Emily Post where are you when we need you?  Our parents’ would cringe at the distasteful use of etiquette in the 21st Century.  I can still hear my mother correcting me or my brother, or her grandchildren for that matter, on saying “yes mam” and “no sir” as well as “please” and “thank you”.  Now I understand that as we get older sometimes that “yes mam” and “no sir” becomes “yes” and “no”.  Not that it’s okay, mind you, but at least it’s better than some of the slang you hear today from our youth.  What’s up with that?  Where did some of those words come from?

mannersAlso what does it cost you to be nice or do a great job and be proud of what you do?  Where would we be if we went around with a chip (or a boulder) on our shoulders all day?  How easy is it to take pride in what you do, put in a little extra effort or just be pleasant?  I get so angry when I see some people nowadays doing as little as possible to get paid or not thank someone for something as if it’s expected.

I’m sure we’ve all been there.  Being in a customer oriented job, as most of you are, it just doesn’t make sense to me to be rude.  I try to be nice even if I have something bad to tell someone.  You can always have compassion and treat others as you want to be treated.  Remember the Golden Rule.  Most of us learned it at a very young age and it still holds true today.

So take that extra moment to be polite and use proper etiquette.  Who knows…by making Emily proud you may even change your own approach!