Facebook Manners - Proper Facebook Etiquette For Your Business

Facebook has become a universal fetish for teens, college students, moms, dads, business people, musicians, artists, baby boomers, grandmas and grandpas...there is no limit to the reach of Facebook. Frightening?
Naaaahhh...but one must realize that this social movement requires you to learn some Face book manners! (especially if you're looking to do any marketing on Face book or if you're trying to make money with Face book).
So what's this "Face book Etiquette" thing all about? Well, it might be easier to start by talking about what NOT to do on Face book so you can avoid getting labeled as a "spammer" or as so many people call them today an "idiot marketer". To remain in what many "Facebookers" would call appropriate Face book marketing etiquette, DO NOT:
1) DO NOT: Post on your wall 5, 10, 20 or 50 times a day about whatever it is you're trying to market. This is the worst thing you can do and you'll only have people on Facebook "un-friending " you if you keep this crap up.
2) DO NOT: Send out your friend request with a link to your business or site...Think about it...Facebook is about relationships and you're already labeling yourself as the sleazy salesman/saleswoman...no one wants to be friends with people who are just looking to take your money.
3) DO NOT: Spam people's inboxes with whatever it is you think is "soooo" great or "soooo" important. Just because you enjoy what you're doing, doesn't mean everyone else on Facebook wants to do it. Oh, and definitely don't send these spammy emails everyday! We can't stand you people! This is the fastest way to get black balled in the Facebook community.
If you're getting hit with hard with marketing messages by people that you've met on Facebook, do these people a favor...
TELL THEM TO STOP! You don't have to put up with bad Facebook Marketers and poor Facebook Etiquette. What I suggest, you tell people is..."Hey, we just met. You're coming on a little heavy with the marketing. I'm here on Facebook to create relationships and to meet people. Slow down."
Think of it in the "dating" context. You're not going to go out on a date with a hot chick or a hot guy and try to get to third base on the first date (unless your goal is to get slapped and walked out on). If you just met someone you have to talk to them, ask questions, share info about your likes and dislikes...you can see where I'm going with this. The same rules apply in the world of Facebook. Don't try and hit one out of the park when you just meet someone. Take the time to create a relationship and get to know people. This takes a little bit of work, but it will pay off. By creating healthy, "real" relationships you will be able to share ideas, network, and find the right people to buy into what it is you have to offer.
That's it. Pretty simple. Just stay away from the "short cuts" and easy temptation to just blast out your marketing to every kid, mom, grandpa, business person, and everyone else you meet on Facebook. Do it the right way and have some Facebook Manners!

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Facebook Etiquette for Business

Your personal Face book and Face book business pages should remain separate, with no crossover. There are different etiquette standards for each. Of course, there will be times when you have a Face book friend who is also a Face book fan.
Many business owners (the same business owners who initially only considered Face book to be a social media site that they forbid their employees from using during work hours) have discovered its potential for extremely effective selling and business relationship building.
Your content in the two different types of Face book accounts should be different and the communications that you have with that person should be different as your fan than as your friend.
Should you build your social media marketing campaign through your personal Face book or your Face book business page? When it comes to social media, there is a great deal of subjectivity; however, some of the options will be presented to you here so that you can make an intelligent and informed decision when it comes to social media and what is most appropriate for your particular business.
The benefits of a Face book business page
If you publish content on your Face book business page, you have a good chance that it will be included in search engine results, which may, in turn, strengthen your chances of good search engine optimization (SEO).
Face book Insights (analytic) allows you to measure and monitor your effectiveness on Face book. For example, if you notice that your postings are being hidden from the news feeds of one of your fans, your content is not effective.
If a person wants to become your fan on a Face book business page, he or she does not have to display his or her personal profile to be able to connect with your business. This eliminates the privacy concerns that many people have.
There are many things that you should do when you have a Face book business page to generate more business. There are also things that you should not do when you have a professional page because it isn't polite and will not produce any positive results.
Dos
Promote your upcoming events: If you are holding an event (in a physical location), make sure that you let your Face book professional connections know about it. Give them as many details as possible so that they will want to attend the event. Chances are very good that if your professional connections are able to attend your event, they are local people. They may encourage some of their business connections to come along also. The more attendance your event gets, the better it is for your business. You have a great chance of continuing the relationships with those business connections if you have been able to interact with them at your event first. You will see that they will keep coming back to you to do business.
Offer online coupons: A good way to entice people to buy what you are selling is to post "online only" coupons on your wall for your products. The coupons should offer some appealing discount or bonus offer and the incentive will be that anyone who orders from your business's Face book page will be able to take advantage of the promotion. This will go a long way toward turning regular customers into loyal customers. You are expressing gratitude toward them for going above and beyond when it comes to following you. The strategy will strengthen the bond in your relationship.
Product research: The customers who target your business and become your fan on Face book are probably much more interested in your business than average customers. Those people will be more than happy to provide you with feedback for your business that is valuable for your business. If you are thinking about either improving your existing products or investing in new products, you should think about sending a survey to your most dedicated fans to learn their opinions about it. This will give you very valuable insight into what your customers are thinking and what they would like your business to offer and it will also clearly communicate to them that their opinions, feelings and ideas are valued by you and your business.
Don'ts
There are certain etiquette rules that you must follow no matter which type of page you choose.
Don't post on your wall numerous times a day: No matter what you are trying to market, don't post numerous times on your wall. This will definitely annoy people more than intrigue them.
Friend requests and then some: You shouldn't send out a friend request accompanied by information on your business. You should always keep your personal connections and your business connections separate.
Don't ignore your fans: It is essential that people feel that you and your business are approachable and that feedback is welcomed and will be taken seriously. However, you need to be discriminating when it comes to responding to feedback. There is definitely a balance that you need to achieve when it comes to feedback response. You don't want to ignore all of the comments that you receive. If you do that, before very long, people will stop paying attention to you and your business. You should consider which comments will help you to strengthen your reputation and exposure as a business owner and share your thoughts with others by responding to those comments. Your responses to feedback will generate content on your website (through discussions) and other people will respond to you. The more discussions occur, the more content will be generated and the more people will pay attention to you and your business.
Using a personal Face book account for business
Some people see advantages in using a personal Face book account for business. Here are some of the advantages:
You and your business will appear in people's "Friend" lists instead of on the info tab under "Likes and interests." This can potentially give you more opportunities to do business.
The personal Face book account makes you appear more human and less business like. There are many people who will find this extremely appealing and will be more inclined to interact with you.
Conclusion
Whether you are more comfortable interacting through your personal Face book account or your Face book business page, it is very important to follow the appropriate rules of etiquette. You should state, up front, what your intentions are when you approach someone about connecting with them. In this world of social media, it doesn't take a very long time or a great deal of effort for people to get annoyed by your interacting with them if you do it too frequently or too aggressively. You need to make sure that you are always sensitive to other people and that you are providing them with helpful and informative information that gives them exactly what they need and want in the quantity that is good and comfortable for them.

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Facebook and Social Media Etiquette Rules

With the speed of all social media communications, the messages, replies and TMI (too much information)...this really needs to addressed for the utmost professionalism. If you are a professional or propose to be one then you need to read this. If you are already abiding the rules then fantastic! But what I have found is that many people do not know or understand Facebook or social media Etiquette.
  • On your professional page please post a professional looking picture of yourself. Many of the people who know you would love to see your face. We don't want to see some weird object that didn't crop correctly and we are viewing only half of it.
  • Keep it professional. Do not add that you "like" enjoying having sex in unusual places and you don't care what your boss thinks button! I don't think we need to elaborate more?? Do we?
  • Should you really friend everyone? The reason I address this one is because I really do look at who you are friends with. I can imagine many of your potential customers will too. Do just click "ok" every time? Check them out.
  • We don't need to know that your boyfriend cheated on you with so and so, this is professional remember? Besides you'll probably get back together with him anyway and who wants to explain to him what you wrote?
  • Be polite... Don't be condescending or crass while commenting on some else's page.. Save that for a direct message if you don't agree with them! And after you posted it..re-read it if it does sound condescending you can "delete it". On the other hand if someone posts on your page a crass comment that has nothing to do with what you are talking about... You can "DELETE" the comment. This is your page and YOU do have the right to have it look they way you want it.
  • On safety concerns: Please don't tell everyone that you are on vacation, send photos via iphone while you are on vacation. You don't want thieves robbing you while your gone. Because all though you were smart enough to not put your address on your Facebook page. They can probably find it somewhere else on the net.
  • If you have sent out a friend request to someone and they have not confirmed you as a friend don't be offended. They may have missed or accidentally cancelled the request (yes, it does happen!). But by all means don't stalk them either. Send 2 requests... ONLY 2. Otherwise you may come off as a stalker.
  • Don't write in all "caps" or use the "!" to many times, it comes off to the reader as you are yelling at them.
  • Don't create a "Facebook" page for your baby or your pet. There is an age limit....it's "13". Besides they cannot write anyway.
  • Don't ask for comments on your new item or photo, it's just tacky. You can however post them and hope for people to comment.
  • You can delete "friends" (I use that term lightly) without them knowing, If you have not talked to them is years or if they've moved and you know longer keep in touch. It's ok to "delete" them.
  • And lastly.. If you plan on having a party, do un-check the box that states anyone can view the event and RSVP. Otherwise you may have to explain to the 21,000 or so other Facebook people that you live in an 900 sq ft apartment and your parents only allowed you 13 friends over for your "15"th birthday party!

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Facebook Etiquette

As businesses increase their use of social media to attract new customers to their products and services, Face book can be a valuable tool for attracting your ideal client.
According to HubSpot Blog:
"Face book has over 200 million active users and that number continues to grow steadily. It is the third most trafficked website in the world (behind Google and Yahoo) and the most trafficked social media site in the world. As early as July 2007, Face book started calling itself one of the top people/social search engines on the web, though some disagree."
Don't make these Face book faux-pas - they might cost you a great opportunity.
Introductions: When joining any online groups or attending networking events, make sure to introduce yourself to the host of the event. It is proper to let the host know that you are appreciative of them taking the time to put this event together. You will put yourself in a higher category than those who just attend and lurk in the corners.
Speak to everyone: While it is natural to want to make your presence known to the movers and shakers in the room, it is also good to speak and mingle with the average "Joe/Jane" in the room, you never know who knows whom. But most importantly, it is just common courtesy to speak to everybody.
Share but don't Sell: Relax. When people can see that they can relate to you, oftentimes it will lead to a conversation about what you do. Be sure to also add value to your networks. Answer questions; leave encouraging comments- anything to build up others is a plus.
Be genuine: Be nice: This may seem like a given, but you would be surprised how many people check their manners at the door, especially online. Remember to say "please" and "thank you." First impressions are lasting impressions.
Give before you take: Share useful articles and links to presentation and valuable resources that interest customers and prospects on your wall, to establish credibility.
Follow up: Be sure to make some kind of contact with the persons you've met at the event. Politely remind them how you met, comment on what you enjoyed about the interaction and see how you can be of help to them in the future. Also, if someone has made a comment about a blog, post or tweet you sent out, be sure to acknowledge them. You are letting them know that you are paying attention and you care about what they have to say.
Respect others: The best way to do this is to treat others as you would want to be treated.
Following these simple yet important etiquette tips are sure to lead you on a smooth path to making great social and business connections.

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How to Teach Table Manners

Why are manners important?
Your children use their social skills in all aspects of their lives, from the playground to the classroom, to the workplace. The success of these relationships depend, to a large extent, on their social skills. By teaching your children good manners, you are actually helping your child develop strategies for being successful in their relationships!
What are social skills but the skills that enable us to interact easily with other people? And what are manners but behaviors that make other people feel comfortable and appreciated? A child with good manners is a child who knows how to treat other people well and is, therefore, much more likable as a result.
We are not born with good manners. Our children need to be shown over and over how to behave in situations. The table is a good place to start teaching children these skills. Table manners teaches your children courtesy towards other people. In addition, table manners allow children to feel confident, whether they are eating at a friend's place or at a restaurant. Even though your children may be kind and smart, other people will judge them on how they behave. Help them make a good impression by teaching these basic skills.
Ways to teach table manners
1. Set a good example. Children learn a lot by watching you so show courtesy to others. Say 'thank you' and 'please'; don't reach across the table for the water, ask someone to pass it to you.
2. Keep it simple. Aim to master one or two manners at a time before adding a new skill or situation to master.
3. Rehearse. Have special dress-up family dinners on a regular basis with good dinnerware, tablecloth and napkins. Invite friends or relatives and ask everyone to make a point of being on their best behavior. Make it fun!
4. Use a reward system. What about a jellybean jar for each child, and adding a jellybean for each polite behavior observed at the table. Allow them to eat some for dessert. For people who don't want to encourage eating sweets, use some other form of reward system.
5. Have 'What if' scenarios. 'What would you do if you drop your spoon on the floor?' 'What would you do if you hate the dinner someone served?'
6. Praise efforts. Recognize and praise your children efforts.
7. Print the rules. Make or buy place mats with table manners printed on them. Get the kids involved in making and decorating the place mats. Have a fun quiz over dinner to see who remembers the most rules.
So where do you start?
Talk to your kids about these basic rules and explain why they should do it. For example, table manners are about showing consideration for the other people around the table and not doing anything that would turn them off their food.
1. Eat with cutlery unless the food is meant to be eaten with fingers.
2. Don't put too much food in your mouth.
3. Chew with your mouth closed.
4. Don't talk with lots of food in your mouth.
5. Keep your elbows close to your sides.
6. Don't say anything bad about the meal even if you didn't like it.
7. Always say 'thank you' when served something.
8. Wait until mom or the host starts eating before you start eating.
9. Don't use a knife to put food in your mouth. Use a spoon or fork.
10. Keep your elbows off the table.
11. Don't reach over the table for something. Politely ask for it to be passed to you.
12. Do not pick anything out of your teeth. If it bothers you, ask to be excused and go to the bathroom to
get it out.
13. Napkins should always be on your lap. It is there to dab your face if you get a bit of sauce, etc, on it.
14. When eating at someone's home, always thank the host for the meal. Even if you didn't like it,
someone took a lot of time to prepare it so show appreciation.
15. Always ask 'May I be excused?' or 'May I go?' before leaving the table.
Teaching your children table manners is an important social skill they can use throughout their lives. Once mastered, it won't be forgotten - rather like riding a bike. And it only takes a few minutes a day, or a couple of nights a week.

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Tips to Teach Your Children Table Manners

Table manners now becomes an important thing since sometimes there must be invitation for you to go out for formal breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any other formal occasion. Actually, table manners are not only important for adults, but it is also important for your children. For that reason, you need to teach your children about this. Here are some tips for you to consider when you have to take them to formal occasion.
We all know that most of children are still innocent. They maybe do not know and understand if sometime they are doing something wrong or even can make you embarrassing. Just like what happen at the eating time. It is possible for children to throw foods, spill drinks, or yell across the dinner table. This is just because they have not understood yet about table manners. Thus, this is the duty of parents to teach them about it.
The first best way to teach your children is by practicing a good attitude while you are having meal. Show them how to properly eat on the table. Since children mostly follow what their parents do, showing them example of a good manners while eating will give good impact for them.
Furthermore, you can start to teach them by washing hands before they start to eat. Instead of showing a good manners, this can also give your children care of health. Since children love to play everywhere, it is possible for them to take dirt thing that contains certain bacteria or germ.
Moreover, you need to teach them of saying politely while eating. Show them how to ask help in polite way when they want to take food that is far from them. Besides, you also have to teach them how to excuse when they have to leave the table earlier. Finally, do not forget to give them praise and reward for your children when they can show a good table manners. Giving praise and reward for them will potentially make them to continue this good behavior.

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Teaching Kids Table Manners

Kids' table manners seem to be in short supply, at least with the kids I have seen at school, parties and restaurants. I have made it clear to my kids that table manners are important, make dining more pleasant for everyone, and increase their chances of being invited back again.
Here are a few ideas and important table manners that are good to instill in our children.
  • Sit upright with good posture.
  • Keep chair legs on the floor.
  • Place your napkin on your lap and make sure to use it.
  • Wait until everyone has been served before eating.
  • Pass condiments, salt and pepper around the table as opposed to across it.
  • Ask someone to pass you an item instead of reaching over them.
  • Remember to say "Thank you" when something is passed to you.
  • Say "No thank you" politely if you are offered something you don't like.
  • Do not take huge portions.
  • Don't stuff food into your mouth.
  • Don't talk with food in your mouth.
  • Keep you arms and elbows off the table. You may rest the on the table after the meal is over and dishes have been removed.
  • Don't pick your teeth at the table. If there is food stuck between your teeth, discreetly remove it.
  • Ask to be excused before leaving the table.
As a parent, it is wonderful to get positive feedback on how well behaved your children are. Good manners should become second nature to your kids and will serve them well later in life when they go to important functions, dinner meetings or dates.

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Beauty Salon Tipping - Etiquette Guide

When you find yourself in a beauty salon there can seem to be an overwhelming amount of people to tip that it can be a bit confusing. Provided here is a quick breakdown of whom you should tip and how much you should tip them.
As an example let's say you spend about $20 for your haircut. You should first tip the stylist, the one who did the actual cutting and combing $4 if they delighted you with the results, $3 if you're not jumping for joy but are still looking good. You should give their assistant a tip, which depends entirely on how attentive they were. The person who did the shampooing for you should get a dollar, and if there's a coatroom attendant they should also get a dollar.
If you went in for a perm or a hair color change you should not tip less than $5 regardless. You should tip a bit more if you are thrilled with the work done. The general guideline for a beauty parlor is 15-20% for any service provided.
It doesn't matter if you visit the salon only once or twice a year of if you go there weekly, you should tip consistently. You shouldn't pay less only because you don't visit very much. Especially if they are giving you consistent quality work you should tip accordingly.
To do it the most courteous way you should personally give the tips yourself. This is especially true to those people that have put in the most time with you. The beauty salon staff usually gives a personal service - think about it, it's your body they are working on - and since they will usually chat you up while they work they become privy to your more intimate details if you divulge them. If you go to a busy salon and there are a good number of people to tip out, many places will have an envelope at the desk for that exact purpose. If they know you because you go there often you should personally thank each stylist and simply leave the other tips at the front desk.
One exception, if the owner of the shop was the one that did your hair cut they should not receive a tip. Many times the owner will charge more for the cut taking away the necessity of a tip, although on your way out you should offer a thank you. If you didn't realize that it was the owner that was doing the job and you do offer a tip they will probably decline it. In this case don't keep pushing it, a smile and your thanks will suffice.
If the results are making you miserable you shouldn't withhold your tips as a way to send a message. What you should do is complain to the manager about the service you received and still tip the minimum. The people that work in a salon depend on tips and the manager is the one who is ultimately responsible for the work that is done in their salon.l If they did their best trying to satisfy your request you should still give them something. They should also try their best to try and fix it or repair the damage.

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Tipping Etiquette - How to Say Thank You This Holiday Season

Tipping etiquette: who do you tip and how much? In the holiday gift-giving season, it's time to dig a little deeper and show appreciation for all the services providers who have helped us during the year.
Tipping at this time of year can be stressful. From the waitress at your favorite restaurant, to the babysitter who saves your sanity, to your hairdresser who makes you feel like a million bucks, how much is enough, and how much is too much?
Tipping etiquette guidelines for the gift-giving season:
o Most people dig a little deeper and boost tips show appreciation at the holiday season. Whatever you give, the intent is thank people who took care of you over the past year.
o Most people use the same criteria for increasing tips: to nurture important relationships and/or to reward excellent service.
o Tipping depends on your budget, regional customs, and where you live. For example, if you live in a high rise in a large city, you might focus more on the attendants in your high rise apartment building, while if you live in a smaller city or town, you would be more concerned with your babysitter and hair stylists.
o Some people offer cash tips or checks. Other people show appreciation by giving a bottle of liquor, baking cookies, or finding a gift that's meaningful to the receiver. Base your tip on what's appropriate to your situation and your budget.
o Different professions usually receive different tips at the holidays. For example, bellmen at hotels and apartment buildings, bartenders, food-service professionals generally get cash tips. People that give more personal services, such as hair stylists or babysitters, can receive either cash or gifts during the holidays.
Here are some guidelines for tipping:
Baby sitter: 1 evening's pay + small gift from the child
Daycare providers; $25=$50 each + small gift from child
Housekeeper: 1 week's pay or more, depending on length of service
Hairdresser: Cost of 1 cut (or $20-$100) - depending on cost of cuts and frequency
Manicurist: Cost of 1 session (or $10-$20) or small gift
Personal trainer: $25 up to 1 week's pay
Letter carrier: Gifts of up to $20
Newspaper carrier: Up to $20
Hotel doorman/bellman: $1-2 for help with bags, hailing cabs
You are invited to use these guidelines for tipping in the holiday season.

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Tipping and Etiquette in the United States

Restaurants with table service: In the U.S., tips are expected in restaurants. As a general rule of thumb, people tip based on the quality of service. A 15% tip is standard. If you receive exceptional service, it is customary to it between 15-20%. For large parties of 6 or more, it is common for the restaurant to automatically add 15-18% to the bill. If you're with a large party, be sure to check your bill for "gratuity" to see if it was already included. If you received exceptional service, you can request to add more to the gratuity. And, of course, if you did not receive adequate service, you should inform the management before paying your bill and have the gratuity adjusted.
In most states, a meals tax is applied to the bill and is clearly indicated as such on the bill or check. In those states where the meals tax is 5% (Massachusetts as an example) or 6% it is simple to calculate by rounding the tax up or down to the nearest dollar and then multiplying by three.
Buffet restaurants: At buffet restaurants with limited table service, a tip of 10-15% of the bill is still recommended because the servers typically work harder keeping the buffet line stocked and clean. As a rule of thumb, the minimum tip should be $1 per person. As always, if you feel you have not been well-served, adjust the gratuity down, or add to the gratuity for exceptional service.
Fast food or counter service: Restaurants often leave tip jars on the counters, but you are not required to tip. If the service is exemplary or unusual requests are made, then they are expected.
Hotels
Housekeeping and maid service: For hotel housekeeping and maid service, it is customary to tip $2-3 per night. It is customary to tip up to $5 in high-end hotels, or f there are more than 3 people in a room or suite. Leave them on your pillow with a note that says "thank you" so housekeeping knows the money is intended for them. If you have additional items delivered to your room, such as extra pillows, hangers, luggage racks, tip the person who brings them $2 or $3.
Concierge: If you inquire with the concierge about directions or restaurant reservations, tipping is not expected. However, for any special individual or unusual service, a tip is appreciated.
In-suite dining waiter: Always read the bill, if there is one included, it will be on the bill breakdown. Inquire with the server if you're not sure. It is no longer the norm for the hotel to add the gratuity to the bill. Any "service charge" or "convenience fee" goes to the hotel, not the server. If there is no gratuity added, tip the server 15-18%.
Bellman/porter: If the bellman or porter takes your luggage to your hotel room, it is customary to tip $1-2 per bag.
Taxi driver: It is customary to tip between 10-15% of the taxi fare, based on service.
Hotel limo driver: If your ride from the airport was "free," it is customary to tip the limo driver between $10-20.
Drink server: While in a casino or bar, it is customary to tip the drink server $1-2 per drink. Some tip $5 for the first drink to make sure the waitress "remembers" them and returns often.
Valet Parkers: For valet parking, it is customary to tip $2-5 when they pick up your car.
Casinos
Casino dealers: While seated at a table game in a casino, it is customary to tip the dealer 5% of bet amount at end of session, or occasionally bet for dealer in amount of your normal wager (the dealer can show you where to place bet).
Slot machines host: If they make a hand payout (over $1,000), slot machine hosts are generally paid between $10-20.
Drink server: While in a casino or bar, it is customary to tip the drink server $1-2 per drink. Some tip $5 for the first drink to make sure the waitress "remembers" them and returns often.
Spas
Massage therapist: For a massage or other treatment, it is customary to tip between 10-20%. Some spas will include a gratuity on your final bill, so be sure to ask if it was included. Most spas will provide you with an envelope to leave at the reception desk for the person who gave you your treatment. Also, if you wish to leave a small gratuity of $2-5 for the spa attendant who showed you around the spa and got you situated, it is well appreciated.
Hairdresser or manicurist: For a hairdresser, manicurist, or like service, it is customary to tip between 10-20%.

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Craps Table Etiquette

Believe it or not while you may hear all of the hollering and yelling at the craps table, there are certain unwritten rules of etiquette that are expected to be followed. The first rule is to be courteous to dealers, casino staff and other players. Casinos do their best to promote the image of playing craps as being exciting and fun, but sometimes a player who has had too much to drink may take the party atmosphere too seriously and be just too wild.
When you first walk up to the table wait to buy your chips until the shooter is done shooting or until the dealer asks if you want to "buy-in." Always place your cash on the table and NEVER try to hand it to the dealer. The dealer is not allowed to take money directly from any player and vice versa. All transactions must be on the felt layout so that the infamous eye in the sky can ensure there is no funny business going on between a dealer and the player. Once you put your cash on the table tell the dealer "change only please." Otherwise, it may be considered a bet.
The dealer will then take your money and lay it out so that the box person can see how much it is and then the dealer will place you chips either in front of you or on the Come area of the layout. The box person will then put your cash in the cash box through a hole in the table. It is kind of the casinos way of telling you to say "bye-bye" to your money. They will use a lot of psychological tricks to keep your cash.
Once the dealer places your chips in front of you it is your responsibility to pick-up your chips and place them in the chip rack. If you do not remove your chips from the table, it may be considered a bet. Don't worry about hurrying to remove your chips from the table too much because the dealers will give you plenty of time to pick up your chips from the layout. The stickperson will keep the dice in the middle of the table until the dealers are finished paying the winning bets, collecting the losing bets or making change for new players (and for people who need to reach into their pockets to buy more chips).
Always, always, always keep your hands above the chip rack (above the rail). Do not let your hands or fingers hang over the edge of the table. Many players are superstitious and believe that if the dice accidentally hit your hand or fingers that it will cause a 7 to appear. It is bad luck to let the dice hit another person's hands or fingers. This is why you will see other players getting very upset if someone is reaching in at the last moment to make a bet.
When you are the shooter, use only one hand to hold the dice. Do not rub the dice with both hands. The casinos do not allow players to rub the dice with both hands because it grinds the edges. Using one hand to control the dice also helps to assure the table crew that you are not trying to switch dice or that you are not a dice mechanic (a player who replaces the official casino dice with crooked dice).
Do not spend an excessive amount of time setting the dice or going through any lengthy routine. The other players and dealers will expect a person to roll the dice within 3 to 4 seconds of receiving them from the stick person.
Always be nice to the dealers. Always toke the dealers. If the dealers are rude or not courteous to you, you have the option to leave the table or the casino. For the most part the dealers are nice and will help you - - so long as you treat them fairly. I routinely toke the dealers after a win and generally ask them where they want to place their tokes as a bet. The dealers appreciate this gesture because it allows them to "get into" the game and if they win on there bet, your $1 or $2 could be as much as $10 or more. Contrary to popular belief, the dealers are paid mostly from tips.
It is considered bad luck to mention the word "seven" during a roll. It is also generally considered rude to ask to "color out" or to "color up" in the middle of a shooter's roll.
Be polite to the cocktail waitress. If you request a beverage (if you are playing it better be non-alcoholic), toke her a $1 chip. The cocktail waitress earns most of her money on tips.
Simply stated, be courteous and respectful, avoid behavior that is rude, pushy or belligerent. Do not attempt to force your way into a crowded table. If there isn't room on the rail for you to place your chips in a separate section, you should not be there. Especially do not attempt to push your way into a hot table next to the shooter.
If you are only watching a companion, friend or partner and are not betting, and have no intention of making a bet, do not stand at the rail. Leave the space for another player who does want to get in on the action.

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Simple Eating Etiquette Tips

As long as your are at home alone, you can eat like an animal, if that's your desire.  Just go ahead, gulp your food, chew with your mouth open, lick your fingers, and drink from the milk carton.  No one will ever know this truth about you.  But when you eat in the presence of others, it is entirely another matter. I'm sure that most of the time, you know what to do, but sometimes you may have doubts, and not be so sure.
Let's just say for example, you have just been served a plate of fried chicken.  Do you sit there a while, not knowing exactly what to do? Do you eat it with your hands like you would at home, or do you tackle it with a knife and fork?
One sure way of being correct for a particular moment, is to watch your host or hostess.  If he or she picks up a drumstick or a chop, then follow suit and do the same. If however, your host is using a fork and knife, then you should also do so.
Some foods are perfectly acceptable to eat with your hands: chicken (at a picnic or barbecue), pizza, fajitas, french fries, asparagus, artichokes, and corn on the cob (eat small increments, not straight across like a typewriter).
How you actually eat the food is only a small portion of good table etiquette. We will try not to bore you with too many do's and don'ts, but a few good table manners never hurt anyone. We will share a few general guidelines that will help you survive any occasion.
Always wait for your host to tell you to sit down before seating yourself. Put your napkin on your lap. Keep it there until you are excused from the table. Fold your napkin loosely and lay it on the table to the left of your plate. If you need to leave the table during the meal, for any reason, leave your napkin on your seat, or the back of your chair, where others will not have to look at it.
Use your flatware from the outside in. Take small bites and serve yourself small portions. Taking small portions always ensures others of having plenty, as well as enabling you to get seconds, which generally are considered a compliment to your host.
While there are many more rules of etiquette, the ones above will carry you through most any meal.  Gaining confidence in your table manners will ensure that you have an enjoyable stress free meal.

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Wedding Invitation Address Etiquette

When it comes to sending out the wedding invitations, there seems to be a rule of etiquette for everything. Address etiquette for a wedding invitation is no different. Listed below are four simple rules that ensure wedding invitation address etiquette is followed. Do Not Use Abbreviations
Formal etiquette for wedding invitation addresses follows the old standard postal code when modernization was not the normal way of life. Here are a few simple tips to help guide you through addressing of wedding invitations:
  • Do not abbreviate anything. Use of "street" or "avenue" instead of their abbreviated versions is an old postal regulation that, while no longer required, is still used for formal invitations
  • Handwrite all addresses onto the invitation envelopes. This is another idea from the past which survives today to show careful thought and planning as to who is sharing in the wedding.
  • Clearly write numbers so that they are legible.
  • Place the return address on the back of the outer card. This is another old postal style that has survived for use with invitations.
Always Confirm the Postal Code and Address
If possible, contact the person you are sending the invitation to so that you may confirm their street address and zip code. While it is becoming acceptable to send invitations through email or telephone, many people still feel proper etiquette is to address wedding invitations to a land address.
Always Include a Return Land Address
This is another simple etiquette for wedding invitation addresses. If you send out invitations via email, you will want to include a reply address for people who are not comfortable with email or their computer skills
Allow Time for the Mail
Allowing your guests time to plan and respond is a major etiquette for wedding invitations. Address mailing pieces and get them out at least six weeks before the date of the wedding. Eight weeks is a more acceptable time frame since guests may be coming from some distance away or may need to request time off well ahead of the day.
Following these four simple rules for wedding address invitation etiquette will help ensure that all of the proper etiquette for wedding invitations is followed. Also, with the use of these four rules of address etiquette, a wedding invitation is sure to reach guests in time thereby allowing for you to properly plan the space and other requirements for a comfortable and enjoyable reception.

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Dating Etiquette Tips For the First Date

Alright, you have managed to get a date, so now everything is easy right? Wrong, far from it, there are few things that need sorting out before you meet your date for the first time. Before you meet your date, many thoughts are going through your mind. your physiology reflects your uneasiness, your hands are shaking, your hair refuses to comply. Elated you got a date yet nervous, happy yet not sure why it does not feel like you are. That's what some refer to as the dating game, you only get better at it when you do it more often, there are few things one can do to get over these for good and I will share them with you in another article, but for now let's get this over with.
Those who tell you that looks aren't everything are your friends and family and of course they are lying to you, the truth is be it you are a man or a woman, looks matters because it sets the grounds for a great first impressions. So, to get in the dating game you have got to scrub up a bit if you are not doing so already. Why? You might ask, my date should accept me as I am!!! Well, not taking care of your appearance sends the wrong messages such as - you don't really care about your date since you didn't make an effort-, another example of a wrong message: -if you cannot take care of yourself how on earth are you going to take care of your date???- And many more... Looking after your appearance also increases your self confidence and while you are in that date you don't have to think if your hair looks nice or shirt tucked in... Because your main focus should be on your date and nothing else.
This will bring us nicely to the next tip;
As the saying goes:"Confidence is Man's or Woman's best friend" Both men and women are attracted to confidence, confidence is sexy. It is important that you acquire some confidence. Please note that there is a huge difference between a confident person and a jerk or cocky person. What I mean by being confident is to be confident being you and all that includes.
I hope smiling is natural to you, if not practice in front of the mirror until you get right and becomes a genuine smile without looking like a lunatic. Why? Well, a genuine smile comes from confidence and we have talked about confidence before that is sexy, a smile can help you get the second date and smiling is attractive like confidence again and it helps people be at ease with you.
Dare I say be polite and use your manners? This I hope should be a second nature to you. Nothing will make your date run as if they have wheels in their heels than someone who is rude and/or obnoxious, so it's to your advantage to be polite as much as possible.
If you can make your date laugh, engage in the conversation, interested and enjoy themselves, you are doing well and congratulate yourself for scoring extra points in the dating game and consequently you have almost secured a second date if that's what you want. You can ask some questions of your date without getting too personal. Share those funny stories of yours but don't talk about yourself too much, give room to your date to talk too. Avoid awkward silences by going with the flow of the conversation and if one ends use a hook from it to the next conversation.
Those are some of the tips that will help you play by the rules in the dating game and may even get you a few more dates after that, remember, practice practice practice.

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10 Email Etiquette Tips

One of the most prevalent means of modern communication is electronic mail (e-mail); the ability to send messages from one person to recipients via the computer. This media has been widely abused and misused with the largest blame going to lack of information of things to avoid when using email. There are things that people do while using this facility that drive the bulk of the recipients up the wall. There are hundreds of does and don'ts hence in this article I single out a few crucial issues pertaining to email usage. I have used emails for over a decade. This is one of the best ways to communicate but like any other facility, it is subject to abuse and mis-use. Abuse has always been seen to come out situations where purpose of the facility is unclear. Email is with us for some time to come hence there is need for users to practice etiquette so that everyone using it enjoys doing so.
Email Tips:
1. Open emails speedily and respond - It is very frustrating to send emails and not get a single response. One will begin to wonder if the emails did even go through or they are simply delayed. Responding to an email is not necessary to confirm that you have read all attachments etc. You can respond to simply communicate that you have received and you will read in greater detail at a later time. It gives the sender a peace of mind. While I am encouraging you to open emails speedily, exercise caution on suspicious subjects and attachments lest your machine gets to be infected with viruses.
2. Be clear what you want to communicate - Long winding emails never get the attention of the reader. Get to the point quicker to ensure people read and understand your point with the least amount of words. I am not advocating that you begin to use slang and shorthand on email. People have just become busy owing to increase in demands in the workplace and life in general. Your subject should match what you have in the message body and attachment. Avoid deceiving people through enticing subject and body text yet the attachment falls short of expectations. Always ensure you spruce up your email, double check to see if all you wanted to say has been said. It is annoying to write four times about the same subject while adding a little bit more information with each email. People will tend to wait for version four of your email always if they notice a trend. Be clear in your email if it for someone's information or for their action.
3. Organize and manage your emails - When you are organized, you become more efficient with your emails hence it becomes an exciting experience. The first thing I do as I open my mailbox is to select all spam or junk mail and flag it as such and trash immediately. I also create folders to store emails in different categories. To automate the process of archiving, I create email rules that help to put emails into different folders without my interference. Emails that I do not find value in are immediately deleted as well to make way for useful. You will definitely find out that doing this will enable you to handle hundreds of emails without any sign of fatigue. To avoid forgetting to follow-up on emails, I usual flag the emails as Unread so that they keep drawing my attention. It helps me stay on the ball as I cannot stand unread emails for too long. I get shocked when I see people with 400 unread messages, important messages are hidden among the not so useful emails hence deadlines are missed, appointments are postponed etc.
4. Watch out the way you address - Know who you are sending the message to, who are you carbon copying (cc) for information and who are you blind carbon copying (bcc) meaning they receive a copy of the email and yet other recipients do not get to know about it. When distributing a newsletter or emailing in to hundreds of people, always put addresses under bcc. The sending of unsolicited emails across the entire web is because people reveal the addresses of others unnecessarily. It can be annoying. Similarly, in the event that you receive an email from someone which was copied to 5 other people, use the reply option to send a response to the sender not reply all. Reply all will send your response to everyone who received the email. Use reply all in situations where it is absolutely necessary.
5. Email Formatting and Accuracy is Important - It is important to note that email is merely a replacement of the usual hand written letter in the old days. People used to be very cautious with how their letters were formatted before. Now, even with tools and utilities available to format emails nicely, check spelling, grammar and so on, people still send raw, erroneous emails to recipients. Always check for spellings to ensure you communicate what you originally intended to say. It is easy to communicate the opposite. Scanning your email using your eyes only will not help you remove errors your mind is blind to. Sometimes walking away from the email and coming back after a few minutes will reveal to you all the error. Refrain from typing in ALL YELLING CAPS or all lazy small letters as both communicate an attitude. Avoid multiple colors on your emails. It is not about the decorations and background but the message. Avoid emoticons as much as possible especially on business related emails. Funny looking fonts can be annoying as they make someone take longer to read an email. Avoid them.
6. Appropriate Attachment Management is necessary - From time to time you may want the recipient to have access an attached file. Do not assume that all recipients have the same version of programs to open the attachments. Save attachments in a format that can be opened by any version of program the recipient may have. Huge file attachments need to be compressed for ease of movement. Some servers truncate huge attachments hence your information does not get received. Always send a separate email to confirm receipt of huge attachments. Not everyone has a high speed internet connection to download. Never assume that because you know the sender of the email you can trust their attachments. Viruses usually come attached to emails hence where the receiver's machine is vulnerable with no virus protection, it gets infected after attachment is executed or opened.
7. Be careful with those Forwards - Assess the benefit or usefulness and validity of an email before forwarding to others. Some "special offers" etc are merely hoaxes or spam. You may not know what the emails will trigger in the people you send to. The quality and types of emails you peddle have an impact on how people view you. Always take the time to type a personal comment to accompany the email so that the person receiving knows you have read and what you want them to do. If you can't type the comment they you shouldn't bother forwarding. Be careful to forward emails of a political or sexual nature. People receiving the email may not appreciate your "generosity". In companies I worked for, we agreed that anyone found peddling nudity and sexual humor would be banned totally or face disciplinary action. Non business material is a waste of business resource. You may not have originated the message but being seeing forwarding 30 messages (even inspirational ones) a day seems outrageous. Avoid mass mailing people who didn't ask you for that service. I know how I feel when I get those mass mailed items hence I do not seek to do it to others.
8. Practice email courtesy - In the event that you send a message which you then realize is a hoax, be courteous enough to send an apology. Sometimes you may send a message meaning one thing but recipients may read it in a different context raising an outrage. Don't add insult to injury by responding in anger, simply clarify what you meant. There is no reason for using the email system to fight wars of words. There is no such time to waste. Before you get upset over "people not replying", kindly check your trash or junk-mail folder in case replies were automatically archived in error.
9. Handling Emotional email - Emails you write while emotionally charged sometimes lead to regrets. Unlike a letter which after writing you have time with it before you reach the postboxes; once you hit send in most cases it is hard to recall the message. Always step back and ask yourself if the response you are giving will be consistent the following day. Wait till that day and send the message. You will realize that a lot of spikes will fall off as they mis-communicate or cause the recipient to develop a communication barrier. Human beings are emotional beings. Any statement you say can easily have 8 different connotations being read by 8 different people because they are largely from different background and experiences. They also have varying levels of emotional strength. Be wary of statements that may cause the opposite sex to stumble such as "Much Love, Miss you, Lots of hugs and kisses". Be sensitive to the recipient.
10. Final Advice - Just because you have a person's email address does not mean you can share it anyone. If anyone wants the email they should look for it on their own. Avoid using your business email address on online subscriptions. Use your private address as business email address should be for business only. Safeguard your email by forwarding a copy to your private address. Even if your machine gets stolen or damaged, you will still have a backup of your emails. You never know when you will require the evidence of you having sent an email. It may be the email that you use to exonerate yourself from being charged or sentenced in a court of law. When using your business email to send a contribution or opinion, always include a disclaimer that shows that your view is not that of your employer otherwise use personal email address to send personal views and mindsets. The last thing you ever need is for your employer's domain to be blacklisted.

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10 Office Etiquette Tips

Here are a few common etiquette considerations
1. Understand that time is important to organizations - let it not be a habit to be late for work. Rather not be the one who gives excuses daily. It is interesting that there is not a day when you missed your plane because you woke up late. Your habitual lateness for work tends to communicate your value system and how you see your contribution to the organization. Realize that your employer pays for the time your are late. Be fair and earn every cent on your pay cheque. 30 minutes lost daily is about 11 hours a month lost which is about a full day and a half. Complete tasks ahead of time. Attack each day with intentionality, have a written time plan.
2. Email etiquette - Respond to emails as they come - avoid piling emails because daily you will receive more. Even an acknowledgment of receipt is good enough. Do not click Reply All but simply reply so that it goes just to the one who sent not everyone who was copied. Also use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy), if you are sending many people and you don't want their emails to show. This helps reduce spam.
3. Phone manners - Answer your phone after 3 rings max. Any call, business or social should be able to achieve the objective within 3 minutes. If you can not close the sale in 3 minutes you need to sharpen your skills further. Over and above 3 minutes it can be tantamount to phone abuse. Return people's calls when you get messages that people called in your absence. Keep a phone directory. Keep personal calls to a minimum. Phone bills are such a cost in many organizations compared to email communication. Partner with your employer in reducing costs and overheads. Use appropriate communications methods. Use your personal mobile phone for personal communication.
4. Private visitors - All visitors should come after working hours, or during lunch time. It is unfair to the employer for you to engage in social talk during working hours. If it has to happen let it be by appointment and in states of emergency, life threatening situations. Your relatives, friends and church colleagues must know you to respect your work time. Social meetings should be 5 minutes max but not encouraged. Your role is to communicate how you value your work time to all your contacts. They will respect you for being up front with them. It is not for the employer to always remind you.
5. Internet usage - this tool can easily be abused. Research and Development can be done on this ever increasing pool of knowledge. However addictions to socials chats can be attributed to targets missed and profits lost. Make your internet usage very discreet. Internet abuse has led to many people to lose their own jobs. In some countries, they check your activity online by Goggling you and checking your profiles to see what kind of person you are. Next time you lose an opportunity to be employed, check if your Facebook profile is not letting you down.
6. Dress Issues - Your job will tell you what kind of clothes to wear. Your can not be the CEO of an Advertising agency and always come to work dressed in overalls. The caliber of people you will meet dictates how presentable you should be. On specific days, most companies do allow casual wear, golf days or Fridays. Do not just start your own uniform where a specific request for a type of uniform is in place.
7. Work with a plan - It is shocking how many people dive into the day with confidence yet with no plan of how the time will be spent. Lack of plan causes them to be very tired at the end of the day but they can not answer this question with enthusiasm "Is the stuff you did today in line with your job expectations and targets?", "What did you do anyway?". Plan your tasks. Schedule appointments. Know when to do personal stuff. As a rule of thumb, you can not sacrifice your work expectations no matter how urgent your own things seem to be. Your work objectives first then once complete you look at other things. A plan will ensure you do the right things at the right time. Link this to point 1. above.
8. Financial Integrity in the workplace - You may not be the financial accountant or cashier but from time to time you have a chance to handle cash that belongs to your employer. Always be above board when it comes to accounting for corporate finances. Most people get tempted to "solve" personal pressing matters with company finances with the hope to "cover" the debt "soon". That temptation can cause your name to be branded badly in no time. what is not yours is not yours. Stop having ideas over other people's money. You can be creative with your earnings. Just because it is a company vehicle filled with company fuel does not warrant unplanned and personal trips to see friends and family. Company spends money to try and increase profit and productivity. Keep personal mission to a minimum. I know a of a gentleman who would use a company vehicle every weekend to drive 300km to his rural home without knowledge of superiors until he had an accident out of town. Consider finances the company will lose on wear and tear, regular servicing etc. Have integrity, seek permission. Allow the boss to say No.
9 Relationships - Business is built by relationships. In any business, employees must have a good working relationship. For avoidance of compromise of work ethics, you need to desist from connecting at intimate level with your boss or subordinate. It is a rule of thumb. Believe me, when you work with someone, you tend to know them better with each day, they may solve a few of your problems but they are not your wife to be or husband to be. It is not "for fun" after all. It actually looks and sounds funny. Be professional enough to say No without feeling guilty. Message to bosses - it is easy to use your financial muscle to abuse the power you have over your subordinates. Your social and intimate relations should be outside the organization. Subordinates - do not be wooed by promises of promotion and salary raises. It is not worth it. Earn your money and promotion the authentic way. It brings job satisfaction more than the fact that you entertain the boss once in a while.
10 Be in a sober state of mind in the workplace - Avoid clogging your mind with personal agendas. Your mind should be focused on what has to be done. Avoid intoxicating substances during working hours. Away with the thought that "I reason and think better when I get one or two beers". That is a lie to justify bad work habits. You have the evening to do what you want, as long as it will not affect your 8-5 performance. You also have weekends to rest, relax your mind and connect socially in your community. When you have a sober mind you are able to respect and honor and prefer others in the workplace.

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