Etiquette Classes in Central Florida » thank you notes

Thank You Note?

Ginny Brown — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:14:55 +0000

I enjoy reading Rhonda Rich’s column in the Sunday issue of The Gwinnett Daily Post. I think she is a very talented writer and has a great sense of humor. I have commented on her articles before in my blog. I pay special attention to her articles when they focus on manners. Sunday’s article was about thank you notes. She raised a point which caused me to do some thinking.

Basically what the article was about was the expectation of receiving a thank you note. I gathered from her article that Ms. Rich is a believer in thank you notes and practices this form of etiquette. I, too, believe in writing a thank you note and teach this in my etiquette classes. A point made in the article was to give with your heart and not have set expectations of receiving a thank you note. She pointed out that we never know what is going on in the person’s life who has received the gift which you sent. I agree with her totally. We don’t walk in other people’s shoes. As Ms. Rich said, the recipient could have a serious personal situation that they are experiencing. Life happens, and we don’t always get the thank you note written even though we have good intentions to do this.

I don’t know that I expect a note when I send a gift or do something for someone. Yes, I do like receiving them, and I try very hard to send thank you notes. However, I think we all need to remember that we don’t give with the intention of receiving the note. We don’t need to judge the person who doesn’t send us the thank you note. Having said this, I believe that it is still good manners to send a thank you note and especially under normal circumstances.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

Ginny Brown
The Etiquette School of Northeast Georgia
Hoschton, Georgia (Hamilton Mill area, Dacula, GA)
Email Ginny Brown
770-296-4159 cell

http://etiquette-blog.com

Tips for Graduates

Ginny Brown — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:23:06 +0000

While listening to the news this morning, I heard the story about the difficulty college graduates are having obtaining a job. These are indeed hard economic times. The news clip which I was watching interviewed three recent college graduates with good credentials. All three were being told the same line “We are not hiring at this time”. How frustrating for these young people who are ready to be a part of the job force. While times are difficult, there are some things which you can do to set yourself apart from others.

Make the best first impression that you can. Dress appropriately. Check your appearance for overall neatness. Make sure your hair is combed, clothes are pressed, and shoes are polished. Check your hygiene, make sure your breath smells fresh, go easy on the cologne or perfume, and be conservative with the amount of appropriate jewelry worn.

In addition to the above, look you interviewer in the eye. When meeting your interviewer, shake their hand and shake it correctly. Don’t give a limp handshake and don’t give a bone-crushing shake. A tip to remembering his/her name is to repeat it after he/she has introduced himself/herself. Check your posture. Holding yourself tall gives an impression of confidence. Don’t dominate the conversation. Be prepared to ask questions. Before you arrive, do your homework on the employer. Research the company’s background so you can ask intelligent questions. Here again, look the person in the eye when speaking.

After the interview, write a thank you note. This shows appreciation for the interviewer’s time , shows respect, and keeps your name in front of the other applicants.

Questions or comments are always welcome.

Ginny Brown
The Etiquette School of Northeast Georgia
Hoschton, Georgia (Hamilton Mill area, Dacula, GA)
Email Ginny Brown
770-296-4159 cell

http://etiquette-blog.com

Why Take Etiquette Classes?

Ginny Brown — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:01:46 +0000

Why as a parent would you want your child to take etiquette classes? When someone mentions the word etiquette to you, what do immediately think? Do you think “my child knows not to chew with food in their mouth, knows to say please and thank you, knows not to scream at the dinner table, and knows basically how to behave”? When I talk about children, I don’t just mean our young children but also our teenagers.

Etiquette is more than just the things I mentioned in the above paragraph. As I mentioned previously in one of the first articles, etiquette is all about respect and courtesy. We all want to be treated with respect and courtesy. I also talked about having manners gives our children confidence and increases their self-esteem. What parent wouldn’t want their child to be confident and have good self-esteem? Etiquette and manners encompass a number of things. Dining skills are a large part of etiquette, but they are just a part. Dining skills involve more than knowing to chew with your mouth closed, knowing burping isn’t allowed at the table, and knowing that it isn’t acceptable behavior to scream at the table at home or in a restaurant. It is about knowing how to set a table properly, knowing the correct way to hold your utensils, where to place them while eating, knowing what to do with an olive pit in your mouth, etc. These are just a few of many dining skills that one should know.

Etiquette involves how to meet someone. Knowing how to introduce someone and what do you do when you are introduced to someone are etiquette skills. Etiquette involves knowing how to make that first impression. Do you know how to make that impression when you go for your first job interview or your college interview? Having this knowledge makes a difference on what kind of impression you make.

Etiquette involves knowing how to answer the telephone and how to make a polite call. In the business world, how many times have you been put on hold to never hear back from the receptionist or to finally hear back after being on hold for five minutes? This isn’t making a good impression and reflects on the person answering and on the employer. Our children also need to know how to make and receive calls. Do you really want your child screaming into the phone telling you that the call is for you?

What does your child or young person do when they receive a gift or when someone has done something for them? Do they write a thank you note, and I do not mean by e-mail? Do they know how to write a thank you note? This is a part of etiquette.

Etiquette really is about the way we handle ourselves in our daily lives. It does consist of more than just knowing how to act at the dinner table. As parents, we need to strive to offer and give our children the best opportunities which are available. They are our future, and we want them to succeed and reach their full potential. Having good manners and a sense of etiquette will open many doors that otherwise would not be opened. As always, comments or questions are welcome.

Questions or comments are always appreciated.

Ginny Brown
The Etiquette School of Northeast Georgia
Hoschton, Georgia (Hamilton Mill area, Dacula, GA)
Email Ginny Brown
678-889-4814 office
770-296-4159 cell

http://etiquette-blog.com

Thank You Notes

Ginny Brown — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:59:52 +0000

Do you write thank you notes for gifts received or for things which have been done for you? I believe that society has become somewhat casual in the etiquette of writing thank you notes. While I was growing up, I was instructed to write thank you notes for gifts or anything else that someone had done for me. I did the same with my children. My grown children have become accustomed to finding a box of notes in their stockings at Christmas!

What is the etiquette on thank you notes? When do you write a thank you note? Is one always necessary? How long do you have to send a note after receiving a gift? Is a note sent by e-mail sufficient?

You always send a note when you have received a gift or when someone has done something for you. There are a couple of exceptions. If you have received a gift for a birthday or a holiday and you thanked the giver in person, then a note is not mandatory. The note, however, is still a much appreciated touch. If a person has insisted that you not send a note, and you have thanked them in person, then a note is not necessary. If you are sick and not able to send a note, it is permissible to have a family member do this for you.

If you receive a gift for something you did for someone, do you then have to write a thank you note for your gift? Yes, you do. Even though the gift was the person’s way of thanking you, you still need to show your appreciation by writing a note.

Etiquette Class

In my etiquette classes, I teach that one should write a thank you note within three to five days of receiving a gift. Thank you notes should be done promptly. What about wedding thank you notes? I have received several questions recently regarding these notes. The rule of thumb for writing wedding thank you notes is three months after the gifts have been received. However, it is better to write when you receive the gifts.

Is a note by e-mail considered a proper thank you? No, it is not. A hand written note is considered the proper form of saying thank you.

Questions or comments are always appreciated.

Ginny Brown
The Etiquette School of Northeast Georgia
Hoschton, Georgia (Hamilton Mill area, Dacula, GA)
Email Ginny Brown
678-889-4814 office
770-296-4159 cell

http://etiquette-blog.com