Time out. Reflect. Respect

I regularly experienced being talked down to when I worked as a security officer. Non more so when working at events. Some people simply do not want to be told what they can and can’t do. Often the more significant the title, salary, and level of authority, the more prominent the ego and feeling of self-importance ultimately the ruder the person.

I have a busy day ahead, but following an email, to which I was copied, between my colleague and a client, who neither of us has ever met face to face, I decided to park my work and write this post. Maybe, just maybe, someone reads this who has forgotten that they also started their career as a junior, apprentice or trainee and had to work their way up in their organisation and realises that it is not acceptable to be rude.

I remember when I first arrived in the UK. A foreigner (fresh off the boat as some like to point out) speaking broken English in a strong Afrikaans accent, employed as a security officer on minimum wage. I guess I was an easy target for the store manager on a store refurbishment project. After a few weeks of having orders barked out at my colleagues and me by said Manager, I stopped one of my fellow security officers from carrying out one of the Manager’s rude instructions. He quickly reminded me that he paid all our wages and that I would be off-site at the snap of a finger. Not generally one to shy away from confrontation and being pushed too far, I decided that the threats were not going to be enough to bully me into submission, so I challenged his behaviour. The discussion got heated, and the construction site manager approached us and intervened. To my surprise, he supported me, pointed out to the store manager that we were contracted to the construction company, and we were to work to his direction and not the store manager. This encounter had a happy ending for me, but many people would not have been so lucky. More often than not, the security officer would be removed from the site for merely wanting to be treated with common decency and respect.

I appreciate that you are the client, and you pay my invoice. I appreciate that you entrust me as a supplier and give me the opportunity to work with you when there are many companies who might be able to offer the same service. However, I do not buy into the “the client is always right” philosophy. Mistakes happen, and things go wrong, but we take responsibility for any of our mistakes and will work with our clients to correct them. When you decide to abuse your position to take advantage of the situation, treat the supplier as some would treat the security guard, “fresh off the boat” with his foreign accent and minimum wage, then my team and I would rather not engage with you in the future.

It isn’t difficult. Treat people like you want to be treated. Remember, to earn the respect of another; you must behave respectfully. It’s actually that simple.