If you pay attention to the national polls this election season, you probably have a pretty good idea of what Americans think of their leaders.  The approval rating for Congress is at an all time low of 11% (Gallup).  And there isn’t much better news for President Obama or the potential nominee for the Republicans.
 
Why is this?  Why is the election theme “throw the bums out” or “change” the prevalent outcry every time we hold an election?  In essence, why do so many Americans hate their leaders?
 
I don’t have the million dollar answer but I do have a theory.  As you read this, please keep in mind that I am not generalizing all our leaders.  There are certainly good ones in the crowd.
 
We lack leaders who hold fast and true to the theory that the best leaders throughout history have led by example.  It is the countless statements and acts of hypocrisy that we are most tired of.  These Harvard and Yale graduates aren’t getting it.  Don’t give a speech about the common people at a small diner in Ohio and be filmed a week or two later vacationing at Martha’s Vineyard.  Don’t tell us you understand the plight of small businesses when you’ve never employed anyone other than an illegal immigrant as your nanny or gardener.  Don’t lecture us about the fears of inflation when you don’t know what a grocery checkout scanner looks like.  And don’t lecture us about the value of public education as you send your own kids to the best and most expensive private schools in the country.  And finally, don’t speak of higher taxes for individuals when major corporations pay little to no corporate income taxes due to capital cronyism and taxpayer bailouts.
 
What about family values?  Don’t get me started on that.

Many don’t know this fact but George Washington first entered into the minds of Americans as a young Colonel fighting for the Virginian army.  At the time, he was actually fighting with the British against the French and the Indians.  Ironically, it was during a devastating defeat in Pennsylvania where he became an instant folk hero and subject of many fireside chats.  This did not happen because he touted his accomplishments or because he had publicists spin the outcome.  On the contrary, it was because his soldiers witnessed first-hand what this man did to lead in the worst of conditions.  During the battle, his own men and the men he was fighting witnessed in awe as two horses were shot and killed underneath him and as he continually charged forward while his own men and the British were running from the fury of the French and the ruthless Indians.  And later that night when the battle had ended in defeat, his men witnessed the young Washington as he inspected his coat and hat in silence, only to find two bullet holes in his coat and another in his hat.  Supposedly as the story goes, one of his soldiers said to him “Who are you?” knowing full well the Colonel’s name.

In a land of over 300 million people, there must be more George Washingtons amongst us.

Americans don’t want to hate.  On the contrary, they want to be inspired and led by example during the worst of times.

I certainly believe this is true and I am certain that these factors played a key role.

However, I was surprised to learn that the industry did not mention what role customer service may have played in this outcome. To be specific, I am referring to the lack of or declining customer service in movie theaters. Civilized decorum and the almost cliche concept of “Silence is Golden” has become increasingly absent in the theaters. It is common to find crying babies, people using their phones, disruptive or obnoxious behavior. And, I am not even mentioning those who love to kick the chairs of the persons in front of them or those who use the theater floors as their personal trash cans leaving the auditoriums in a disgusting state. If you spend more than 5 minutes reading online reviews about movie theaters, it’s clear that I am not the only one who feels this way.

This is another example of an industry using the economy as a scapegoat. Customer service is the one area of any business that can be transformed instantly. Best of all, it can be transformed without a heavy financial investment. Examples include answering the phones a certain way or just saying “Thank You” properly.

There is nothing you can do about the economy. It is what it is. Instead of using it as a crutch for poor results in 2012, focus on what you can control. You have 100% control of customer service.

I say… bring back the ushers with the flashlights.