Plain courtesy a manner of speaking

A RECENT INTERNATIONAL tourism survey showed that British tourists had the worst behaviour and lacked courtesy when travelling abroad.

Britain may lead the way with its lack of manners, but I can't help feeling that most of the 'civilised' world is becoming less and less civilised. This decrease in courtesy is accompanied by an increase in 'political correctness' that ostensibly respects differences by rightly holding that they are not grounds for discrimination but do not seem to be leading to a more moral or just society.

Children may be encouraged to discuss the sins of sexism, racism and homophobia (except in those places where they are not considered sins) but they are not taught manners. Morals are about right and wrong, but what is considered right or wrong can differ greatly. Manners are based on respect for others, surely fundamental for a free or civilised society.

It is easy to dismiss manners as superficial. Why show courtesy to people you don't know just because they are, say, older or women? Superficial or not, good manners have a more general and benevolent effect than morals in the abstract because they can be practised daily and involve others directly. Moral issues are bigger but - except among the truly religious - do not get much daily consideration beyond what is enshrined in the law - for example, that it is wrong to kill people or to steal. And although it is possible to 'smile and smile and be a villain', I would guess that there is some connection between genuine good manners and a deeper sense of morality.

Respect for others is not just an individual matter. How companies behave towards their customers and the community (including all 'stakeholders') is increasingly important in these days of corporate greed and dishonesty. Respect and courtesy cover everything from how the phones are answered to environmental matters.

It is bad manners, and bad business, to have a telephone system that makes it impossible to talk to anyone or leaves you hanging on - all the more annoying if a voice keeps telling you that someone will be with you shortly. It is bad manners, I think, for a Web site to serve up unrequested ads. Or, as has just happened in the United States, for ATM machines to show ads when you are trying to take out some money or check your bank balance. When asked what he thought of this latest medium, New York-based Jerry & Ketchum Inc chairman Jerry Della Femina said he didn't think much of it: 'We're in the business of making friends. You don't make friends by being discourteous or irritating. Targeted messages from the bank in question may work and even be welcome at times. But ads for other brands are questionable and more likely to be seen as being in the bank's interest rather than the customer's.'

There has been an increase in advertising in what is called 'ambient media'. This includes messages on cows, in urinals, on floors or projected on buildings. Anything is fair game. If it is an empty space, maybe someone can put an ad in it. I am in favour of advertising broadening its applications so long as it is relevant to the brand and the business and not offensive or unnecessarily intrusive. As with traditional advertising, there will be some good examples and many more bad ones. In Australia recently, Vodaphone sanctioned a stunt that involved two streakers interrupting a rugby international match at a crucial moment, although Vodaphone claimed it didn't know what the stunt actually involved.