Social Etiquette - Business Idea

Leper

Registered User
Messages
2,016
Going on Ali's post on another thread in which the eating habits of the Irish are challenged, I reckon there is an opening for somebody to give day/night classes on social etiquette. The subjects could include in no particular order:-

Proper laying of a table.[How often does a laid table look like a collection of second hand or charity shop bought items?]

What cutlery to use and in correct order. [Looking at people looking at each other trying to decide whether this knife or that should be used is quite entertaining].

What correct cutlery is used for each dish. [Another pitfall].

How to use cutlery.[When you see a guy holding a knife and fork as if he had a lump hammer in each hand is cringe worthy].

Table-napkins are provided for protection of clothes, not to be stuffed down your pants.

How to dress for whatever occasion. [Don't get me started].

The art of eating without noise with your mouth closed and slowly is not too difficult to learn. [Nothing more entertaining that seeing a seniority promoted manager disgracing himself/herself gorging food showing gnashers like the baddie in Lion King and eating like a new famine was coming].

If there is no "Red" sauce, it is not the end of the world.

Acceptable behaviour i.e. arriving on time.[unfortunately, arriving late has become acceptable in Ireland, even 2 hours late].

What to say and how to say it.[Minefield].

What not to say. [Like the song says:- When will we ever learn . . .]

When the night should end. [Another change of custom required].

How to shake hands. [Nothing like the limp handshake of Premiership Managers after a match!]

There is a nice little earner for somebody and forgive me if this is being done already. I know of some business managers who attended classes on how to improve diction, stance, grammar etc. In these days of multiple and communal interviews I would think that proper social table etiquette is required.
 
Please add - Formal letter writing.

I blame email and text messaging for the downfall of some peoples inability to construct sentences that don't require the use of an enigma machine to decipher them. I know of man who sent an email invitation to a foreign embassy starting with "Howdy Folks"......

Edit: I am guilty of gesturing with my cutlery during a discussion at dinner. I need to tether my arms down at times I think.
 
I hate seeing people holding their knife like it's a pen. It's one of my pet hates.

Don't cut your bread; break it.

Don't put your elbows on the table.

Don't tell everyone what you don't eat; just order your food.

Don't start eating until everyone is served.

Don't over fill wine glasses.

If your nose is blocked then go and blow it, don’t spend the meal breathing loudly through it or mouth-breathing around lumps of half chewed food.

Don’t tell racist, sexist or vulgar jokes to people you don’t know.

Never use bad language in a business setting.
 
Please add - Formal letter writing.

I blame email and text messaging for the downfall of some peoples inability to construct sentences that don't require the use of an enigma machine to decipher them. I know of man who sent an email invitation to a foreign embassy starting with "Howdy Folks"......

Edit: I am guilty of gesturing with my cutlery during a discussion at dinner. I need to tether my arms down at times I think.

I agree on email. I get a lot everyday but senior managers are copied on so many unnecessary ones, they could just spend the whole day reading them.

I hate getting a mail of just one paragraph. My biggest bugbear (and I have a few) is no subject.

On Lepers idea, it good on paper but I think everyone will know of people who should attend but the take up will be low.
 
I was in the Tea Rooms in the Clarence Hotel once at a business meeting, and was having dinner - I cut the meat, then put down my knife and swapped fork to right hand - waiter came over and corrected me in front of my client. Never been back since.

Agree with formal letter writing - when to use yours faithfully and yours sincerely.

My favourite is the one where you walk upstairs behind a lady and downstairs in front - to break her fall, should this occur.

Oh, and one passes the port to the left (I discovered this recently!)
 
My favourite is the one where you walk upstairs behind a lady and downstairs in front - to break her fall, should this occur.

Apparently, when walking along a footpath with a woman, the man should be on the street side of the path to 'shield' the lady from puddle splashes.

We were in a restaurant yesterday for Mother's Day. I heard the waitress call out the choices for kids, burger/sausage/nuggets and chips. How can an adult attitude to food be fostered when restaurants pander to the lowest common denominator ? How hard can it be to do smaller portions of what's on the adult menu ?
 
Apparently, when walking along a footpath with a woman, the man should be on the street side of the path to 'shield' the lady from puddle splashes.

The man should also hold the lady's hand with her standing on the left so that he can draw his sword if needs be
 
I was in the Tea Rooms in the Clarence Hotel once at a business meeting, and was having dinner - I cut the meat, then put down my knife and swapped fork to right hand - waiter came over and corrected me in front of my client. Never been back since.
He was correct, but shouldn't have corrected you :D
 
I hate seeing people holding their knife like it's a pen. It's one of my pet hates.

Don't cut your bread; break it.

Do you mean a crusty roll? I was out recently and had soup to start with brown bread. I suppose to cut these as I like them all to be the same size.
 
How to shake hands. [Nothing like the limp handshake of Premiership Managers after a match!]

A topic that too much time to spent on, a handshake doesn't matter.

If I walk into any garage in Ireland the car salesman is going to give me a firm handshake as he is sales staff. It doesn't mean I trust him at all as I know he is going to gloss over details to get me to buy.

A weak handshake doesn't mean anything.
And a bone crushing handshake doesn't mean confidence.

There are youtube videos all about the subject which I'm sure business executives and Alan Sugar wannabes watch.
Coverying topics like trying to be "top dog" and grasping the others persons arm also.
George Bush was always at this, other politicians do it too. Now that I think of it the bould Bertie was another man for the firm handshake and the slap on the back


If there is no "Red" sauce, it is not the end of the world.

Yes it is :(
 
Ireland (and the world in general) have far bigger problems than "Social etiquette problems"..........

"Don't put your elbows on the table." Jeez who really cares :rolleyes:
 
If your nose is blocked then go and blow it, don’t spend the meal breathing loudly through it or mouth-breathing around lumps of half chewed food.

As a sufferer of sinus problems including nasal polyps I can assure you that no matter how blocked my nose is, simply blowing it wont do anything - except block it even more. Its not blocked with anything that can be blown out, the membranes inside the sinus cavity are swollen and inflamed. I could blow and blow until I blow bits of brain right out - but no joy.
 
As a sufferer of sinus problems including nasal polyps I can assure you that no matter how blocked my nose is, simply blowing it wont do anything - except block it even more. Its not blocked with anything that can be blown out, the membranes inside the sinus cavity are swollen and inflamed. I could blow and blow until I blow bits of brain right out - but no joy.

Yea, but would you sniff your way through a bisiness meeting?
 
Wow, this thread confirms what I had already suspected about several of the posters here, and surprises me about a few more.

I found this poorly constructed sentence from Bullbars to be the pick of the snobnoxious bunch though...! "I blame email and text messaging for the downfall of some peoples inability to construct sentences that don't require the use of an enigma machine to decipher them." (Though I do actually agree with the point I think he's making.)
 
Just to give my own personal perspective on it:

Going on Ali's post on another thread in which the eating habits of the Irish are challenged, I reckon there is an opening for somebody to give day/night classes on social etiquette. The subjects could include in no particular order:-

Proper laying of a table.[How often does a laid table look like a collection of second hand or charity shop bought items?] - I couldn't care less, once I have the necessary implements.

What cutlery to use and in correct order. [Looking at people looking at each other trying to decide whether this knife or that should be used is quite entertaining]. - Again I couldn't care less, food is for eating, cutlery is for eating food with.

What correct cutlery is used for each dish. [Another pitfall]. - same again

How to use cutlery.[When you see a guy holding a knife and fork as if he had a lump hammer in each hand is cringe worthy]. - see my previous 3 points

Table-napkins are provided for protection of clothes, not to be stuffed down your pants. - it's my napkin, I'll put it where I like

How to dress for whatever occasion. [Don't get me started]. - you worry about what you're wearing and I'll (not) worry about my outfit.

The art of eating without noise with your mouth closed and slowly is not too difficult to learn. [Nothing more entertaining that seeing a seniority promoted manager disgracing himself/herself gorging food showing gnashers like the baddie in Lion King and eating like a new famine was coming]. - You actually have a point here, having to watch someone's food being chewed and being at risk of having it spat all over you is unpleasant.

If there is no "Red" sauce, it is not the end of the world. - I'm not sure what point you're making here.

Acceptable behaviour i.e. arriving on time.[unfortunately, arriving late has become acceptable in Ireland, even 2 hours late]. - You have a point there

What to say and how to say it.[Minefield]. - Can this be taught, short of turning somebody into a robot who you can see is furiously composing their every sentence? Surely by adulthood you're either an insensitive ignoramus or you're not?

What not to say. [Like the song says:- When will we ever learn . . .] - as above

When the night should end. [Another change of custom required]. - what night? You need not fear having people dying to hang around after a night of being judged by you...

How to shake hands. [Nothing like the limp handshake of Premiership Managers after a match!] - rather a limp handshake than a bonecrusher personally

There is a nice little earner for somebody and forgive me if this is being done already. I know of some business managers who attended classes on how to improve diction, stance, grammar etc. In these days of multiple and communal interviews I would think that proper social table etiquette is required.

Since you seem to have such a fetish about table manners and cutlery, do you know who invented the various pieces of cutlery, and can you imagine the historical quivalent of you sneering at the upstart who broke with convention. With attitudes like yours the world would still be flat!
 
Back
Top