Good Manners - a Magnet for Good Business

Having recently been on the receiving end of some truly terrible customer service, the subject of professional courtesy is on my mind. It seems that some organisations see extending common courtesy as a waste of precious time, unnecessary after the customer has been snared; others mistake it with subservience and weakness.


In my experience extending common courtesy not only helps to oil the wheels of everyone’s working day, it makes us money. It encourages engagement, loyalty and generates the kind of PR that money can’t buy.


Want an example? One of the highest invoices of my 15 years recruiting came from placing a
retained CIO role with a client that had no previous dealings with the office where I worked. I didn’t ad-chase, make cold-calls or ask for referrals to get the job on, and I didn’t face any competition. The client, new to Australia and CFO of a major advertising group called the job in exclusively (don’t you love days like that?!).


When I met with him to take the brief, I asked why he’d chosen to contact us. His answer went something like this:


’Twenty years ago, when I was a newly qualified accountant, I registered with your agency for work in London. They didn’t actually place me – I’d already registered with another agency and they got to my eventual employer first –but your company treated me so well that I’ve always gone back to them every time I’ve changed job or hired anyone.’


This man’s career was illustrious. He’d worked for great companies in Europe, Asia and now Australia; he’d hired dozens of staff over the years. He gave hundreds of thousands of dollars of dream business to a supplier because he was – and continued to be – treated well. And that’s before we consider the incalculable revenue he brought our way through positive word-of-mouth and referrals.


Admittedly, not every company can offer international, cross discipline services, but the point is treating customers well - and not just those we place or whose jobs we fill - is good business. So how can we do this with limited time and targets to hit?


Respond to all applicants
Yes, all of them. An automated response along the lines of: ‘Thank you for your interest. We shall be in touch within X days if your application is successful’, ensures applicants know their application has been received, and what's happening with it.
Alternatively, set up an ‘unsuccessful’ folder that sends out an automated response to each email you drag and drop into it. Only use this for initial applicants though – if someone has spent time meeting you or interviewing with clients, the least you should provide them with is specific feedback.
If you don’t have time to do that, why waste time and resources advertising for more applicants that you won’t be able to respond to?


Manage people’s expectations
A person who walks away from a meeting with no idea of when or if they’ll hear from you again, is unlikely to feel confident in your abilities or recommend you to others. Ensure clients and candidates know what they can expect from you.
People become frustrated when they feel ignored or uninformed. If you’re away from the office for any length of time, set up an out-of-office email response; if you know a client will take two weeks to review applications, manage candidates' expectation. Failure to do so risks them wasting time chasing for updates you don't have, and thinking you're not very good at your job. 

Do what you’ve said you’ll do
Clients and candidates appreciate that things don’t always go according to plan, but they’ll respect you more for contacting them with a disappointing update, that if you leave them in the dark. The contact will also give you the opportunity to stay up to date with their situation and potentially generate leads and referrals.


Don’t promise what you know you won’t deliver!
Explain to someone why you can’t assist, and if possible, offer an alternative solution. People may be disappointed, but they’ll respect you for your honesty and advice.


Remember - good manners does not equal subservience
Assertiveness is essential for recruiters. If you’ve a candidate stalking you, don’t ignore them – they’re unlikely to go away. Tell them what level of contact is required, and explain that time spent answering additional calls means less time available to find work for them.


Tackle difficult issues head-on
The slower you are to respond to a complaint or other difficult issue, the more wound-up the person will be when you do eventually speak to them. Diffuse volatile situations as early as you can.

Extending professional courtesy should be an innate part of everything that you do. It makes your – and your customers' – working life easier and acts as a magnet for referrals, leads and revenue.
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