The Effectiveness of Task Clarification, Positive Reinforcement and Corrective Feedback in Changing Courtesy Among Police Staff

Abstract

Abstract Two police officers and five public servants working in a police station participated in a task clarification workshop designed to increase their knowledge of the behaviors that constitute good customer service. These behaviors were initially examined in a survey of 125 men and women in which respondents were required to rate the relative discourtesy of seven specific service behaviors. On the basis of these results, individual behaviors were assigned a weighting and an index of Overall Courtesy was developed. After examining improvements in performance produced by the workshop, a system of positive reinforcement and corrective feedback was initiated in order to effect further improvements. Reinstatement of observers following a brief withdrawal phase indicated that performance improvements achieved through the interventions were generally sustained over time, even after the withdrawal of feedback. Furthermore, examination of staff courtesy using probe observers indicated that courteous behavior was not dependent on the presence of the researchers.