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Lessons from the Favre fiasco

MARK HEALY

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 10:58 PM EST 12/08/08

Want to really stand out today? Be a class act ...Read the full article

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  1. H K from Canada writes: Pure Genius.
    Awesome article.
  2. Rachel F from Toronto, Canada writes: Thank God! I was beginning to think I was the only person left on the planet who felt this way. In the past month I have had to deal with these issues repeatedly both as a private consumer and as a small business owner who has had to invest in services for her business. It almost seems like most business don't actually want you as a client anymore. They just want to get whatever money they can from you upfront and screw future or long term relationships.
    It takes so little to show professionalism and common courtesy and the payoff can be tremendous, I honestly don't understand why more business' don't smarten up and get in the game for real.
  3. daniel saliken from Vancouver, Canada writes: Re professionalism:

    I am always shocked at how non existant or rude service is even when you are an existing or potential top shelf Cusotmer. Even the private firm my wife works for is really bad and she can't believe how alone she is in delivering quality customer service compared to the culture of her bosses

    However, I must say one thing. I work for the BC Public Service and one thing i have noticed is they promote an extremely high level of professionalism. You can make all kinds of jokes about the public service and those criticisms are probably true of many large corporate entities, but i know on a day to day basis, our managers and staff have particularly high standards of both client service and internal collegial respect.

    I think its because big agencies like us spend lots of money on training seminars for staff that private firms just won't spend.
  4. R 27 from Canada writes: But it all boils down to the core of Canadians as passive aggressive people. In Toronto (cause I work here), I would say most of the people in management are not as liberal as Americans when it comes to making a decision. Here in Toronto, the companies I sell to mostly have another person or a board they have to consult with. These are CIOs and VPs. Forget about the Directors. Canadians love to carry the title but lack the cohones to make their own calls. Canadians want to be known as the consensus business person instead of the person who makes the call. For some reason, most of these managements that I'm talking about are proud of this trait. But then again, most managers in Canada are not really entrepreneurial but wants be recognize as one.
  5. Cheryl Nelson from Bloomington, MN, United States writes: In my professional experience, many businesses focus on bending over backwards to provide great service for newly acquired customers at the expense of long-term clients. It's good for the sales staff, but does nothing for the company as a whole. There is no net gain. Does it really matter if the dollars are from a new client or an existing one? I'd like to see Mr. Healy or any other business guru address this short-sighted management thinking.
  6. Campbell Macdonald from Vancouver, Canada writes: I agree that these standards have significantly eroded since I entered the workplace. While I see glimpses of outstanding behaviour, I have noticed more of the "talk to the hand" approach.

    This article is very refreshing and puts a value on good behaviour. I like to be hopeful that things will change, but I'm concerned that the tide is moving the other way.
  7. Santino DeGasperis from Toronto., Canada writes: If You Contribute To Society Immensely & In An Invaluable Way, Then You WILL Be Remembered For WHAT YOU DID Rather Than "How You Act".
    Brett Was & Is A Huge Contribution For Obvious Reasons.
    In Business, Since It's More Of A "Generator" Styled Contribution than Sport, Art, Faculty & Whatnot, Yes Definitely One Must Handle Themselves With proper Ettiquette & respect To Clients & Such.

    As To Society Degrading Into A Place Where People "Cancel At The Last Minute", "Fail To Return Phonecalls" ect is Basically Just Turning Into A Fact.
    We Have To Deal With It.
    Business Ethics Are Changing, But I Have A Feeling It Is Just An Extended Trend..At Least I Hope.
  8. Michael Tripper from Vancouver, Canada writes: hmmph I thought not getting back to someone after making positive noises was just a common trait of folks in TO - I found that in all manner of social interactions with members of various socio-economic groups and age demographics during my 7 years there.
  9. Kurt Komaromi from United States writes: I've experienced much of the behavior that Mark is talking about. People who behave this way should remember that what goes around comes around. It's a very competitive world and there's no reason to deal with people or organizations who are unprofessional.
  10. Diamond Joe from Scottsdale, United States writes: I'm 33 too and having spent 9 years in sales, I cannot begin to tell you how often I experience the behavior Mark refers to. Great article by the way. I started my career in Toronto and let me tell you this behavior knows no boundaries because it is here in the Valley of the Sun as well.

    This year I received an RFP from a Fortune 500 company. We felt our chances were decent so we went after it. 150 pages, my engineers, product managers, trainers, operations, untold others involved in crafting the ideal solution set. All for a two line email telling us we did not win the contract. My follow up calls and emails simply asking where we could improve for the next time went unanswered. Talk about a lack of class. When we receive the next one in two years, you can bet we will no bid.

    Curious to here some other experiences from fellow readers.

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