The decay of business rules

Is business etiquette still relevant and useful today?

Admittedly, we have now passed through special times with lockdowns, mandatory remote work, quarantine measures, supply chain problems, challenges in logistics due to the blocked Suez Canal or restrictions due to the sanctions in the wake of the Ukraine war. Many entrepreneurs will say, we are still in the middle of it with regard to the effects!

The decay of business-rules

From a purely technical point of view, we can quickly offer solutions here. However, what we hear from our customers, suppliers, business partners and also from differents associations about peoples’s interpersonal interactions in day-to-day business is currently causing us great concern. Here, topics come up such as:

• Business partners are difficult to reach and requests to call back are simply ignored.
• Appointments (off- and online) are not kept and no one is informed that an appointment has fallen through. Apologies for this are usually not forthcoming.
• Payment morale has deteriorated, although it can be proven that liquidity is usually available.
• Services are used and products are purchased, but the value or payment for them is being questioned.
• Handshake mentality is much less common – along with forgetfulness of verbal agreements.
• Suppliers are insistently demanded to perform, but the necessary work or payment by the customer does not take place as agreed.
• Personal contact is increasingly avoided. Complex problems are discussed via e-mail, which often leads to misunderstandings and miscommunication. In most cases, a short phone call would help to solve the problem more quickly.
• Even in sales calls, AI-based robots are now being used instead of taking action themselves and in person. As already posted a few weeks ago, this results in massively unnecessary and incorrect contact, which in turn generates anger and displeasure.
• Online marketing agencies are popping up and want to revolutionize recruitment and sales. Unfortunately, the offers are often not characterized by quality and success, but by wishful thinking.

The importance of business-rules

Discussions with a local sociologist clearly confirm to us that due to the last years an “alienation” has taken place in society, which has promoted this behavior and makes cooperation more difficult. It is up to us to shape our daily interaction in a humane way and to ensure that through – modern, but also fair – business rules our daily work remains not only pleasant and professional, but also at a level that can ensure joint success for our companies, respectively our economy. After all, this is one of the cornerstones of our modern society. Without a functioning economy there are no jobs, without jobs there are no wages, and without wages there is no purchasing power. And very importantly, without human and professional interaction at eye level, there would be no enjoyment of work. And this is the basis for an efficient and innovative society. Especially in these times of change.

In this respect, we would like to use this article to shake people up and remind them of the values that were so successful in the past – values that our families also taught us in childhood – and to call for more humanity, communication, understanding and togetherness. Because you can only be successful if you work together! And this also includes adhering to basic business rules.