The working world is always changing, but over the past few years it has perhaps seen more change than ever before. Contributor – Irma Hunkeler, Head of Operations – BlueGlass.co.uk

A combination of technology, flexible working practices, powerful emerging economies and more has created a landscape of fluidity, difference and pace. Today companies are more likely to have relaxed dress codes, use more freelance resource and speak to clients and customers through digital means. But for some, this has meant a sacrifice in terms of professionalism.

While new ways of working have come in, older, agreed forms of etiquette have started to slip by the wayside. What’s more, the world is going global – these days it’s perfectly normal to have staff on the other side of the globe, or have customers in a completely different country. But are you and your employees equipped to meet the unique cultural demands this imposes? Here are five reasons you should send your employees on a business etiquette course.

It helps them communicate both digitally and in person
The rise of digital communication has seen a drop in the number of face-to-face interactions between businesses and customers. While this has brought many positives – more opportunity for customer service and speedy response times to name just two – it has meant that when a physical interaction does arise, staff who are used to communicating via email or live chat could feel uneasy when required to speak to someone in person. A business etiquette course helps ground employees in the traditional values of the physical meeting, ensuring your company’s reputation doesn’t slip.

It ensures they don’t come unstuck in a foreign environment
Doing global business has many rewards, but one crucial facet many companies ignore is ensuring their employees are up to speed on local business practices. Given a social faux pas could make or break a much-needed deal, it’s crucial that your people have the training they need to avoid inadvertently causing offence. All over the world there are many customs unique to each country. According to research into business etiquette by Expedia, these are varied. Did you know, for example, that in Brazil, it’s perfectly normal to be interrupted while you are speaking or making a presentation? Or that in Japan it’s common practice to give the most senior person present at a meeting a small gift as a token of respect?

It promotes respect and courtesy
At some point in their career, everyone is likely to endure a bad working experience to some degree, whether it’s blatant unprofessionalism, workplace bullying or something else. Such nasty experiences can be minimised by sending your staff on business etiquette training – not only does it help them understand how to treat other people with respect and courtesy, it means they will know how to respond if they find themselves in a negative situation. Such training engenders and fosters a culture of respect that will not only filter out across your organisation, but also the wider world – your dealings with clients, suppliers and the community.

It fosters better customer service
In the past, customer service was usually experienced in two ways: on the phone, or in person, such as in a bank or retail store. Today, customer service is much more multi-faceted – it could take place via email, a live chat platform or, increasingly, on a social media platform like Twitter or Facebook. This diversification of the customer service suite has given customers much more opportunity to get in touch, and, when it works, is considered a great success. But there are also lots of horror stories – the time Virgin Trains apologised for sending a tweet described as sexist in response to a customer complaint, for example. Etiquette training can help upskill staff in various forms of personal communication, ensuring they treat people with dignity and respect and know how to judge situations appropriately.

It helps improve staff and client turnover
Employees trained in business etiquette know how to handle complex situations, speak to people with respect and are able to cope with unexpected problems – wherever they are in the world. For many businesses, employee and client turnover is a big problem, but with etiquette training you will be making great strides in reducing any churn problems you may have. Employees are likely to have good job satisfaction if they feel well trained and feel that they work for a business that promotes mutual respect – and we know job satisfaction is linked to employee turnover. The same applies for clients – if your customers feel that they’re dealing with a company that knows them and understands them, then they’re much more likely to put pen to paper when it comes to contract re-negotiation.