If You Want To Win a Contract, Try Saying ‘PLEASE’

A survey by Cambridge based public relations company, Real PR Consultants LLP, has revealed that basic business discourtesy and rudeness could be costing companies valuable contracts.

The aim of the survey, which was circulated to one hundred businesses in Cambridge and beyond, was to determine if professional good manners (or the lack of them) had an impact on whether a customer won a contract, and the answer was a resounding ‘Yes’.

“The majority of companies (76%) that responded to the survey said that rudeness would put them off awarding a contract and that bad manners could cost customers or suppliers an existing piece of work,” says Damion Clark, a partners with Real PR.

Examples of contract killing rudeness include: not checking the spelling of a recipient’s name in a letter or email, or not bothering to find out the name of a contact.  One crucial failing that infuriated over 60% of recipients was failing to return phone calls rapidly.

Aiden Foggerty, former founder of hugely successful company Hotels Now, shares this view, “In America, if you call someone about buying goods or services and they are not there, you are called straight back.  In the UK it sometimes takes a week or you never receive a call at all.  It is the mark of a company how well and how quickly they respond to potential clients.  I emailed a 24/7 concierge service recently and it took them five days to come back to me…I didn’t join.”

Other examples of corporate rudeness that figure as potential business losers are: being ignored by a receptionist, being held in a telephone queue without anyone coming back to you,  and being kept waiting for a meeting without an explanation (59%).

Major grievances also include being continually interrupted during a conversation or feeling that a supplier thinks they know best and who won’t listen to, or follow a brief.

“For a number companies surveyed, the greatest business foot fault is where a potential client simply refuses to relay the results of a business pitch.  The effort and expense of presenting for a piece of work can be significant”, says Damion, adding: “There are instances where some of our respondents simply never hear from a potential client again.  This lack of professional courtesy is as frustrating as it is rude.”

According to Liam FitzPatrick, an internal relations specialist from Working Communication Strategies, who also took part in the survey, “People think that business life boils down to a series of financial transactions – but clever business people know that a good relationship gets more than money can buy; staff who put in extra effort, suppliers who deliver early and even customers who are tolerant of the occasional mistake.”

Not showing even basic good manners in business can cost contracts and inflict long term damage to a company’s reputation.

At a time when the government is keen to promote the social advantages of respect, this survey has shown that some businesses could benefit from learning that same simple lesson.

For more information, please contact Real PR on 01223 492130 or email info@realpublicrelations.com