I am frequently amazed by the lightning speed with which things change in our ever-evolving, high-tech world. What was the far-fetched stuff science fiction was made of a few years ago is now the norm.
Telephones that beam pictures along with the callers' voices, the Internet at warp speed and cell phones in the poorest villages of the world - such is the stuff of our life today. But as with all things that gallop forward, there are some things that never change -namely people's attitudes.
Recently my husband, Wayne, a telephony fanatic, got his hands on a directive from the Chicago Telephone Company dated Oct. 28, 1911. Written by an L.C. Jones, plant supervisor, the two-page missive, "Rules for Troublemen," is a mini lesson in customer service and what it takes to succeed in the telephone business.
Some of the rules are hilarious. Jones urged his men (and they all were male in those days) to make sure they had more than a passing acquaintance with good hygiene.
"Put up a good front," he extolled. "Overalls can look as respectable as anything else, but they must at least show that they are on speaking terms with the laundryman Do not tie up [your wagon] harness with wire longer than is necessary to get proper repairs. The same may be said of your suspenders and buttons."
I wonder what he'd make of the droopy trousers and low cut blouses that many workers now consider de rigueur? There's still a need for suspenders on many fronts.
Wayne, who teaches many telephony courses, got a great charge out of Jones' admonishment to his troublemen to check their attitude.
"If you ever believe that a subscriber is a crank, forget it. All of them are wise enough to tell when a telephone is not working right. Not every troubleman can do this," Jones wrote.
My favourite of the lot is this little gem.
"Treat everybody as you like to be treated, not forgetting your horse. If you want to know the horse's side of it, just take off your coat and hat some zero day, hitch yourself to the same post with your belt, and stand there about two hours. Hereafter, don't forget his blanket."
While many of the rules pertain to the times, the basic underlying message of the value of a good attitude and hard work still rings true today.
Jones reminded his men that they could do more to raise or lower the profits of the company they worked for than anything else, except perhaps a "sleet storm or fire."
If you think that's not true today, just remember how many times you've changed your loyalty to a company because of poor customer service.
An obvious proponent of life-long learning, he told the workers to study their business and to always try to improve the quality of their work. No matter what our chosen field, all of us can find ways to improve our business acumen.
And finally here are three rules crucial to the careers of all men and women: Cultivate friendships with your customers (internal and external) - relationships are at the bottom of all successes. "Carry yourself with dignity, and others will accord it to you." And the last and best piece of advice from Jones: "If you don't like your job, resign. It will be better for you and the Company."
