Customers Witnessing Incivility Between Employees Cost Big Bucks

A Twitter message came across my desk that read in part: “Just witnessed a manager scolding his employee in front of customers—it made me sad…”

While the tweet may seem inconsequential, the content in the tweet reaffirms what the authors of The Cost of Bad Behavior contend: 83% of customers will share their observation of an uncivil act with a friend or family. 

In addition to the customer sharing the experience with others, the results of Christine Pearson and Christine Porath’s study reveals that 55% of customers took a less favorable attitude of the company and, 55% of the customers became less willing to use the company’s products and services. In fact, the customer usually left immediately without buying anything. 

In essence, when a customer witnesses an uncivil interaction between two employees not only is there an impact to the company’s reputation, it also impacts the company’s bottom line.

In another study, professors Pearson and Porath find the same customer behavior mentioned above and, 66% of the customer’s feeling anxious dealing with any employee in the company—not just the two in the uncivil situation.

Conversely, when customers witness employees treating each other well, 80% of the customer’s attitude toward the company becomes more favorable; 85% of the customer’s are more willing to use the company’s products and services in the future; and 55% of the customers are more interested in learning about new products and services of the company.

When you come into disagreement with a fellow employee—and at some point we all do—address the issue not the person in a private setting keeping in mind my best business etiquette tip: save the other person’s face.

What next?
Subscribe to Carol Bory’s Etiquette Blog with RSS reader or e-mail