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"Etiquette is not about
being 'stuffy.' It's about putting yourself forward in the best possible way, using courtesy and respect for others as your guide, while still allowing your own personality to shine!
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Research shows that 85% of the reason you get a job, keep a job, and advance in a job is your soft skills.
Whether you are interacting with people face to face, on-line, or by telephone, the details of how you present yourself matter.
Would you like to take your professionalism to the next level? Visit my website or contact me to find out how I may help you! |
Archived editions of Etiquette Awareness
are available on my website
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I offer tips, information & share useful articles; find me to find out more!
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As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, I drink iced tea - a lot. It has to be the real thing - fresh brewed, real tea, and I know which drive thru establishments have it and those that serve the other stuff from a dispenser. If I were to participate in a blindfold test, I could tell the difference based on smell alone. For some people, it's all about coffee. For me, it's real iced tea.
On a recent road trip, I stopped at one of my iced tea places. Needing a stretch break, my husband and I went inside to order, only to turn right around and head back to the car and drive thru option once we saw the crowd lined up at the counter. Having spotted the container with the "Fresh Brewed Iced Tea" sign during those few moments indoors, you can imagine my reaction when we pulled up to the window and saw the employee filling the cup from a dispenser. Huh?
When asked "Is this real tea or did it come from the dispenser?" we received a blank look and "It's unsweetened" in response. Well, yes -- but did it come from the dispenser? According to the young woman, "...they're both unsweetened."
I understand that people may not notice or care about the difference, just like there are those who do not have a preference between the two large brand name cola beverages. However, like those people who prefer one cola over the other, it is the same with iced tea.
While I can accept that the young woman did not personally taste a difference between the two beverages, not knowing there is a difference in products is poor customer service. Employees should know what their establishment offers; making the effort to learn and share this information is the sign of a pro-active - and promotable - employee.
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Remember...
Trying to convince someone that two different things are the same is just ... silly. It would be like ordering roast chicken and being served frozen, pre-formed chicken nuggets with the comment "They're both baked in the oven."
Taste matters, and they're not the same.
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Upcoming Classes:
Successfully Leading Change $59 Weds. 10/16/13 9:00 to Noon Classes are offered through Clark College in Vancouver, WA; registration must be made through the school website. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
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Jodi Blackwood
Business Etiquette & Customer Service Specialist
Speaker & Seminar Leader
"Etiquette is about polishing your approach,
not changing who you are."
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