you.

While competence is highly valued, it is evaluated only after trust is established. And focusing too much on displaying your strength can backfire.

WHAT IS PROFESSIONALISM?

The ability and commitment to adopt the right behaviour in the workplace – to behave in a way that reflects favourably on the profession. Professionalism encompasses a series of attitudes, skills, behavioural and moral norms, attributes and values that are expected from a specialized individual in a defined sector or practicing a profession or trade. 

WHY IS PROFESSIONALISM IMPORTANT?

 Whoever you are, whatever your expertise, and whatever ambitions you have, your professionalism is an asset for your career. Not only does it affect positively your workplace, it affects the way your clients, colleagues, superiors, subordinates and all your professional relations perceive you.

People constantly observe your behaviour and form an opinion on your competence, your character, and your engagement, which is rapidly cast throughout your workplace. The way you act will determine how everyone you interact with perceives you.

To be "professional" is a prestigious and enviable reputation, and is a way to demonstrate that you are a true asset for the team, for your organization and for your profession. If you want to succeed, to be taken seriously and respected, knowing how to act in a professional manner is vital.

The more you behave professionally, the better your chances are to build a positive reputation for yourself. Professional people are the first to be taken into consideration for promotions and to be given gratifying projects that will also allow them to benefit of better self-esteem and distinction.

This can be translated by a salary increase, an improvement of your career prospects, respect from peers and upper management, and a decrease in risk to be affected by layoffs. In short, professional individuals are generally successful in their careers. 

A professional individual is a competent individual, someone we appreciate and we look up to.

HOW TO DEVELOP PROFESSIONALISM?

It is essential to show professionalism if you wish to succeed. But what does it mean?

After all, professionalism is rarely taught – you are supposed to learn it as it goes through a combination of observations, mistakes, interpretation and absorption. However, it’s not always easy to do and learning it can be full of obstacles, since you’re not always conscious of your own mistakes.

For some, being professional could mean dressing appropriately for work, or doing a good job. For others, it means having diplomas or certifications. Professionalism does include all these attributes. But it also includes many more.

The challenge in defining "professional" is that it remains vague and evasive since it carries many implicit connotations and meanings. It means different things to people. What we interpret as professional behaviour or good judgment can differ from one person to the next.

To act as a professional means doing what is needed in order to be perceived as a reliable, respectful and competent person. Depending on where you work and the job you have, professionalism can take different shapes. Professionalism is not explicit to a profession or a sector in particular, it’s something that applies to all professional activities in their singularity and uniqueness.

Professionalism does not try to dictate every word or every gesture, but trace the outline of an ideal to which professionals can aspire throughout their career.

We find three elements in professionalism:

Professionalism is not limited to competence. Competence is one of the important aspects of your work, but you’ll also need to learn how to act professionally at work. You can be the best in the technical execution of your work, but also lack professionalism. It has less to do with what you do (the results you produce) and a lot more with the way you produce those results.

In assessing professionalism at any degree within an organization, you must always ask yourself three questions:

• Do you have the necessary operational skills to be considered professional? Do you have the knowledge, comprehension, facts, notions and experience you need to do the work efficiently?

• Do you have the necessary rational skills to be considered professional? Do you have the skills, behaviour, traits and virtues that others (shareholders, employees, clients, suppliers) perceive as being important and use to determine if you are being professional?

• Do you have the necessary commitment to be professional? Do you have the necessary drive, motivation and intention? Are you ready to do the necessary work?

Professionalism is reflected in your daily actions. Adopt a strategic and proactive approach, since it can be learned and developed. Let’s not forget that beyond being professional, there is a need to actually want to be professional!

Quitting slowly doesn't serve you well. At work or in anything else you do, people will remember how you ended things. Too often, we gradually back off by removing ourselves emotionally and organizationally, as if making ourselves unuseful for a while makes it easier for everyone.

Decide, give notice, make the transition work. Every time.

If you treat yourself as a professional, you will see yourself as one. If you see yourself as a professional, it will be more natural for you to act like one. And if you act like a professional, others will see you as a professional.

Customers who complain are actually giving you another opportunity to prove them that you really offer quality service despite a shortfall.

Be prepared to deal with complaints as seamlessly, professionally and graciously as possible. When you do, they share their new experience with others about the strong customer care they received from you... and this old-fashioned way of getting a good reputation never goes out of style.

It’s not politically correct to judge a person by how they look, but we should give our appearance as much preparation time as we do our speech for that important presentation. Think about how you want to come across. What impression you want to give. What should you wear to reinforce this message?

When you write things down during a conversation, you put yourself in a proactive role. You send a message that not only you are listening (and not only hearing) what the other person is saying, but that you intend to do something about it. 

Blaming is often a natural response when things go wrong. The biggest disappointment is that it doesn’t work. Nothing is as professional as the ability to get to the heart of a problem and fix it – without bothering to place blame.

It’s essential that you satisfy your customers, but not every customer knows the value to your service or understands what it is that you do.

If 1% of your clientele doesn't appreciate your service, doesn't approve of what you are saying … You know what?  it's quite okay.

If you insist on getting every single customer to be satisfied by overcompensating, making exceptions, and overwhelming people with fine print, you've just signed up to disregard and alienate 99% of your customers.

Stop focusing on the 1%  at the expense of everyone else.

There is no quicker way to lose credibility than to make declarations or promises that you cannot deliver, or do not plan on delivering. 

Deal with an overly-talkative person by asking a question that signals that the conversation is coming to a close. Such as "Can I answer any other questions before I get back to work?"Or saying something that psychologically prepares your caller to the end of the conversation:

• "Before hanging up, I wanted to tell you that ..."

• "One last thing before hanging up ..."

We often get locked into arguments that hook our ego into trying to triumph over the other person (client, colleague, superior ...).  It is not a Poker game and engaging in these battles will limit your options at work.

We're often appalled; puzzled or irritated when we see people behaving differently, because it's easy to expect that any group of people would behave in a homogeneous way. But they're not. Treat different people differently. Not because they're born this way, but because they choose to be this way. 

I believe that the customer has the right to quality service.

I am proactive. I am confident. I am empathetic.

I’m convinced I am part of the solution, not the problem.

I am reliable. I am available. I am obliging.

I am surprised by everything I’m able to do.

I give my best to every customer and I create a positive atmosphere.

I promise less… and I give more!

I am patient. I am calm. I am courteous.

I am a service professional. 

One of the most common reasons for customers to be ungrateful is that they start to perceive that you and the people they deal with just don't care. Data points to the fact that customers will stop appreciating us when they feel we have stopped appreciating them. That's where a focus on customer service and customer service training pays off.

If your vocabulary is limited, nuance goes out the window.

It’s not only about using professional jargon (every industry, trade and occupation has its own); because sometimes we need to simplify it to be understood and sometimes we need to amplify it to show expertise.

But it’s also about being able to use the right word in the right moment. The right words give you the opportunity to express your manners, attitude, professionalism, empathy, courtesy…

Your vocabulary reflects the way you think! When you have the right vocabulary your ability to see, to explain and to influence becomes exponential.

Self-confidence is the ability to believe, realistically and constantly, that we possess the necessary resources to face any situation with ease. It’s being confident towards our goals and believing in our own means.

Being self-confident is an essential ability for realizing our full potential and professional progress. Be it their serenity, their confidence, their charisma, their ability to face new experiences or to stay in control when the going gets tough, confident individuals possess traits which others admire.

Confidence is fundamental in opening ourselves to others, building a common project. It’s what enables us to go forward and to make connections. Without confidence, it’s difficult to consider collaborative working relationships, teamwork and group cohesion. People are attracted toward individuals who take initiative, who speak clearly, who keep their head high. They’re attracted to people who answer questions with conviction, assume their responsibilities and readily admit when they do not have the answer. When we demonstrate such aptitude, the ability to influence and inspire soars. Individuals who trust themselves inspire trust in others – their audience, peers, bosses, clients, and friends. Earning others’ trust and being self-confident in interpersonal relationships are how a confident person finds success… and the virtuous cycle continues.

Unfortunately, the opposite becomes a vicious cycle. People who lack confidence succeed with difficulty. After all, people will hesitate to get involved, to support a project or encourage an idea from someone who is nervous and unsure. But what should one do if they’re not naturally confident, or if you have left your insecurities take control? Don’t worry – self-assurance can be learned and built. Results and benefits gained will be well worth the efforts.

Self-confidence is of vital importance for your success. Without it, you’ll have difficulty in blossoming professionally. While some people are born with an abundance of self-confidence, it is not a genetic predisposition and is perfectly possible to develop.

Two main abilities contribute to self-confidence: self-esteem and competence. Self-confidence is the feeling of security which results from a positive evaluation of ourselves and of our abilities – it implies a feeling of personal value and a feeling of competence. The self-confident individual has the certainty that he has everything required in order to succeed in everything he puts his mind to. To succeed, one must first believe he is able to.

People who show assurance think, feel and act in a way that contribute to their success. They see obstacles as challenges and rapidly recuperate from failures. They know they can be even more if they try – and they try, again and again, with courage and panache!

We all know the importance of first impressions. We also know that we will never have a second chance to make a good first impression and that impressions are sometimes easy to make but difficult to change.

Make a good impression from the start. The personalized interaction from the first contact is the perfect opportunity to show your sense of courtesy, respect and consideration towards your interlocutor.

• Do you demonstrate your interest in the client?
• Do you ask the right questions and do you listen carefully?
• Are you patient, understanding and helpful?
• Are you sincerely trying to do something positive for your customer?
• Do you demonstrate you are taking in charge your customer's query or situation?

Serving customers means accepting customers as they are and not as you would like them to be.

You may be so busy answering calls from your customers that you don't have time to think of the service you offer. Take time to listen to your customers and discover what they really want. Once you understand what they want, it will be easier to meet their expectations and to provide a quality service.

To be ready for customer contact is the step preceding any contact with a customer.  The step where you must be ready psychologically , emotionally and  materially.   It is a preparation that must be done consciously rather than to get in touch with the customer in autopilot mode.

Show sincere interest in active listening . Beyond listening with your ears, your eyes and your heart ...

Listen with your instinct  - Do you feel that the person is not communicating  something important ?

Ask questions - Support and encourage this person by showing him that he is worth taking the time to try to understand him.

Demonstrate sincere interest by actively listening to the whole message that the other person is trying to communicate.

• Listen with your ears - What is said and notice the key words and expressions that people use.

• Listen with your eyes - What the person does while speaking, his expressions, his gestures, his posture ...

• Listen with your heart - What emotions the other person expresses? In his tone, his volume , his flow, ...

The use of technology to excess can blur the line between what is the message and what is the medium. "Death by PowerPoint", or "Prezi Vertigo" are all too frequent and most presentations have become mediocre. Presenters should only project material on screen that helps the audience remember the message. A powerful presenter should be able to stand before his audience and transfix them with simple words and compelling stories.

The customers are the judges. These judges expect you to score high in your performance. If you are to successfully score 10’s with your customers, you must be willing to commit time, energy and effort.