Clients, Agencies & Good Manners

By Steve Boehler

A surprising thing happened…

As I left my local Starbucks and began to open the door, another customer approached from outside. I held the door open for them, as my mother taught me long ago. And then the surprise occurred:

She smiled and thanked me.

I’ve been thinking about this for days.

Why? Because I don’t see as much common courtesy these days as I did years ago. It isn’t at all unusual for me to hold a door for someone without any acknowledgement or even a glance or smile from that person. An elevator door? Never.

What does this have to do with clients and agencies?

Maybe everything.

We live in a hectic world, full of change and new technologies that make our lives and work even more impersonal. AI is changing our lives and our work in dramatic ways. We work harder, are always on, and still it is hard to keep up. And some politicians and members of the media have normalized name-calling, creating an inevitable downgrading of culture and discourse. Oh, and AI…

But…

AI isn’t going to make us kinder and more thoughtful.

That is uniquely up to us as people. And a commitment to basic good manners is a commitment all clients and agencies should accept:

• Appreciate your partners as people, and tell them
• Be on time for meetings
• End meetings on time
• Thank people for their efforts
• Be considerate of your partners as people, not just coworkers
• Ask questions respectfully
• Give your partner adequate time to complete important work
• Ask your partner how you can be a better partner

None of the above is hard. All of this simply requires a commitment to really see the people we interact with as people and treat them well.

And while you’re at it, smile and thank the next person that holds a door open for you.