Results of a survey of 960 English citizens and 365 police officers indicated that public explanations of satisfaction or dissatisfaction were a reflection of the officer's interpersonal skill during the encounter, regardless of whether it involved service, traffic, or a criminal encounter. By contrast, police officers attributed public attitudes to evidence of efficiency and professionalism. Only a minority of police officers felt that public satisfaction was attributable to a personalized image of police. Results indicate that skills in routine human interactions are essential to effective policing and suggest that training should emphasize the service functions of the police role rather than the law-based and technical functions. Thus, training for effective professional practice should focus on developing independent and divergent thinking, the ability to apply principles (rather than set responses) within situations, an understanding of the processes involved in human interactions, and an appreciation that effective practice requires flexibility and humility. 8 references.