Making Etiquette Easy: Shopping Madness

After hearing from many friends and family what a zoo Black Friday was (I said no to shopping that day), I thought I'd share my thoughts about being a considerate shopper. We do still have 27 shopping days before Christmas. So, imagine, you are standing in your favorite electronics store with another stranger who also observes that there is only one DVD player left on the "red light special." Do you flip a coin, start a DVD player tug-o-war or offer to let them have it? (I know, that's a hard one.) Here are some suggestions next time you find yourself in a similiar situation:
· If there are not enough items to go around and too many shoppers, do your best to take the minimum of what you need. If it’s not possible to subdivide the items (like a DVD player or turkey), politely wish the other patron happy holidays and move on to the store. It’s not worth causing a scene.
· When the number of people in a store escalates, so do the number of carts. Remember to ‘drive’ your cart in much the same way as you would a car. Stay on the right side of your lane, and try not to ‘park’ your cart in the middle of an aisle, making it difficult for someone to go around you.
· If it’s unclear who was in front of who in line, be gracious. The few extra minutes it will take to let them go in front of you will go much quicker than the few extra minutes it would have taken if you ‘cut’ in front and had everyone’s eyes on the back of your head. (Haven't we all done this to the "line cutter?")
· Empty cart and basket at the checkout; being courteous to the stores’ employees is something that will payoff later—they will remember you during the crazy season as well as during the calm. Address them by their names and be patient when they don’t have all the answers because they cannot memorize thousands of SKU’s. And like your mom taught you, always say thank you.
· Be courteous to those behind you and have that credit card - or cash -ready to pay when it’s your turn. If you are paying in cash, make sure you have enough and don’t have to count through all your change after everything is rung up.

And remember, it comes down to a common case of "treat everyone as you want to be treated."
Happy shopping all.

Making Etiquette Easy,
Susan K. Medina

Making Etiquette Easy: Parking Lots

As we gear up for the season of good cheer (and lots of turkey!) we will start to see the influx of people in parking lots nationwide. Tis’ the season, right? So how do we practice good etiquette and friendliness while we’re out and about during some of the most stressful and chaotic times? For some reason, parking lots become feeding grounds for instant-anger and loud horns. Here are a few tips:

• Follow all the legal ramifications of the lots, including speed limit, one-ways, and not utilizing handicapped parking spaces if you don’t need them.
• Be wary of pedestrian crosswalks—that parking space isn’t worth taking out someone’s leg. Besides, they do have the right of way, no matter how many of them there are!
• Keep moving—lulling about waiting for a spot to open up only blocks others and creates danger. It also communicates ‘laziness.’
• Leave the best spaces for less able visitors. Yes, there are less able visitors than you.
• When you find a spot, parking correctly is crucial. If you park appropriately in the center of the lines, you leave less room for your car (or others) to get dinged.
• Only use your horn if you fear you are going to get hit. Otherwise, your seemingly ‘justified’ action can be taken as a lack of grace. And what are they really learning from your loud interjection, anyhow?

Park-on my friends & remember, no one really enjoys a crowded parking lot!

Making Etiquette Easy,

Susan K. Medina

Making Etiquette Easy: To Forward or not to Forward

In a time where digital junk mail can rival the tangible pieces in your mailbox, the practice of clicking ‘forward’ has become the norm. No matter how funny the jokes are or how pressing the matter seems to be, it’s important to ask, “Do I really want to forward this email?” Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• If the contents of the email are in any way libelous, offensive, racist, obscene, or inappropriate, your mouse should be racing for the ‘delete’ button. It is much better to verbalize what you heard later than to send it—in writing—in a public format for both obvious professional and legal reasons.
• If you’re at work, keep in mind that the company reserves the right to your time and likely has a way of tracking you down if you indulge in forwarding personal or non-work related emails at any point during the workday. It is unprofessional and can be a distraction to the recipients.
• People get annoyed; even though you might think something is going to be so funny for the recipient, you are gambling against a ‘please stop sending me these’ conversation. In no instance are chain letters okay, no matter how cleverly they are disguised. Your coworkers would rather risk ‘not having good luck for the next ten years’ for some sanity today.
• If you do choose to forward on appropriate/relevant emails, be sure to edit out all other forwarded info and headers, BCC all future recipients (to protect their privacy), and be sure to include a personal comment in the body of the text. Rename the subject of the email so they know whether it is urgent or not.

So think twice before you pass anything along. You are creating a reputation by every forward you send.

Making Etiquette Easy,

Susan K. Medina

Making Etiquette Easy: Game Day

With Mayor Moncrief’’s declaration of today as ‘Purple Day’ to support our hometown TCU horned frogs’ success this season, it’s time to take a look at what you can do to make every game—be it a win or a loss—a good game. Tailgates and stadiums bring on a plethora of social behaviors that might be expected, but aren’t always accepted. Here are a few things to consider next time you set out to celebrate your favorite team:

• If you’re hosting a tailgate, be aware of your surroundings. At many schools, tailgaters camp out in front of students’ homes. Do not block driveways without permission, play obnoxiously loud music, or start the charade at an ungodly hour (i.e. 6am is too early). Asking to use the restroom—or doing so publicly in the lawn—is also inappropriate, no matter how badly you have to go. And finally, pick up all of the trash.
• Don’t mooch. Turn up early and always bring something to the table (namely food or beer). Recognize it is not a ‘fair’ trade to provide a twelve pack of hot dog buns and expect unlimited imported beers.
• If you’re rooting for the opposing team, it’s perfectly fine to wear corresponding jerseys/attire. It is not fine to yell at opposing fans or be irreverent in all of your behaviors. You are, essentially, a guest; keep in mind you are also outnumbered.
• Avoid debauchery in public for any reason. People sometimes think that they won’t be judged or that drinking in excess at games is an exception to the rule, but it’s not. There are plenty of people who bring their families and don’t deserve to have to shield their children’s eyes from ‘that guy.’
• Don’t forget the reason you came. You should find your seats about 20 minutes before kickoff to ensure you can support the team you came for. As a rule of thumb, you can be as loud as you want when your team is on defense, but always be quiet during the snap so your players can hear their own calls.

Playoff’s are just around the corner, and it’s not too late to show your love for the school as a seasoned fan with class and character!

Making Etiquette Easy,

Susan K. Medina

Making Etiquette Easy: Splitting the Tab

Just the other night, I was talking to a group of friends at dinner about a fairly common and somewhat uncomfortable topic of 'splitting the tab' in a group situation. What happens when you decide to have a salad and water and the guy three seats down orders lobster and wine? When it comes time for the check and everyone has a different preconceived notion of how the bill will be taken care of, the fiscal nightmare might be more heartburn than the food. All of this is without mentioning the toll it takes on both business and social relationships. Here are a few guidelines to ensuring you put yourself in the 'I ate this, I'll pay for this' or 'We'll split everything as one big happy group' camp by choice:

• One way to go about this is to determine who will handle the bill at the end of the night before even arriving at the restaurant. Probably the only acceptable circumstance to utilize your cell phone at a dinner - just be discrete - diners can use their calculator/tip applications to calculate their total fee. Add 27% to your food & drink bill to cover tax and tip and give the money to the designated person.


• Unless you have personally done the inviting and plan to take care of the whole bill, most people expect to split the bill evenly on a business lunch/dinner. An extra five or ten dollars isn't worth causing tension in a business relationship. It's the little things that show the business character in yourself and others.


• If you're concerned about splitting the bill--even the first time you dine with someone, it is not at all inappropriate to notify the waiter before the meal that you want a separate check. The key is to do this beforehand; afterward can cause tension for the waiter, who didn't plan for separate checks. Let the waiter know that they can add 20% gratuity to your check, giving them an incentive to make things go smooth as well.


• Try to bring cash and small bills, which can also alleviate the escalating fees of 'just put it on my card.' It is perfectly acceptable to budget beforehand and stick to your plan, especially in today's economy.

Making Etiquette Easy,

Susan K. Medina

Making Etiquette Easy: Have We Met?

It happens to the best of us--we all forget someone's name that we know we should remember. When it happens to you, make sure you're ready to turn the situation into a non-event. Here's how:

• When you forget a name during an introduction, don’t panic. It’s only a big deal if you make it one. The most important thing to do is to apologize and state that the persons name has momentarily slipped your mind. Usually, they will jump right in and finish the introduction.
• If you forget the name of someone you’ve previously been introduced to, try to find a connection point by stating something you remember about the person. For this reason, when you can’t remember someone’s name, but you are sure you have met before, you can say, “it’s good to see you,” instead of “it’s good to meet you.”
• If you truly don’t remember meeting someone, allow yourself to be reintroduced. In this case, you can quickly apologize and thank them for triggering your memory. It’s far better than appearing to be pretentious in front of someone you’ve already met. There’s nothing worse than meeting someone five times for the first time. And when you do encounter these folks, maintain your appropriate demeanor and etiquette, and just consider them, “introductionally challenged.”

Making Etiquette Easy,

Susan K. Medina