In an environment riddled with bad customer relations, analysts have advocated a change that would make the public and private sector businesses see the need to begin to practise good work ethics that would invariably translate to a productive economy; BENJAMIN UMUTEME writes.
In Nigeria, many businesses and individuals have over the years behaved as if they are doing their customers a favour. Rather than the saying that the customer is king, they tend to think they are the king while their customers were to kowtow to their wimps and caprices.
This situation has affected many businesses with many struggling due to wrong customer relations or what experts call unethical behavior in workplaces.
Ethics
Ethics is the attempt to arrive at an understanding of the nature of human values, of how we ought to live, and of what constitutes right conduct. It can also mean an identity view of integrity, acting in a way that reflects your sense of who you are.
Public ethics is an attempt to find guidance for the right conduct in public service. Ethical behaviour means acting in a way which reflects a company’s value system.
Workplace ethics can be defined as the standard of conduct and sets of values within a work environment: Right attitude, correct behaviour, respect for others and effective communication in the work environment.
It can also be said to be a situation where a person who demonstrates ethical behavior demonstrates a strong moral code and a consistent set of values. Ethics can be rooted in belief or the pursuit of making the world better. Those who exemplify ethical behavior do the right thing regardless of whether they get credit for it. This sort of behavior is not limited to the workplace; it can be present in every facet of life.
In a business setting, ethical behavior applies to any employee, team lead or supervisor. They should display behavior that is honest and fair in their relationships with co-workers and their clients.
Displaying good ethical behavior can boost company morale and client relations. It’s easier for a business to retain employees when they work for a company that they believe in. Employees want to work for companies that treat everyone and their clients fairly and have good and ethical business practices.
A high ethical standard extends to customers as well. A reputation for positive ethical behavior entices more potential clients, customers and partners to work with you. It also builds customer loyalty over time, creating a customer base that is likely to refer your business to others.
Right work attitude
Speaking at a recent Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) Servicom Day symposium, the Director-General, Ayodeji A. Gbeleyi, noted that the increasing need to deliver quality service to Nigerians for greater impact, public service employees must be willing to embrace the right work ethics.
Speaking on the theme for the 2024 SERVICOM Customer Service Week titled “Above and Beyond,” the DG said that attitudinal and behavioural ethics in the workplace play a pivotal role in shaping organisational culture, driving employee engagement, and fostering trust among stakeholders.
According to him, these ethics help to create a positive and productive work environment.
He said, “We will reflect on the various ways to foster and navigate the right ethics that can reshape our work culture, ensuring we derive value from our efforts and expertise. The impact of these ethics can be far-reaching, influencing employee behaviour, organisational culture and overall service excellence.
“This theme highlights the importance of frontline service providers, emphasizes team spirit within the workforce, and underscores its positive impact on the Bureau. More importantly, it raises awareness of the value of excellent customer service in our operations.
“The Bureau is committed to delivering on its mandate, and we pledge to uphold our core values (Integrity-Transparency, Professionalism, Accountability, Result-Orientation and Teamwork (I-PART), which are aligned with the goals of Servicom.”
Customer satisfaction key
In the same vein, the National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer Servicom, Mrs. Nnenna Akajemeli, noted that as the service delivery expectation of Nigerians continues to rise, going above and beyond should be the watch word of all government employees.
“Service is not just about meeting basic needs; it’s about creating memorable experiences for stakeholders that foster loyalty and trust.
“A positive attitude among employees fosters collaboration, enhances communication, and promotes a culture of respect and support for staff, and stakeholders.
“…let us note that ethical behavior shapes not only the reputation of an organisation but also its internal culture, employee morale, and overall effectiveness. These play pivotal roles in influencing workplace dynamics and outcomes,” she said.
Wrong work ethics
An Associate Professor of Finance, Emory University, Atlanta,Georgia, USA, Gonzalo Maturana, believes that wrong work ethics have led to loss of credibility, reduced productivity, toxic work environment, financial consequences, a lack of trust and sub-optimal labour supply.
“Unethical behavior can damage a company’s reputation and make it difficult to maintain long-term relationships with customers. Employees may be less productive when they are not acting ethically. Technological and institutional features of labour markets can lead to a sub-optimal amount of labour being supplied to the economy,” he said.
In the public service in Nigeria, unethical practice is a norm with many seeing it as an avenue to enrich themselves at the expense of the country. The most frequent practices in the service is using one’s position to help friends or family, and bending the rules under pressure from superiors. Despite the glaring anomalies, many see it as a no-man’s job and would rather throw ethics to the wind all in a bid to get personal gratification.
What experts say
For Akajemeli, the impact of ethical behaviour in the workplace transcends and helps to shape an organisation’s reputation either for good or for bad.
“In highlighting the impact of attitudinal and behavioral ethics in the workplace let us note that ethical behavior shapes not only the reputation of an organisation but also its internal culture, employee morale, and overall effectiveness. These play pivotal roles in influencing workplace dynamics and outcomes.”
The Executive Director, Save The Consumer Initiative, Aliyu Ilias, told Blueprint Weekend that unethical behavior affects an organisation’s competitiveness and overall profitability.
According to him, every organisation should be able to spell out in black and white to all staff its key performance indicators (KPI) as it will help to better project the business.
He said, “A lot of companies have closed shop due to bad customer experience. This has happened since Covid-19 where people had little money to purchase goods and there is competition, so I think it has shown over time that if you have bad customer service in your organization, you will definitely lose profit, it will show in your bottom line that you are not doing well. And it will also affect your competition because people want to go to where they are well treated and they have good experience. That is just the fact.
“Then, in terms of bad work ethics, any company that does not have an organised KPI, SNA, would definitely have issue in-terms of productivity because when staff do not know what to do per time, and they do not have work ethics it becomes a difficult issues and it will also show in the bottom line because the culture of workplace matter at times and it has proportionate impact to output because when someone is lackadaisical in his work, people that are diligent will definitely get better. So, a diligent office with diligent staff will definitely do better compared to a company that does not have a good work ethic or an organogram that will show staff what to do.
“Now, there is a difference when we talk about policy and procedure. So, any company that has policy and procedure would definitely excel better compared to others.”
Again, the Servicom boss said, “That people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” quoting the words of Maya Angelou.
