The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-04-19
THE VALUE OF COURTESY
BIZ VICTOR MEEkINS

We, who have lived so long in
this Coastland, seeing each other
from day to day, understanding
each other on good days and bad,
never saw in the old days, so fully
as now, the Importance of courtesy
and thoughtfulness.
In the "good old days" We were
neither buying nor selling, nor
were we lonely and a long way
from home. 1t was our privilege to
walk to a neighbours barn and bor-
row his shovel or axe, usually with
out saying a word about it, and
sometimes not remembering to
take it back, until we were remind
ed by the owner he needed it too.
But times are different, and now
at certain seasons, it seems that
three out of four people we meet
are strangers. A stranger is away
from home, and among people
with whose ways he is not familiar.
Careless treatment on the part of
us may leave him perplexed. He
doesn't know our easy going, care
less manners, and sometimes our
horseplay may look to him most
ridiculous or extremely foolish.
More important still, is the bust
ness of waiting on customers. We
walk into our neighbours store, and
pick up anything we see, examine
it, price it, maybe reject and put
it down. The storekeeper expects
little outward show of courtesy
from US; he is used to our ways.
He doesn't bother to run forward,
smile and bow, and ask what he
may do for US.
A visitor comes in expecting in
slant service, the best way to i'm
press him favorably is to give it
to him with a smile. The time has
come when we are almost nearly
dependent on the business of visit
ors. The value of this tourist bus
mess bee ones more apparent, and
even mere. acute each year. W.
have to give service, and now give
courtesy, just as good as any
other place, or we will compare
unfavorably in our customers eyes.
We, ourselves, have noted with
pleasure the courtesy that has
been shown us when quite a way
from home. Some parts of tn,
country have been in the tourist
business longer than ours, and
have learned their lesson earlier.
Courtesy is noticeable in Florida,
and it does make a stranger fee:
better. In Florida, nearly everyone
and everything rises and falls with
the tourist season.
Dan Morrill,, the Manteo photog-
rapher, who is leading campaign
for cleaning up the town, knows
that courtesy is equally essential,
and he calls our attention to the
following pertinent comment from
New York House Organ:
when folks travel far from
home, even if whole family
group is together, they are lonely
people and are very much impress
ed with persons they meet who
are informal and kindly. For en-
ample, a group may stop at an
overnight motel and find the
operators are sincerely interested
in their comfort and welfare. Then,
on second trip, possibly several
years later, they will go to ex-
tremes to get to the same over
night rest, often driving far into
the night to reach such destina-
ton.
eve are leading up to the point
that you, as an attraction opera
tor, must not only have something
interesting to show your visitors
but must be overly friendly if you
expect them to come again or to
tell their friends back home about
you.
I'VE could say to train your en-
ployees to o. friendly but train
ing results orly in a formal sort
of courtesy and is not enough.
The trick is to select your en-
ployees for their natural character
istics. A sunshiny disposition, the
ability to be patient with folks
that are irritating, a reasonable
liking of children (even the little
monsters they often have to cor
tend With, and an informal warm
friendliness towards the people
they come in contact with is i'm
portant."
That's it; mere formal courtesy
is not enough. 1t must come from
hearts and minds taught through
childhood so they will do right in
adillthood