Professionalism in the work place....WHERE has it gone?

In my years back in the normal working world that doesn't involve thongs, shots and pole dancing I've noticed one thing:

Profressionalism is DEAD

I first went back to banking and worked for the "darkside" of banking, Bank of America. I could write thread upon thread on that experience. I worked in banking previously so I thought, "hey this will be great." Boy was I wrong!

The first branch I worked at I worked with two managers whose personal lives were more important than work. They couldn't careless about clients. It was quite annoying. The assistant manager was around 25 and it was her first time in management, well it showed. She abused her measly "power" any chance she got and it was always directed towards me and one other girl. Why? We weren't her friends outside of work and didn't contribute to her gossipy tirades, we also followed the rules and she use to call us "Barbara's of HR." Not sure where there comes from or how that's insulting since I find Human Resource people quite alright. She use to talk on the phone at her desk about her relationship so loud customers would hear her. She would fight with her BF on the phone, paint her nails, walk the bank with NO shoes, blast rap music and the list goes on. She would complain all day about customers from the moment she walked in the door, it was quite draining for those of us not in her "inner gossip circle." Did I mention she got the job because she knew someone not because she was qualified, he friend was the hiring manager. Anyway, there were many complaints against her yet she stayed.....The actual manager was no better. She was always leaving for her sons baseball games, she acted as if he was a pro league player. She took more vacation than anyone, well maybe not as much as the second manager I dealt with at another location. I ended up begging the regional manager to transfer me, which I did get....finally. Well I thought it would be better, more professional work environment. WRONG! The manager there was a child in the sense he had no idea how to act like a manager. He could dress like one, wore nice suits but that is it. He had never worked in banking in his life. His previous job? A manager from a PET STORE! YEA! Oh but he spoke Spanish and had an AA degree, big deal. I use to tell him all the time that's why he got the job, not because he was qualified but because he fit a quota. Everyone there couldn't stand him nor could customers. He was always at his desk, feet kicked up playing on youtube chewing on gum. He never wanted to do actual work. It drove me absolutely crazy! Well he was eventually transferred to another branch and r Mr. Suit he got put with a BARBARA FROM HR type, someone who had been in banking for 40 years and boy was she old school and she would rip into Mr. Suit. I use to chuckle at the stories I heard from his new location.. Sweet sweet justice.

Well I eventually left the banking world. In short I was tired of working my butt off and doing 5 people's job and getting paid for one. I was labeled part time yet I worked full time so I was getting cheated in benefits and after almost 6 months of them making excuse after excuse I had enough. I mean that had to be illegal in some way.......so off to the insurance world.

SO here I am at my current position, customer service agent for a local insurance company. I love my job. I really do. I wish I got into this business sooner!! What I don't like is how people are, well at least those I deal with directly.

So again we have those who have been in a business for many years who don't seem to give one iota about the customer, just that bottom dollar! It drives me mad. They write policy after policy but don't seem to care if it's done correctly. They preach about doing what's right for the client yet wouldn't doing the policy right the FIRST time be what's best for the client? I am the one who has to correct the mistakes and re-write policies or deal with angry clients whose previous policies were never cancelled and now they have been charged for a policy that should have been cancelled months ago, this happens often. I have brought it to my boss's attention but he is also part of the problem. He seems to brush it off as "oh sales agents don't think like customer service reps." I'm sorry what kind of lame arse excuse is that? I have only been here 6 months and I know what companies require what documentation to be uploaded or how a policy should be written yet these guys and gals constantly screw it up or blame the client. Sure clients may fib here and there but in the 6 mths Iv'e been here and the constant mistakes and errors I see I know it's not the clients, but the agents themselves. It is quite frustrating when you do your job the correct way and you then have to do everyone else's because they don't seem to care if their own job is done right. I mean if they only knew how many clients I've saved over their errors! I just pat myself on the back.....The previous woman who had my position just did it and laughed and said "oh it's so and so" (didn't enter names). I will not correct a grown adults mistake when there is really no reason to have one, let alone have them constantly. It's pure laziness. I mean they wrote the policy, they already got paid yet I'm the one doing the grunt work which is suppose to be done by the agent. When I write a policy there is nobody to correct my errors because I am the one who does it. I don't mind occasional stuff but to constantly mess up everything on a policy is just wrong.

Is it just me or does anyone else notice this? I mean it seems people just do not care anymore. I mean even with dress code, we are suppose to be in business professional yet these woman, in their early 20's, come dressed in skin tight colored jeans and leggings! That is NOT business professional! It was the same at the bank and It boggles my mind. I never use to feel overdressed at work but now I do. In my opinion when you dress professional you carry yourself better. It just seems like now a days it's all about the sale and not the actual work or the client. I see this even in day to day shopping or interaction. When was the last time you actually had a cashier count back your change and not just toss it in your hand? I will count it every time in front of them and they look at me like I'm crazy.

This isn't a rant but an observation I've noticed in my last two jobs that I didn't experience pre bar days. Professionalism was a good thing and was something everyone worked towards. I actually had my boss recently tell me I was too nice because I help customers too much. I looked at him and said "That's not being too nice, that is my job." I have worked in customer service for 20 years. I earned awards from companies like Sprint, HSBC, Fleet Bank, First Union (now WellsFargo), Verizon all for CS! What happened to it?!


Please share your stories....

I think that big companies don`t care about professionalism anymore because there is a lot less competition in the market place,they don`t have compete or work to get customers or retain them. with little to no competition the big companies can just sit back and wait for new customers to come to them.
if you have the only water well in a desert you don`t have treat your customers right or go looking for customers.No matter how you treat your customers they`ll be back for more water.

originally posted by: bluechevytree
I think that big companies don`t care about professionalism anymore because there is a lot less competition in the market place,they don`t have compete or work to get customers or retain them. with little to no competition the big companies can just sit back and wait for new customers to come to them.
if you have the only water well in a desert you don`t have treat your customers right or go looking for customers.No matter how you treat your customers they`ll be back for more water.

I work for a small local insurance company. so I don't think that has anything to do with it, maybe some of it.

From my observation it starts at training. They do not train people like they use to. They train them to SELL SELL SELL even if your job isn't to sell. When I worked for the bank, if I hadn't worked in banking previously I would have been lost! No wonder the turnover rate is so high. They train you to sell the products not do actual banking and learn the federal laws you should know! It's crazy. When I worked for BOA I couldn't believe how meetings focused purely on sales, same with my job now. Don't even get me started on Grant Cardone and how my boss was conned into buying his crap and spending $20k on his program. It's a joke. People should know the product and customer service and from there sales come easily because you know what you are doing and people are willing to listen. Bombarding people with sales calls, emails, texts and so on imo is not professional and will just piss off most people.

I think we're a debased culture with debased standards.

You referenced the leggings and tight jeans, but have you seen the things people will think acceptable to wear in public? Pajamas and the like.

When the large corporations and companies starting treating their employees as simple numbers, this is the end result. It does appear to be all about the bottom line instead of taking pride in the product itself.

This is the direct result of how these corporations treat others. I can't really blame them for treating the company exactly like they are treated themselves. Also management should be one of the toughest jobs out there if done right. I rarely see it being done right anymore, imho. It is all about the status and title and not about the enormous amount of work the position requires.

a reply to: mblahnikluver

I work with a team of highly educated, professional, experienced engineers. I am actually the director of our regional outfit.


If I walked into the building and saw monkeys flinging poo and taking a pee on the office copier, I'd ask when did I trade up?

originally posted by: mblahnikluver

originally posted by: bluechevytree
I think that big companies don`t care about professionalism anymore because there is a lot less competition in the market place,they don`t have compete or work to get customers or retain them. with little to no competition the big companies can just sit back and wait for new customers to come to them.
if you have the only water well in a desert you don`t have treat your customers right or go looking for customers.No matter how you treat your customers they`ll be back for more water.

I work for a small local insurance company. so I don't think that has anything to do with it, maybe some of it.

From my observation it starts at training. They do not train people like they use to. They train them to SELL SELL SELL even if your job isn't to sell. When I worked for the bank, if I hadn't worked in banking previously I would have been lost! No wonder the turnover rate is so high. They train you to sell the products not do actual banking and learn the federal laws you should know! It's crazy. When I worked for BOA I couldn't believe how meetings focused purely on sales, same with my job now. Don't even get me started on Grant Cardone and how my boss was conned into buying his crap and spending $20k on his program. It's a joke. People should know the product and customer service and from there sales come easily because you know what you are doing and people are willing to listen. Bombarding people with sales calls, emails, texts and so on imo is not professional and will just piss off most people.

That's very true. Over here in the UK, some of the banks were more interested in selling loans, mortgages, credit cards and to get customers to rack up debts of thousands of pounds through debt and insurance scams (PPI). That blew up and sank those banks into deep debt to the point that they needed bailing out.

That was the same with those mortages lending schemes based on Complex Financial Instruments. Basically they sliced and diced safe bet mortgages with high risk lenders on the assumption that they would average out and always make a profit. One recession and the whole lot collapsed like a controlled demolition.

originally posted by: ketsuko
I think we're a debased culture with debased standards.

You referenced the leggings and tight jeans, but have you seen the things people will think acceptable to wear in public? Pajamas and the like.

Oh don't even get me started on pajama's in public.

I like to dress nice and people always ask why I'm so dressed up. It boggles my mind. I like to wear nice pants and a shirt. I have NEVER worn leggings or yoga pants out of the house! They are for laundry days and bed time or you know, yoga! I wear leggings under a dress. I wore a dress yesterday and normally I would wear pantyhose but they didn't look right so I work knee length tights with it and some heels. The chicks I work with wear dresses that are so short if they bent over you would see everything.

The thing is they talk about standards yet nobody follows them! They are not enforced like they use to be and in my opinion people act differently in day to day attire vs business attire. I love wearing a suit but I am the only one here who does!

a reply to: mblahnikluver

In my experience it's the opposite. Everybody is a shy namby-pampy now.

Where's all the balls and grit??

Just try and cross the childish adult and see what happens. They got the position thru deceit, manipulation and back stabbing.

Ever wonder how a WE wrestling promoter that did business with the MOB in NewYork became a billionaire and the President?

a reply to: mblahnikluver

Professionalism in the work place....WHERE has it gone?

When you pretend to pay your employees, they will pretend to work.

The entertainment biz is cooking along nicely but we're Union.

Union proud, Union Strong....


www.iatse.net...

www.sagaftra.org...

in 1950 there were about 650 life insurance companies in the U.S. and the population was about 152 million people
in 2017 there were about 750 life insurance companies in the U.S. and the population was about 323 million people

in 1950 those 650 companies had to act professional and treat their customers right because they were competing for the business of only 152 million people.
in 2017 there were only 750 companies "competing" for the business of 323 million people.

auto and health insurance are now mandatory by law so companies don`t even have to compete for those customers, customers will come to them no matter how unprofessional they act.
I think most people only want cheap insurance so they don`t care about how unprofessional their insurance agent is.

a reply to: bluechevytree

I think in large part professionalism is about respect and regard for one another, and generally speaking, we have less of that overall.

a reply to: olaru12

On the other spectrum I work for a large production company directly and get paid under standard on hourly rates no minimums and usually doing multiple peoples worth of work. For example I run a rigging and lighting dept solo with sometimes getting a couple neck downs to help when I am handling multiple tours or when I have multiple tours return. We can barely get the things we need to manage gear or basics like enough cases for cable. Yet they're constantly upgrading offices. Hell half the time I know more and am better at setting things up than the techs who come in for the shows. I guess it all depends who for and what area you work in. As far as I am concerned I will be going freelance in May/June and won't be working for anyone directly ever again. I would rather sell my labor and expertise myself and make 4x what I do now and eat my own healthcare cost and handle my own taxes. I miss union life sometimes though its been very difficult to find one that will return my calls or reply to a submitted resume. As I remember the IATSE union is mostly a good ol boys club where of you don't have the hook up you won't get in. Maybe not all but most for sure.

BTW I was IATSE local 285 for around 3 years back around 2007.

originally posted by: NarcolepticBuddha
a reply to: mblahnikluver

In my experience it's the opposite. Everybody is a shy namby-pampy now.

Where's all the balls and grit??

My balls are pretty gritty at the end of long day.

a reply to: mblahnikluver

IMO, Projecting an air of professionalism directs others into that mindset.

I dont do glamorous work, but our work ethic incorporates professionalism on a team level.

We keep each other on point and push for better.

Sorry your experience was different. I just feel that our own mindset is a mirror for others. That our own disposition can be a tool to direct others towards desired goals collectively.

Professionals use paragraphs.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: mblahnikluver

Professionalism in the work place....WHERE has it gone?

When you pretend to pay your employees, they will pretend to work.

The entertainment biz is cooking along nicely but we're Union.

Union proud, Union Strong....

www.iatse.net...

www.sagaftra.org...

You're have to be union to work around all those narcissists.

Must be nice to play dress-up for a living. Most of us have real jobs.

originally posted by: ketsuko
I think we're a debased culture with debased standards.

You referenced the leggings and tight jeans, but have you seen the things people will think acceptable to wear in public? Pajamas and the like.

I wear my PJs at work.....

All companies are shedding their seasoned veterans for cheaper fresh out of school/college employees and outsourcing overseas. The bottom line now is stock value. No , not customers or professionalism , just stock value. They (the companies) use the money "saved" to buy back their "floating" shares in an attempt to gain value . Once the rookies get a bit of experience and have things a bit back on track (i.e. at raise time) they are shed as well leaving no time whatsoever to get the work ethics and experience in.
These businesses are actually losing customers (if there is any options at all) .
Its a brand new (messed up) world.