Why don't people have pride?

[willowman]

Why don't a lot of people have pride in their work anymore?
Before you all jump on me, I know most people do their jobs to the best of their ability,, but more and more I feel that more people just couldn't care less.
A couple of examples, one postman we had looked like an extra from Pirates of the Carribean, with his scarf tied round his head, shirt hanging out of his cut off trousers and his scruffy trainers. No attempt to look smart and no pride in his appearance at all.
Our binmen empty the wheelie bins and just chuck them back somewhere near to where they were, instead of putting them back in the right place.
Bus drivers always seem to be grumpy, take your money without a please or thank you or a smile.
I've had many jobs, from sales manager to postie and delivery driver, and I've always tried to be a good representative for my company, to be polite and courteous. I'm beginning to think I'm the exception.

[Theland]

If employees feel valued, surely they will take pride in their work? And if not?
Taking pride sometimes takes time, quality comes with a cost. Many firms don't want to be burdened with the cost.

[mibn2cweus]

Might be Pastafarians attempting to assuage global warming or maybe they do not want to be mistaken for these guys.

[willowman]

Good points, Theland and caz.
Theland - when I was a postie I got annoyed with people who didn't do the job properly. They used to say "We aren't paid enough". My reply was "So if your pay was doubled tomorrow, would you do things better, and put more effort into your work?" However much they agreed we both knew that nothing would change, they would just take the money and run.
caz - so what you're saying is, if the boss treats the workers with disrespect then the workers can take it out on the customers. The customers should not have to bear the brunt of this, the worker should sort it out with his boss.
Again when I was a postie I was called a brown noser because I was freindly with management. I tried to explain to people that if you go round calling the manager a f******
w**ker all year they are hardly going to help you when you need a favour. Somehow you have to break the circle of managers hate the workers and workers hate the management.

[Jovica]

I think it's just the way of the world these days. Kids don't have respect for teachers, their parents etc so how are they going to have respect for their customers. People over value their own worth to a company and expect mega bucks for shoddy work manship whereas they should provide a good service or their customers will walk. Unfortunately bin men and post men are both members of huge unions who can bring the country to its knees so what can we do?

[Siamsal]

Whilst, as jovica says, it seems to be the way things are now, I'd also add the current culture of 'expendible employees'. Far too many people are insecure in their jobs. They know that given half a chance, and there being sufficient additional profit in it, their jobs would exported to India or Poland or wherever, at the drop of hat.

A few decades ago, people would stay with the same company for years, and work their way up. This resulted in a pride in the company as well as their own job.

But if you think you might be redundant next month, why bother doing a good job?

[lafrancaise]

It might be because they aren't getting anything out of being polite and not losing anything by not being so. Here in France the posties and bin men (haven't seen a woman doing the job) come round at the end of the year 'selling' calendars, the firemen do too. You give whatever you want, so of course the better the service the more you give. They all have a good reputation over here.....

[noxlumos]

I don't care what people look like, it's how well they do their job, with regards to your scruffy postman, but I do agree that by and large a lot of public service people are just rude and incompetant, but then like lafrancaise says we usde to "tip" bin men etc, that doesn't seem to happen much anymore.

[willowman]

Sorry noxlumos I disagree. If you went to see a solicitor or doctor who dressed like a tramp, would you have confidence that they could do their job well? If a person can't be bothered to take some effort with their appearence then they can't be bothered to do their job properly.
About 35 years ago in Nottingham we had a street sweeper who wore a suit and trilby hat to do his job. He was featured in the local press, and he said he was proud to be doing what he considered the very important job of keeping the town clean and tidy, so he dressed accordingly.
That's what I mean by taking a pride in your work.
Every job, however trivial, is important and the person who does it is important. I know a lot of managers don't think like this.
Factories can't function without the bloke who cleans the floor and machines, communities can't function without people doing the humble jobs (remember the councl workers strikes many years ago). So we have to respect these workers; but respect is not given, it is earned.
And people who dress and act like slobs do not earn respect.

[Bugsysiegel]

What incentive is there for the Postman to make an effort? The Royal Mail are a rubbish employer. The pay is low and the management are a bunch of buffoons. There is no incentive for these people to go "above and beyond the call of duty". Maybe in the 60s a Postman was proud to wear the uniform (and would probably object to being called a postie may I add!!) I would like to say however my Postman always dresses well and is reliable - the only thing that bugs me is that he doesnt put the post all the way through the letterbox!!.

[shaneystar2]

My son is an HGV driver ..cost him mucho money to get his licence .We live in a low unemployment area ..he's not lazy or grumpy and has a job with a timber merchant but he doesn't always feel like giving 100 % when the management treat all their staff like serfs,speak to them like dirt , patronise them at every opportunity and run their operation as if they were still using horses and carts . And ..pay minimum wage if they can get away with it..It's no wonder some employees are disillusioned . It works both ways.

[noxlumos]

Well my dentist was a rastafarian who used to wear the coolest jeans and a Bob Marley T shirt under his white coat and it really didn't bother me because I hope I can see past the way someone CHOOSES to present themselves. He was an excellent dentist, young and very on the ball with new techniques and I was always very pleased with his work, wheras the last one who was more smartly dressed wasn't fit to knock out a horses' teeth with a hammer to be honest. I just want good manners, the job to be done efficiently and with some care and a cutomer friendly based operation. I don;t think pride comes into how you dress, because that is subjective to each person.

[mibn2cweus]

At the end of the day it matters not who else respects you if you have no respect for the person you see when you take a hard look deep inside yourself beyond what you see in the mirror.

[britannia74]

What a good post!
I'm fed up with lousy unhelpful shop assistants. If they don't like the job then they should get out!!
Bosses should be on the shop floor more monitoring their staff - a few times I have refused to go in a shop because of the service I have received in the past. Must be bad for business!