Please and Thank You!

Remember the days when we used to pass someone on the sidewalk, smile, and say hi? I hope so, it was less than two years ago that this type of interaction was a social norm. It seems like the pandemic has given people a courtesy lobotomy. Now, people divert their eyes from others, walk oddly off the sidewalk and onto the grass when they pass, and they are most certainly put off at the thought of saying hello.

I recently read an article from an event industry publication that referenced a Time Magazine article about how rude people are these days. It was fascinating. Not in a good way but in a “I-can’t-believe-how-we-human-beings-have-changed” way. The article referenced the statistic that, by its publication in September 2021, the FAA had racked up over 1 million dollars in “unruly behavior” fines. 

The Hospitality and Tourism industry took a huge hit. This includes restaurants, caterers, airlines, hotels, convention centers, event planners, and all of the associated organizations and support services related to each of the above. Everyone is having trouble getting staff to return to work for a variety of reasons. As I am working with a team of people to plan a 3-day in-person event in January, we are encountering the effects of this in varying ways. The inability to get supplies due to supply chain shortages and overseas transport delays, labor strikes by union workers versus day laborers, and furloughed sales and convention staff leading to slow response times on mission-critical planning details to name a few.

Everyone who IS showing up is doing the work of more than one person, oftentimes working outside of their normal skillset, and guaranteed is working longer hours. When you do have the opportunity to visit a hotel, dine in a restaurant, or attend a conference and experience a delay or challenge with your service, pause before you respond. I can tell you from the event planner’s side, we have been working earnestly to overcome as many hurdles as possible with far fewer resources than ever before. Thank those who HAVE shown up and are tending to your needs.

I’m sure life will always be different after we have collectively experienced a global pandemic together as a world community. We’ll never go “back to” anything like it was before, we’ll always be moving forward. We can, however, remember how to behave like human beings and treat others how we would like to be treated.

Have you seen the shift in common courtesy? Do you have a humorous story to share? You can email me or share it with us here.

I’d love to have you share this blog with others who plan meetings and events!