That's so Rude!

Did anyone catch the program on 20/20 a few days ago, That’s so Rude: What’s Happened to Manners in America? Great program that not only focused on how rude we are, but what some of us are trying to do about it!

If you missed the show I must tell you about Cynthia. She was armed and dangerous with her cell phone and Blackberry. She had a very successful business because she made herself available to her customers 24/7. She had been booted out of Starbucks, the golf course, the post office and who knows where else. I’m positive that included most every restaurant in her city as well. Answering the phone and serving her customers was commendable, but at the expense of friends while dining? Hopefully they will boot her out soon too.

I loved the section on the teenagers in Japan. Great clip on the culture of the Japanese and how we in America seem to be exporting our behaviors through our movies and television programs. Go figure!

According to the 20/20 poll, 84% of the respondents see people being rude or disrespectful and 59% say it really bothers them. What’s the prescription against rudeness? A good dose was on an etiquette consultant in New Jersey teaching classes to children on how to behave. My hat goes off to the parents in Freehold who have employed her services. They get it! If they don’t have time to teach it then at least they had the wherewithal to hire someone!

What’s the bottom line with rudeness? If you are rude, you turn people off. How do you increase your sales or improve your interactions with others when you do that?