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Happygrrls' How-To:
Be the epitome of etiquette…
With IMs and text messages dominating most of our day-to-day conversations, a little e-mail etiquette can go a long way in propagating effective communication. Here are some things to keep in mind when sending e-mail.
- Never type your sentences in full capital mode. In e-mail speak, typing in caps is akin to screaming in person. If you insist on typing in all caps, your message will be read as hostile and no one will want to be your friend. If you need to emphasize a word or sentence, try sandwiching the words between two asterisks, *like so.*
- Signature lines are nifty, but don’t overdo it. Keep your signature to a maximum of six lines, and only include important contact information. Overly lengthy signature lines can bog down an e-mail or annoy the recipient, who really doesn’t care for your string of smiley faces or favourite quote from James Joyce.
- Likewise, having a long disclaimer at the bottom of e-mails, especially at work, can be a hindrance when it is attached to every response. Disclaimers that say something like “intended for the recipient only” cannot be easily enforced through the Internet, so they’re really not needed.
- Subject lines are there for a reason: use them. An effective subject line will help the reader prioritize his/her e-mails, and makes searching for a conversation a cinch. Like the body of the e-mail, avoid typing in all caps.
- When an e-mail thread veers off into a different conversation, change the subject line to reflect that.
- To make a lengthy e-mail easier to read, use hard returns (a blank space) between paragraphs, and include the most important information in the very first paragraph. This is the time to utilize your mad essay writing skills and compose a relevant opening paragraph.
- If need be, use bullets, numbered lists, or bolded words to organize the body of your e-mail, but keep in mind that not everyone has the latest version of Outlook or your fancy Brittanic Bold font installed on their computer. To play it safe when it comes to formatting, compose your messages in plain text rather than HTML.
- Forwards can be fun, but they can also be an eyesore to read when they’ve gone through five hundred inboxes. When forwarding something, even if it’s a joke or a recipe, fix up the formatting so that the message is clearly legible. You don’t need to rewrite the whole message, but taking out extra return lines or getting rid of extraneous signature lines will do wonders.
- While we’re on the subject of forwards, refrain from sending out a mass e-mail about the latest computer virus or Bill Gates moneymaking scam unless you’re certain it’s the real deal. Most of these forwards are actually e-mail hoaxes, passed down from generation to generation in a bid to annoyingly flood our inboxes. If you’re not sure about something, McAfee or Snopes are good places to verify your information.
- When replying to a message, make sure that your response is clearly separated from the original note. For simplicity, most e-mail programs will automatically post replies on top of the old message, but if you need to go through an e-mail in detail or point-by-point, insert your response immediately under the parts of the e-mail that you are referencing.
- What could possibly be better than getting a mass e-mail from a friend that you haven’t spoken to in years? How about getting a mass reply from someone that you don’t know, adding a profound “LOL” to the picture of the cat your deadbeat friend sent you. If you feel the need to reply to a group e-mail, make sure that pressing “reply all” instead of “reply” is really something that you must do. In most instances, like party invitations or solicitations for money and/or suggestions for a cell phone provider that doesn’t suck, just replying to the original recipient will suffice.
- Similar to the “reply all” option, having the CC: and BCC: options at your disposal might seem mighty tempting, but use them wisely. Carbon copies are intended for recipients that are on an as-need-to-know basis. For example, e-mails about important client information could be sent to your boss, but could also be CCed to the customer service department. Blank carbon copies are better suited for mass e-mails.
- Most e-mail programs offer extra bells and whistles. Sending a request for a read receipt along with an e-mail, or flagging an e-mail as urgent isn’t required in most cases. Make sure that marking something urgent actually means that it’s urgent, or you’ll be known as the person who cried wolf via e-mail.
As pervasive as cell phones and Blackberries may be in this technological age, it doesn’t mean that all civility should go out the window. Here are some of the worst cell phone sins that you could be making.
- Taking a call during a date. Nothing says, “I’m rude and I don’t care for you and now you don’t need to know why I’m single” quicker than taking a call during a date, especially if it’s a first date. If you’re expecting an important call or text message, excuse yourself and keep the conversation brief. Otherwise, use the caller ID that you’re handsomely paying for and return the call after your date.
- Spending five hours fiddling with your phone while your friend sits at the dinner table, staring glumly at the menu. While your friends may be understanding of your addiction to text messaging, it doesn’t mean that you can take up their time with it.
- Yelling into the phone because the connection is bad. Yelling won’t fix the problem, and you’ll end up aggravating everyone around you. Hang up and find a landline, or wait until you’re in a better spot, before resuming the conversation.
- Taking a call in front of everyone. Leave the room, table, tanning salon, butcher shop, or wherever you may be, and take the call outside.
- Taking a call in a cramped quarter, and then proceeding to talk about your planter’s wart at length. While this etiquette rule isn’t set in stone, you should mind your surroundings when taking a personal call. No one can escape your conversation in a ticket line, elevator, waiting room, or train. If you really want to take the call, make sure that you’re using your indoor voice, and adhere to topics that you wouldn’t be ashamed of discussing in front of your grandmother.
- Taking a call during a movie. If you forget to shut off your phone during a movie, silence the phone as quickly as you can. If there’s one thing more annoying than hearing a phone ring during an especially juicy scene between Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, it’s hearing the glorious symphony of a phone ringing accented with noisy rummaging.
- Screening calls like you’re Britney Spears and the world is your lawyer. Once in a while, you’ll be in no mood or position to talk, and that’s fine. But if you start wielding your END button a little too liberally, people will start to notice. After all, what’s the point of having a mobile phone if you never use it?
- Having a Pussycat Dolls song on loop as your ring tone. Just as you might be annoyed at the person in the deli with the “Macarena” ring tone (although improbable, just bear with me for argument’s sake), so too will someone else be annoyed with your “Buttons.” Don’t use a ring tone that you would be embarrassed to have your boss hear.
A wise English dude once said, “Politeness and consideration for others is like investing pennies and getting dollars back.” And while I don’t have any idea of who he is, wiser words have never been spoken. Here are some small things that we can all do to keep our daily interactions courteous and anger-free.
- Make a habit of always say “please” and “thank you.” These magic words have been instilled in us from childhood, but it’s surprising how many people forget. And if someone takes the time to say “thank you,” acknowledge that by saying “you’re welcome.” There’s nothing more unsettling for a person than to think that his or her good manners have gone by unappreciated.
- Hold the elevator if you see someone approaching. Refrain from pressing the “close doors” button while someone is making their way to the elevator. Chances are, they work or live in the same building where this occurred, and will remember your horrible elevator manners.
- When hanging up a call, say “good-bye” to signal that the conversation is wrapping up. It only takes a second, but it can end things on a good note. Sure, hearing a dial tone will alert the person on the other end of the line that you’re not there anymore, but it will also make them annoyed. A call ending without a “bye” is akin to someone leaving the table and heading for home with nary a word to you. If you wouldn’t do it in public, it’s usually a good idea not to do it on the phone.
- When entering or exiting, hold the door for someone else. This etiquette rule holds special meaning for me because it’s been the cause of much morning ire. Please don’t do any of the following:
- Run in front of the other person so that you can cover that safe distance when holding the door isn’t required anymore.
- Edge your way through the door so that you don’t have to touch it at all.
- Take advantage of the person holding the door open, even though it wasn’t intended for you.
- Fail to say “thank you” to the person who has held the door open for you.
These etiquette tips aren’t set in stone, but they are things to consider as we go through the hustle and bustle of our busy days. Extending a nice gesture doesn’t take much effort, but it does go a long way to making this world a courteous and more respectful place to live. C.Ho.
