Be Nice!
06/10/10Some companies who have monopolies and government departments are discovering the hard way that it pays to be nice. Notice the recent ads by the IRS claiming that they're a kinder, gentler, more service oriented department. These changes didn't come about from the goodness of their hearts. Instead, outraged taxpayers testified in front of a Senate Committee about IRS abuses and the Senate threatened to severely regulate the agency. Or notice Entergy's hysteria about possible deregulation of utilities that would allow consumers to choose their own power company. Entergy has been rude to customers for a long time, and realizes all the ill will that has built up due to their arrogant behavior.
Remember what you learned in kindergarten--be nice. Doing so doesn't mean that you've given up all authority or have invited people to walk all over you. (I didn't say to have your spine removed.) Instead, being nice gives you greater power because it allows you to get your message across. People who don't feel threatened are a lot less likely to tune you out when you say something they would rather not hear.
Realize that there are some situations where a curt (but not rude) tone is appropriate, and too much stroking of the reader's ego may undermine your purposes. For example, if your are attempting to collect a debt from someone who hasn't made an attempt to pay the bill in the past 120 days and you have already sent numerous late notices, you are in a situation where there's no hope of reconciliation. Do you really want this dead beat for a future customer anyway? An overly polite note may cause this person to believe that you aren't serious in your debt collection efforts. A curt, to the point letter stating a payment deadline and consequences for missing that date would send a much stronger message. But Remember, You Can't Always Be Nice