The WAR ON BAD MANNERS launched during last year by the Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority has done a great deal of work during this period... Counseling sessions at bus parks both in and outside the city, visits to taxi services, petrol stations, construction of queueing signs, printing of special flyers, good manners buttons, visits to selected work environments, priority customer care institutions, special target group sessions, schools essay competitions, and much more.
It is my view, however, that even though there has been obvious improvement in several institutions in the public sector, some more attention ought to be paid to the basic good manners in the public sector. How many public sector institutions have enlisted in the "This a Good Manners Zone" poster section? The Good Manners Campaign or as it is stated "The War on Bad Manners" needs to be elevated to the same level as the "No Smoking" or the "HIV/AIDS" education campaign. The challenge here is that after the good manners brigade have visited the particular institution, the manners cell takes over and helps to promote the war and subsequent enlistment as a Good Manners Zone, of course with the continuing help and assistance of the Customer Care Specialists, who form the War Committees.
There are many institutions that deserve commendation, many individuals in Institutions that deserve special praise. My information from the Director of Operations is that this will be done at a later stage. Institutions and individuals are under observation.
For the benefit of these organizations, I felt it would be useful to give in capsule form what the war is about and what kind of restoration the generals are hoping to see:
It is about:
Having a pleasing countenance when the customer/client arrives at your Institution. It is about saying "good morning" and making the person feel welcome.
It is about responding to questions asked without frowning. It is about speaking clearly so that you can be heard and understood. It is about eye contact and not talking to the customer while you are rummaging through a drawer! It is about being helpful. It is about making suggestions, proposing alternatives if you cannot help.
It is about offering the visitor a seat, but not forever. You need to remember that someone is waiting and needs a feedback or an answer... not the familiar "Eh, Eh, lady, you know I fuget yu sitting dung deh".
It is about not eating while you are attending to the customer. It is about not gossiping while the customer is waiting for service. It is about loud and boisterously disorderly in the office, especially when members of the public are in the waiting areas or at counters.
It is about being careful how we speak to persons, choosing the appropriate tone and voice level. It is about the language and the style we use when we have to respond in writing to our correspondents. This is what the war is about.
It is about being punctual for meetings, about showing regard for other persons time. It is about giving excuses for absences as well.
It is about returning telephone calls... about good telephone manners. It is about how we use our cell phones.
It is about standing aside on stairways and in doorways to allow our seniors to go by.
It is about not only littering our environment but being positive about preventing littering as a mark of respect for those who work with us and those who visit us.
The impact of the War needs to be more strongly felt in the pubic sector. More public sector organizations need to sign on as "Good Manners Zones". This ought to make more persons conscious of the behavior change that is still necessary.