Employee Apathy: Who is at Fault?

Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on February 22, 2010 under Employee Moments, Expectations, making a difference | Be the First to Comment

I’m a member of the Customer 1st LinkedIn group and about three months ago Teri Yanovitch posted this discussion starter:

Attitude of indifference by employees

 Being treated with the attitude of indifference is as bad if not worse than being treated with rudeness.

Now usually someone will post a discussion point and there will be comments for a few days and then people move on to the next topic but this discussion has been continuing as one of the top items in the group for the entire three months.  Everyone agrees that indifference is just as bad as outright rudeness.  The discussions have talked more about the root of the problem. Some blame the economy or a lack of training or a lack of motivation or hiring the wrong people or bottom line management but the general consensus is that there is a growing problem with the attitude of our nation’s employees and how they treat customers. 

My take?  It is a culture thing.  If the company culture is one that focuses on sales and profitability before customers – then sooner or later the customer becomes a distraction or an interruption in the day rather than our reason for being.

However, if everyone is dedicated to uncovering and resolving the customer’s needs then the sales and profitablity will take care of itself.  Customers remember when they’ve truly been seen as important rather than cash in the register.

So I ask you – what do you think?  Is it just this younger generation that doesn’t understand the value of the customer?  Is it a lack of training and focus?  Are we hiring indifferent people?