It happens all the time. We’re busy. Our colleagues are busy. Our customers are busy. There’s a deadline to be met. We work beyond our contracted hours. We do it for our colleagues, for our customers, for the business or organisation, for the community. We lose all track of time to get it done.

And when we eventually click to send the report, post the goods or send off the delivery, that’s it: nothing.

No recognition, no acknowledgement, no thank you.

Someone recently told me that they had worked extremely hard, beyond the call of duty, to gather data for a project, only to hear other people thanked and their own contributions not acknowledged. They felt deflated.

It takes just a few seconds to email or text: thank you.

It takes just a few seconds to call and say: thank you.

It takes a few more seconds to pop your head into an office and say: thank you.

It takes a bit longer to call into another building and say: thank you.

Whether it’s a few seconds or a bit longer, your ‘thank you’ will mean the world to the person you thank.

And what’s more, they’ll work hard for you again when you need it.

It costs so little, yet means so much to everyone.

Read our recognition and acknowledgement polite prompt and checklist for ideas on how to thank those who work so hard for us.

Thank you.

• Robert Zarywacz is the co-founder of pleaseandthanks.co.uk and is courtesy consultant for the National Campaign for Courtesy. As well as focusing on courtesy in daily life, he believes wholeheartedly in the individual benefits and commercial value of courtesy in business and the workplace. Robert provides commercial copywriting, PR and social media services at z2z.com.

Recently, I’ve also heard individuals complain about the way they have been treated by both public services and private companies.

Customers and employers need to be treated courteously: it works both ways.

How do we achieve this?

Sometimes employees who meet the public every day do become cynical. They can feel they are not being treated with courtesy or frustrated at having to answer the same questions again and again. But in many cases the customer is there because they need help. Just because other people have been annoying or discourteous must not make us judge everyone on first sight. Whatever job we’re doing, whatever level we’re at, it costs nothing to be courteous to customers.

In the same way, as customers we must not assume that any employee is going to be unhelpful. Even if we’ve had a bad experience with an organisation, we must treat the person we come to see courteously.

Everyone deserves to be greeted politely and to be  treated with courtesy. If we start in this way, very often our dealings will proceed smoothly.

But what if they don’t? What if an employee is surly and unhelpful? What if a customer is aggressive and even violent? Then it is right for an individual or organisation to take appropriate action, whether to complain or require a person causing offence to leave.

Institutional or habitual discourtesy causes headaches not only for businesses and organisations, but for employees and individuals too. On the other hand, courtesy embedded in our everyday lives encourages things to go more smoothly and is beneficial to both sides.

What’s more, courtesy is free and available to us all at any time.

Lately I’ve been doing some work with public sector organisations on the issue of young people in employment and enterprise. Unemployment among young people is a major issue in the UK and I believe all sectors of the community have a part to play in addressing this.

What strikes me is the way young people are labelled. NEET is a term commonly used by government departments, councils and public sector agencies to describe young people ‘Not in Employment, Education or Training’. What I find disturbing is that the term is used so frequently that NEETs have come to represent a sub-group of the community identified with failure.

While the reasons for young people attaining ‘NEET’ status are complex and those young people themselves share part of the huge responsibility to resolve the problem, I don’t think they are helped by being branded NEETs or failures.

Apparently, the term NEET was invented in the UK and, ironically, the first recorded use was by the Government’s now-defunct Social Inclusion Task Force. Now there is stigma attached to the term and I believe its use is insulting.

If we want these young people to enter employment, education and training, I suggest we start by treating them with courtesy and as people. If they throw this back, it is no excuse to call names. We have continue to help them to turn their own lives around. It’s a tough challenge.

But if we outlaw the use of NEET, what should the Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus and other agencies call this group? Does it matter? Will it not just be another label or piece of jargon? Isn’t there more important work for us all to do than worry about labels?

• Robert Zarywacz started please and thanks with his brother, Simon Zarywacz, to promote courtesy in UK business. Robert is also courtesy consultant with the National Campaign for Courtesy. He has written business articles for a number of publications and blogs and runs Zarywacz, a communications partnership, with Simon at z2z.com.

For example, several years ago I referred some business to an associate, who very kindly paid me a percentage for the referral. This weekend a letter popped through my door with another cheque in respect of repeat work from this referral. I had no idea and it was a pleasant surprise. What a gentleman!

Then there are business people who give their time generously as free mentors, pass on their tips and advice when you ask them a question about their specific field or offer you support during rough times. It is good to remember these when we are confronted with case after case of rogue traders and other dodgy dealers, all of whom makes entertaining television or reading but at the expense of their poor victims.

It is right to expect every business to abide by the law and for those that break it to be brought to justice. It is also right to recognise those who go beyond legal or other obligations to provide more than a purely commercial service and contribute more fully to communities.

“My word is my bond” still holds true for some people. Perhaps the media should highlight those businesses that serve as role models for all of us.

(from left) Lynda Courtnadge, Mayor of Ilfracombe, is presented with the courteous town certificate by the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, watched by Robert Zarywacz of the National Campaign for Courtesy

The 15-week pilot initiative – supported online at pleaseandthanks.co.uk – recognised courteous businesses in the town after validation by customer testimonials and unsolicited nominations from members of the public. Shops, restaurants, cafés, pubs and hotels participated in the programme along with garages, accountants, builders and other sectors. A weekly theme focused on different aspects of courtesy and online materials supported participating businesses.

Following the success of this pilot, the National Campaign for Courtesy is receiving interest from other towns keen to run the initiative in their own areas.

Robert Zarywacz, who is courtesy consultant for the campaign and whose previous experience includes monitoring worldwide customer service at British Airways, says: “The courteous town initiative ensures we recognise what is good in business at a time when there is a tendency to focus on the negative. It provides a process for assessing courtesy, based on independent verification, which can be replicated in towns across the country to create a recognisable standard.

“Millions of people in the UK spend many hours each week at work or in business and a polite environment not only makes working life more enjoyable but plays a key role in increasing motivation and productivity. As well as making everyone feel better in their work, it can have important economic benefits, especially relevant when every business is looking to improve performance.”

Ann Widdecombe congratulated Ilfracombe on such a worthwhile initiative and said she was delighted to present the certificate at Ilfracombe Library on 8 June 2012.

Lynda Courtnadge, Mayor of Ilfracombe, said: “It was a great pleasure to receive the Courteous Town award, presented by the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, on behalf of Ilfracombe.

“Since moving to Ilfracombe 12 years ago, I have always appreciated the warmth and friendliness of local people, and so it was lovely to learn that we are the first town in the country to be awarded the Courteous Town Award, a national initiative promoted by the National Campaign for Courtesy.”

Robert Zarywacz continued: “The response in Ilfracombe has been phenomenal. When presenting certificates and window stickers to individual businesses, many have been overwhelmed that people have taken the time to nominate and thank them.

“It’s a powerful reminder that it takes only a moment and costs nothing to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, but it means so much when we do.

“The National Campaign for Courtesy would like to thank Ann Widdecombe, the Mayor and the businesses and members of the community who have participated in the courteous town initiative and who make Ilfracombe such a courteous place in which to live and work.”

See full details of the Ilfracombe courteous town initiative.

For details of the National Campaign for Courtesy, please visit campaignforcourtesy.org.uk

What next? In the next week or so we will have some really big news, so do look in.

In May, a presentation on the Ilfracombe courteous town initiative was given at the annual general meeting of the National Campaign for Courtesy. There is considerable excitement with several towns waiting to follow in Ilfracombe’s footsteps.

More soon . . .

Apologies for taking so long but there’s so much happening in the town at present. However, it’s important to present these to businesses in person. It’s worth the wait.

Watch out for big news in June!

We’re hoping to get certificates and stickers out to all recognised businesses in the next few weeks and the list will be updated.

And watch out for more news as Ilfracombe receives further recognition!

We are delighted that the number of courteous businesses recognised in our Ilfracombe courteous town initiative has risen to 93. You can see those who have already received their certificates and stickers here.

There’s still time to nominate courteous businesses in Ilfracombe.

Many thanks to all those who’ve taken part in our courteous town initiative. It’s not too late for courteous businesses in Ilfracombe to register or for people to nominate courteous businesses in Ilfracombe.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!