From the tallest towers of commerce to the front door of your local downtown shop, professionalism has become harder to find than a pebble in a landslide. Whether its big business, small business, or something in between, employees have forsaken the ideals of customer service and work ethic as they trudge through the week waiting for their next paycheck.

Why do we, the customers, put up with such shoddy service from our so-called “professionals”? I believe part of the problem is that consumers have become so enamored with “everyday low prices”, speedy checkouts, and fast-food style service that they are willing to sacrifice customer service in order to save a few pennies on a roll of toilet paper or a jar of mustard. Doubtless, there are some customers who are willing to pay a little more for professionalism and quality service, but the overwhelming majority of customers place a greater emphasis on saving money.

Another part of the problem is that customers have accepted unprofessionalism as a way of doing business. Unprofessionalism has become the norm, rather than the exception. The upside to this is that when we do experience true professionalism, it astounds us and stands out like a lighthouse beacon, drawing away customers from less customer-friendly businesses.

Employers might have a different opinion on the matter of professionalism. “It’s hard to find good help these days,” they say. That may be true to an extent, but from my experiences, the employees are almost always a direct reflection of their supervisors. Mean bosses create mean employees, plain and simple. If more supervisors demanded professionalism in the workplace, then employees would have little choice in the matter. Supervisors must lead by example. Bosses who come in late, leave early, and pawn off the dirty work to underpaid grunts cannot expect to have professional-acting employees. Even if these businesses are fortunate enough to land top-notch workers, chances are they won’t stay long under the thumb of a lazy, domineering tyrant.

Ultimately, lack of professionalism stems from a lack of work ethic. A person who takes little pride in what they do will rarely reflect a professional attitude in the workplace. In a perfect world, we would all have jobs that brought us happiness, fulfillment, and wealth. But we don’t live in such a world, and that all too often is reflected in offices, businesses, and workplaces around the world. A lot of people are unhappy with where they are in life, but that is no excuse for lack of professionalism. Whether you are a CEO or a street sweeper, you have the opportunity as well the obligation to present yourself in a professional manner. Regardless of your job title, you should do your job with passion and a smile. That alone will set you apart in a world of bad service and unprofessionalism, and you will only open yourself up to more and better opportunities in the future.