Blog. We've joined forces with Marco Pierre White & Stella Artois to urge nation to mind their Ps & Qs

Whilst the bells are already ringing for this much anticipated festive season, a new campaign launching today is calling for politeness towards hospitality workers during this busy period.

New research amongst hospitality workers from Stella Artois and YouGov has revealed 41% of those surveyed are concerned that customers will be ruder this festive season, with 40% reporting that rude behaviour amongst customers has got worse since lockdown measures lifted earlier this year.

To help tackle the eye-opening findings and encourage respectful behaviour in restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs across the country, Stella Artois is working with Hospitality Action and enlisted the help of a surprising partner… fiery Michelin starred chef Marco Pierre White.

Whilst he is famed for being anything but mild mannered, having worked in the restaurant industry for over 30 years, he knows a thing or two about the inconsiderate behaviours that can be displayed by Christmas revellers.

Not using essential manners like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ (78%) is the most common form of discourteous behaviour experienced by the 1,000 hospitality workers who were approached as part of the survey. This is followed by complaining about the cost of services/products (64%), talking on phone whilst interacting with them (49%) with 71% sharing that they have experienced rudeness from customers.

Marco Pierre White reveals that this December, manners don’t cost a thing and in fact can save you money as in a selection of pubs across London, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Newport, customers can simply say “Can I have a Stella, please” when placing their order and in return will receive £1 off their pint.

But that’s not all, for each pint ordered, a donation by Stella Artois will also be made to Hospitality Action to support hospitality workers during their busiest season in years.

“Christmas can be a difficult time of year for hospitality workers, even more so this year with many preparing for an unpredictable, yet their busiest festive season in years,” said Tim Ovadia, Global Vice President, Stella Artois.

“We wanted to raise awareness on the pressure the hospitality workers may face this season and our research shows how small acts of kindness from the public really can go a long way for them. This is an industry that is very dear to us and our Stella Please campaign further builds on the initiatives we have run over the past year to best support hospitality staff whatever the challenges being faced.”

The video is a lighthearted take on a very serious issue. If you're experiencing harassment at work or you're just feeling anxious because of all that's going on in the world, we're here for you 24/7. Our helpline numbers are just below.