Bad manners, bad business

Manners count in business. A new survey on business etiquette finds that bad manners are bad for business, with 75 per cent admitting they have been embarrassed by a colleague's shortcomings in the manners department, Grace Garvey.

The survey, conducted by Irish firm Business Performance Perspectives (BPP), found an overwhelming majority in favour of good behaviour.

Some 99 per cent think manners are crucial in Irish business.

Common politeness, it seems, is a tangible asset after all.

One of the survey's most surprising findings indicates that Irish people are becoming more demanding in terms of the service we expect.

Some 38 per cent said they would move their business elsewhere if they were on the receiving end of bad manners. This represents a sizable increase of 10 per cent on last year, when just 28 per cent said they would make such a move faced with shoddy treatment.

Only 10 per cent of respondents said they would take no action when shown a lack of respect.

Pamela Fay, managing director of BPP, who carried out the survey, sees this as a positive trend. "It demonstrates to businesses that they can't treat people badly and get away with it," she said. "Managers need to ensure that their staff display good manners in all business situations."

Nor is the need for good behaviour confined to the office. Good table manners and punctuality also rated highly among those questioned. Some 98 per cent valued table manners and 97 per cent said it's important to be on time. But, be warned.

Arriving too early is almost as bad as being late. If you're more than five minutes early for a meeting, circle the block because, according to Fay, it puts the person you're meeting under pressure and shows a lack of consideration. And should your phone ring during the meeting, ignore it unless you want to fall foul of 43 per cent of respondents who take a dim view of such behaviour.

On errant colleagues, the most common faults reported included swearing; drinking too much or smelling of drink at work; alcohol-fuelled misbehaviour; making racist, sexist or otherwise offensive jokes or comments; getting too personal with colleagues or clients; yawning in meetings; dodgy personal hygiene and being aggressive.

While some - 28 per cent - regard the use of bad language at work as harmless, or even as a way of letting off steam, Fay cautions against it.

"You never know who you're offending and they're never going to tell you." And if a client curses, this should not be taken as a green light to respond in kind.

"It's a bad habit and there's no place for it in the working environment," she said, reflecting the view of 68 per cent who said it is not acceptable.

Despite complaints about colleagues reeking of drink, we're in no danger of embracing Calvinism just yet.

When asked: "is it acceptable to consume alcohol at a business event?" 51 per cent of respondents said yes. This represented no change from 2006.

We're still not averse to poking our noses into our neighbour's affairs. While travelling by train or plane, 40 per cent admitted to sneaking a peek at information on another person's laptop.

And of course, we were all nicer in the good old days. More than half, or 53 per cent, of respondents believe that business people are less mannerly than they were 10 years ago.

Ah yes, the halcyon days of 1997 are long over.

Have a nice day.