All apologies: Brits say sorry up to eight times a day
The survey, by PiCKUP! the biscuit bar with attitude, found that almost six in ten would say sorry when someone bumps into them, and seven per cent of us had even apologised when not at fault in a car accident.
Nearly eight out of ten respondents claim they have been taken advantage of for being too well-mannered, while more than 70 per cent of those questioned think the UK is too polite compared to other countries.
As a result, PiCKUP! is launching a nationwide campaign to tackle these traits, believing Brits would welcome the opportunity to act a little bolder.
From now right through to September, they will deliver more than 1.2m samples to the Great British public, along with a little tongue-in-cheek wisdom, as well as working with outgoing and outspoken social influencers to positively ‘pick up’ Britain.
The PiCKUP! tour includes visits to UK cities including Birmingham, Manchester, Brighton, Sheffield, Nottingham and Bristol.
Commenting on the activity Claudia Eschbacher, senior brand manager for PiCKUP!, said: “This summer we are on a mission to make Brits more bold as it is madness that so many people feel they are too polite and not outspoken enough,”
“We are touring the nation with our ‘Be More PiCKUP!’ campaign and sampling our delicious chocolate biscuit bars, as well as working with experts, influencers and social channels to get Britain on track to being bolder. From Blackpool Pleasure Beach to the Bullring in Birmingham, we are coming to a location near you!”
British to a fault? Other findings include:
• Being poorly paid – 77 per cent won’t ask for a raise at work, despite it being overdue
• Joining the queue – 30 per cent of us don’t say anything when people push in line
• Panic buying – 28 per cent of us buy unwanted items after being convinced by a sales assistant
• Getting the chop – 23 per cent don’t say anything when we are given a bad haircut
• A dog’s dinner - 15 per cent of us won’t complain when restaurant food isn’t up to standard
So how can we Brits learn to stand up for ourselves and stop being so painfully polite? Writer and podcaster Papa Pukka has some simple and effective advice: exclaim more. “Really put your heart into expressions of surprise for a day,” he recommends. “I find my outlook has really improved since saying 'Yowzers!' when even mildly surprised.”