Ever notice how often Christmas brings out the worst in people? Let’s be honest. There are a number of businesses out there that only contact you for three reasons during the year: One is to sell you something, another is to send you an invoice or give you a receipt, and the last one is to send you a Christmas card or email telling you to have a Happy Whatever. So, during this time of year, you can expect to receive about one-third of their correspondence, which probably explains at least part of the reason why it’s so fancy: you’ve paid for it with a different third.
Personally, I get rather annoyed when companies who have only sold me something or have managed to take money off me the rest of the year in some other way (think utilities) then have the nerve to send me a Christmas card. I feel like saying, “No thanks, chum. Just take it off my bill.” I’m sure that none of you behave like this, so let’s just shake our collective heads and heave a big sigh.
There will be critics out there who say I’m just being cynical, but that’s not the way I see it. Yes, it’s good to be kind to people, but there’s no reason to confine it to one week on either side of Christmas, nor is it necessary to wait for the other person to blink first. Showing consideration for our suppliers and our customers (including the ones in our organizations) is a gift we can give them all year long; after all, it’s not just for Christmas.
Tags: Christmas, different styles of leadership, employability, interpersonal communication skills