Help! That’s what marks out many of the courteous businesses we’ve recognised in Ilfracombe. They don’t just sell to customers, they go beyond that and help whenever they can, even if it’s not related to making a sale. That’s what we’re focusing on in week twelve: how we can help others. It makes the world [...]

It’s just four weeks to Christmas and for many businesses and many shoppers we hope it will be a busy time. But last-minute orders, anxious customers, crowds and a lot more pressure can make it a stressful time for people running businesses, employees and customers. Tired and under pressure, courtesy can suffer. In week 11 [...]

While out walking with our dogs this morning, we came to a narrow piece of pavement restricted by bollards. A boy of about 10 was walking towards us so I held the dogs back to enable him to pass. As he did so, he said “thank you” in a faint voice and I acknowledged his [...]

The International Stress Management Association is promoting National Stress Awareness Day today. We live under a lot more stress than we have done for some years, but there’s a lot we can do about it. Being courteous is one way of reducing stress. If we employ or manage people and set deadlines, how we do [...]

Feedback is very important for a business to see how well it is doing, but obtaining it courteously is important. In week eight of the Ilfracombe courteous town initiative we look at how to obtains customer comments without hassling them.