POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN LAPO AGENTS’ INTERACTIONS WITH CLIENTS

Abstract

Previous studies on politeness have focused on such areas as doctorpatient consultative engagements, courtroom discourse, and media
interviews, etc., without accounting for how the politeness
phenomenon features in business discourse. Meanwhile, the whole
gamut of activities known as business is the defining essence of man’s
day to day life and includes such human activities as the production
and distribution of goods and services. As important as business is,
language is central as it is the vehicle needed to convey ideas and
concepts to the clients and other stakeholders. The study therefore
investigates politeness strategies as used by agents with clients within
the LAPO microfinance Bank business context. Data were ten tape
recorded conversations between agents and clients which occurred
during their field outreaches. Data were transcribed and pragmatically
analysed using Leech’s (1983) and Locher and Watt’s (2005) models
of politeness theory. Findings revealed LAPO agents’ observance of
the maxims of politeness in their interactions that are identified
through greetings, requests, appreciations, friendly banters,
expression of sympathy/felicitation, among others. The study thus
demonstrates that the success of business engagements hinges on the
participants’ diligent deployment of politeness strategies in the course
of such engagements.