15th November 2011

Tattoo You

I met my new banking relationship manager yesterday.

Now I do understand that as the generations roll on, standards and expectations in business do not always meet with what would have been deemed acceptable in my younger days but this meeting told me that something is very wrong in the world of banking and possibly elsewhere.

Tattoos are not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’ and it is a sad fact that they can, in shall we say extreme cases, give an impression that may not match with the individual’s personality, capability, lifestyle or knowledge.

Self-expression of this type was once strictly reserved for bikers, the military and sundry unsavory types, today it has even found its way into the boardroom. Although the corporate world is loosening up, not all City investment firms and family businesses are ready for studded and inked employees.

Years ago they used to say, "Get a haircut, son". As “body art” becomes easier and safer to apply, the percentage of employees reporting to work with “body art” increases. However, most businesses do not have a policy in place, since it's only recently that tattooing and piercing have become more mainstream.

I am not sure what image anyone these days is looking for in a bank manager but I would suspect that putting Captain Mainwaring to one side, one would perhaps expect a sense of some form of ready for business etiquette by way of dress, cleanliness and a certain understated sense of business interest, professionalism and enthusiasm.

It may be that today employers are so ‘Hog tied’ by human rights and political correctness that staff who are in customer facing roles can turn up for work as if they were either off to the pub with their mates or have just come from the pub and have not had time to prepare themselves for what pays the salary.

My new banking relationship manager was around early thirties, his hair was long, unwashed, uncombed, he was scruffy and had an enormous Polynesian style tattoo extending the length of his arm to below his wrist, what may be elsewhere was best not contemplating.

Putting aside one’s prejudices is it so wrong to expect that even in today’s world of reduced business standards, anyone in a financial services customer-facing role representing their employer should at least look the part.

What message is conveyed to customers by the sight of a world weary, poorly groomed, grubby and heavily tattooed thirty something individual who is there supposedly to represent his corporate employer in dealing with your best business interests when they cannot even look after themselves?

Tattoos are for life but are they for business life?

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