Tiffany Nielsen

Dining Etiquette, Business Etiquette and Children's Workshop

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Customer Service: “Hello” and “Thank You” Matter

May 20, 2015 By Tiffany Nielsen

"Hello" and "Thank you" Matter

“Hello” and “Thank you” Matter

You’ve all experienced receiving a welcoming “hello”.  It makes you feel good! More importantly, you feel appreciated. This is especially true when an employee of a business acknowledges you as you pass through their door.

You’ve also experienced walking into businesses only to hear nothing. Not a peep. Perhaps you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of a growl for interrupting them instead.

Some of you might not appreciate being acknowledged because you just want to be left alone. At least be aware it’s considered very poor service for any business not to take notice of their customers.

Customer service starts with a “hello” and ends with a “thank you”. Therefore, training your staff on how you want your customers treated is essential to staying in business. Don’t assume your staff knows your expectations. Don’t assume they even know to be cordial.

If you own a business, have you watched your staff interact with customers? What observations have you made? Have you set your ground rules and facilitated customer service training? Have you empowered yourself to be a role model your team can look up to?

Not every customer will respond to your pleasant greeting or show of gratitude; they either don’t hear you, don’t care or they live on another planet and therefore don’t get it. Rest assured, knowing when you take the high road in customer service, most people will drive a little bit farther to spend a little more money with you, because they know you value them.

Filed Under: Business Etiquette, Customer Service Etiquette Tagged With: customer service

What Would Charlene Say? Part 3: Three Habits of Gracious Living

May 13, 2014 By Tiffany Nielsen

Here’s Part 3 of the daily habit campaign! I’m confident you will find this one necessary for surviving our wobbly, unpredictable life!

Give Thanks. She never complained (at least out loud) to me about surgery or another round of chemo/radiation. She didn’t whine to the doctors, her nurses or the assistants. In fact, Charlene frequently expressed to her oncologist…

Learn to celebrate what's good in the world

What Would Charlene Say? Three Habits for Gracious Living!

“Thank you for taking care of me. I’ve learned so much and I am fascinated by the science and technology that help people like me”. And, if it weren’t for cancer, I wouldn’t know all you great people.”

Leave it to my dear mom (in-law) to be thankful for her situation while her entourage uncomfortably awaited the reading of CAT scans. Charlene Nielsen found the silver lining in everything and everyone.

To recap Charlene’s Three Habits for Gracious Living:
1. Get Dressed.
2. Smile.
3. Give Thanks.

Which habit would you like to see more people practice, and why?

If you please, post your thoughts in the comment section below. By posting, you are helping others benefit from your honest and respectful perspective.

“Give thanks for what is right in the world. Let God worry about the rest.”
 – Charlene Nielsen,  Author, Grandma, Mother and Premier Etiquettes’ Editor (in heaven)

Tiffany Nielsen, Founder and CEO of Premier Etiquette, is your favorite Etiquette Lady and Personal Stylist. She lives in Exeter, CA with her husband, David and travels nationwide representing ideas and strategies that help remedy social and business faux pas. You are invited to attend Tiffany’s upcoming program, Mother May I May 27 or 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M. at Snappy Casual Consulting in Bakersfield or at Brandman University in Visalia, CA. The program cost is $34.00.

Please register for Bakersfield’s Mother May I, Etiquette and Style Class here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-year-true-you-bakersfields-workshop-series-for-women-tickets-9943018837

© Tiffany Nielsen | Premier Etiquette. All Rights Reserved.

Filed Under: Civility Tagged With: civility, common sense, customer service, Etiquette, house guest etiquette, Image, inspiration, introductions, Manners, protocol, Service

What Would Charlene Say? Part 2: Three Habits for Gracious Living

May 11, 2014 By Tiffany Nielsen

 

It's Proper Etiquette to Smile

Make Smiling a Daily Habit for Gracious Living.

Here’s Part 2 of the daily habit campaign that you will find super easy to accomplish before the day is up! 

Fill yourself with happiness when people display this habit. Appreciation for your act of kindness and civility will not go unnoticed. Be well aware of those who don’t partake. The 2nd best daily habit is…..

Smile! Smiling doesn’t come easy to some folks, but it did for Charlene! She woke up with a smile, she slept with a smile. She made the miserable people smile even when they didn’t want to.  Smiling at those who annoyed or troubled her was also commonplace. “People, how hard is it to smile? Gosh”, says Charlene. It takes more muscles to frown than smile.

  1. Job interview etiquette tip: A person is required to smile.
  2. Customer service etiquette: Clients and colleagues like seeing smiles.
  3. When you are introduced to people, the proper etiquette is to smile and converse.
  4. Children who smile demonstrate their good manners.

Do you have your own technique for helping people smile? Is it a song and dance? A tug at the check? Please share your wisdom in the comment section below because it will make Charlene smile!

If you please, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and register for our announcements so you don’t miss out on our fun events!

Happy Smiling!

Tiffany Nielsen, Founder and CEO of Premier Etiquette, is your favorite Etiquette Lady and Personal Stylist. She lives in Exeter, CA with her husband, David and travels nationwide representing ideas and strategies to help solve social and business faux pas. You can attend Tiffany’s upcoming program, Mother May I on May 27 and 28th from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M. at Brandman University in Visalia, CA or in Bakersfield. The program cost is $34.00.

©Tiffany Nielsen | Premier Etiquette. All Rights Reserved.

 

Filed Under: Civility Tagged With: civility, common sense, customer service, Etiquette, Image, inspiration, Networking

July is National Cell Phone Month

July 13, 2011 By Tiffany Nielsen

July is National Cell Phone Month
Cell Phone Etiquette Guidelines

At the start of just about every business etiquette seminar I present, I always ask participants, “When it comes to rude behaviors seen in public, which one annoys you the most?” Nearly all say, “The misuse of cell phones.”  If participants in my seminars are saying this, then what could the rest of the country be saying?

Making cell phone users more respectful of their surroundings is the motto of July National Cell Phone Month. Let’s not let our use of cell phones offend others or take precedence in areas of our lives where it serves no purpose.  In fact, courteous cell phone practices are easily accomplished when we commit to these cell phone civilities:

Switch the Sound In business, switch your cell phone ring tone to vibrate or silent. When can you leave the jingle on? When you are at home, but only so long as your ring doesn’t wake a sleeping baby or your spouse. As always, let common sense be your guide.

Mind the Meeting Room In most cases, bosses and meeting leaders would prefer that cell phones be switched to silent mode or vibrate to avoid having a loud, ringing device disrupt a meeting, not to mention sending the violator into panic or denial mode. Nobody wins in the “It’s not me!” – “John, it’s you!” game. If you are expecting a call that can’t end up in voicemail, let your colleagues, boss, etc… know ahead of time the importance of taking an incoming call. When it does arrive, quietly grab the phone and disappear without slamming the door behind you.

Mind the Kiddies Parents, advocate in your house that “National Cell Phone Month” is an everyday celebration. Feel free to set boundaries as to when and where cell phones can be used. After all, you pay the bills; therefore, you get to set the rules, right?

Quit Playing Around Honestly, there’s nothing more annoying than seeing colleagues or guests super-glued to their phones when clearly your company is not boring. If you find yourself addicted to the little gadget, follow First Lady Nancy Reagan’s motto and “Just Say No.” This is an especially important exercise when entertaining guests and clients, attending meetings and workshops, waiting at the altar to get married, etc…

Remember, we own our cell phones – they don’t own us! I challenge all of us to stick to the cell phone etiquette tips offered above, not just in the month of July but year round!

Filed Under: Business Etiquette, Social Etiquette Tagged With: Business, Business Etiquette, civility, common sense, customer service, Etiquette, Manners, professional, protocol

Ask Tiffany: What Do I Do When I Can’t Remember a Name?

May 16, 2011 By Tiffany Nielsen

Tiffany, is there any way of handling what to do when you run into people and you have to introduce them to the people you are with, but you can’t remember names?

– B. Hart- Three Rivers, CA

Dear Thoughtful Introducer,

Some people are exceptionally proficient at remembering names, making the art of introductions look like a walk in the park.

Take Franklin D. Roosevelt. His staff members were amazed at his ability to recall the names of people he had met only once. When asked how he did it, he simply imagined seeing their names written across their foreheads.  I wonder… who taught him this level of social etiquette?

My husband and I have an unspoken rule that helps us avoid the uncomfortable situation of not remembering names when really; most of the time, we ought to know names of people standing before us. Having this rule (and I hope you will borrow it) influences us to choose the principle of etiquette: respect.

If David is supposed to be introducing me and doesn’t, that’s my cue to stick my hand out and say “Hi, I’m Tiffany Nielsen.”  This helps put him at ease, I gain a new friend and etiquette prevails in making us all comfortable.

Another helpful tip…

Say to your nameless friend(s), “Hi, I’d like to introduce you to our good friends Tiffany and David Nielsen.”  David and Tiffany will say, “Nice to meet you” and then will ask “What is your name?” Ta-da the name mystery is solved and people form a new relationship!

My most thoughtful mother in law Charlene has this art of introductions nailed down and I rest on her plan for solving icky meet and greet situations.  In her words, “As for my own failures in this regard, sometimes I just blush and say, ‘Forgive me, I can’t believe I’m drawing a blank,’ or whatever, as I request the name of somebody I’ve known forever.”

The good news for Charlene, as well as for us all, is an often gracious response that we aren’t the only one with this affliction.

The Power of Civility offers resources for learning more about how to get through introductions “Suzi” style. Who’s Suzi? Guess you will have pick up your copy of this brand new book to find out.

Filed Under: Business Etiquette, Civility, Customer Service Etiquette Tagged With: Business, Business Etiquette, civility, customer service, Etiquette, introductions, Manners, Networking, professional, protocol, Service, training

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502-A North Kaweah (Hwy 65), P.O. Box 177 · Exeter, CA 93221 · 559.280.9859