Since When Did Mediocrity Become The Norm?

“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” – Norman Vincent Peale

One of the definitions of mediocrity I found on line stated: “Averageness: ordinariness as a consequence of being average and not outstanding,” and that pretty much described what I’ve seen happening in a lot of businesses lately. They’re mired in the muck of mediocrity and for the most part people, the consumer who keeps these businesses afloat, are blindly accepting this fact.

Some days I feel like Rip Van Winkle who was asleep for 20 years and missed out on 2 decades of life. I want to know when did it become acceptable for businesses to provide their clients with average service and still expect to receive top dollar for sub-standard behavior? When did we become so immune to this “less than” treatment that we blindly accept it and never say a word of our displeasure to the person we’re dealing with on the other side of the counter, phone, or email?

Let me give you a small example of what I’m talking about here. Last week I had to contact the Customer Service representative of a local business that I just started dealing with. I had been instructed by the representative that if I had any questions or breakdowns, please feel free to call them to resolve any/all issues. After making 3 phone calls and leaving 3 messages over the course of two weeks with no call-back, I’d had enough. I finally went over my representative’s head and asked to speak to the supervisor. After registering my complaint and explaining that I’d not received a return phone call, I was informed that they would look into the matter.

Low and behold, about 3 hours later, my phone rang and it was my customer service representative. When I stated that I wasn’t particularly a happy camper due to their neglect to return my phone calls, the reply was, (and this is when my blood pressure started to rise, I might add), “I apologize but I was really busy last week.” I was floored by this lackadaisical attitude and the audacity of this person to speak it out loud. Needless to say, my response was commiserate with the attitude. Enough was enough.

And this is just one example of mediocrity. How many times have you gone into a fairly upscale restaurant, received sub-standard food and service, yet failed to say anything to the server? How many times have you been standing in a check- out line and the cashier is airing out their dirty laundry to the other employee while completely ignoring you? How many times have service people made appointments and just didn’t show up? And you accept it with comments like, “That’s just the way it is.”

Listen up folks: mediocrity exists because we allow it and we tolerate it. We accept this behavior because we think we are powerless to say anything. Not true. If you are paying for a service you are not receiving, then it is up to you to speak up and ask for what is rightfully yours.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and make a strong suggestion for all of you to step up to the plate and start speaking up. Change starts with you. The next time you receive below-par service for anything, try responding with one simple sentence: “Excuse me, this service is unacceptable to me and I request that you rectify this immediately as I’m certain you don’t want to earn the reputation as a business that provides mediocre service, do you?”

If that line doesn’t get their attention and get them to adjust their attitude and respect the person who pays their salary, then move your business to another provider. But before you jump ship, make sure to state your reason for moving on.