Sue and I walked into a cafe the other day to order a coffee.
The guy who served us did not smile, looked bored and it seemed to be an effort for him to walk over to the counter.
I thought he was bit of a ratbag because of his non existent customer service skills.
A ‘ratbag’ is Aussie slang for a person who is a ‘disagreeable.’
And in business there are ratbags who have the following characteristics:
- Oblivious to customer needs or feelings
- Selfish
- Lazy
- Ignorant
- Unsmiling
- Unhelpful
- Arrogant
- Narrow minded
The opposite to a ratbag is a professional business person who is:
- Understanding of customer’s needs and feelings
- Generous
- A hard worker
- Knowledgeable
- Smiles
- Helpful
- Humble
- Broadminded
It takes more effort to be a professional business person than a ratbag.
And it’s more rewarding because professionals gain customers – ratbags lose customers.
Footnote: Oh, if you meet a ratbag then get them to ring the Ratbag hotline for guidance.
