Viewpoints
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Pia Pere-Vanhanen: The Let’s Behave Ourselves message hit the mark
Have you seen the online video with the human-like animal characters, dressed in coats and carrying purses, demonstrating bad behaviour in stores? A gorilla ploughs into people with his shopping trolley, a rude chicken skips greetings and niceties.
The Let's Behave Ourselves campaign video became familiar to many Finns in December and January when the Finnish Commerce Federation, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Working Life 2020 project, Service Union United (PAM) and Finnish Grocery Trade Association worked together to campaign against bad behaviour.
Many of the people who saw the video online recognised the subject and saw its relevance to daily life. The link was evident in online discussions, social media likes, journalistic interest in the subject and feedback received by partners.
The link to daily life is confirmed by the study conducted by the Finnish Commerce Federation, with 63 per cent of the commercial respondents reporting that foul-mouthing and belittling of personnel had increased. Of consumers, 30 per cent had encountered disruptions caused by other customers in different customer service situations, and 52 per cent of them occurred in stores.
Many are trying to understand why these things are happening. Has the rude behaviour seen all too often on social media been transferred to face-to-face communication? Does the right to one’s opinion also mean the right to be offensive or rude?
The goal of the communications campaign is to make consumers consider their own roles in the occupational wellbeing of sales clerks and other people working in customer service, and to strengthen the positive cycle that comes from employee wellbeing, good customer service and, ultimately, the success of the company.
The campaign was launched in the busiest season for retail trade, Christmas, as it often causes additional stress due to the rush. The discussion will continue in the spring, as the subject is by no means closed. We still increasingly need people to put themselves in the other person’s shoes. Let’s create a positive cycle!
You can view the Let’s Behave Ourselves campaign videos at Facebook.com/ollaanihmisiksikaupassa/
#Ollaanihmisiksi #Vänligtbemött
Pia Pere-Vanhanen, Communications Director of the Finnish Commerce Federation
