You know I've started to write this post 10 times over the years. Then I mellow out and don't bother with it. But after the way this week has played out I'm putting my thoughts out here. Most of this will relate to work and basically business etiquette. Which, in my opinion, has gone by the wayside. So here we go.
Purlyspaniel Business Etiquette 1011. When you send me an email please include a subject. Especially if I don't know you or haven't communicated via email with you before. In case you haven't heard of SPAM, we recieve hundreds of emails daily from morons with too much time on their hands that we don't know. Most of them thankfully go to the spam filter, but there are those few that make it through. I'm not going to open it if I don't know what it is.
2. If you've never corresponded with me before and are sending something how about "Hi Patty - here's the blah, blah, blah you were looking for. If you have any questions please give me a call". Best Regards, Competent Employee. I mean really - these wordless emails with an order or some paper attachement are a mystery to me. And in all honesty our boss would kick our butts if we ever sent anything out without acknowledging the individual to whom it was sent.
3. The phone!
Me: Good Morning Purlyspaniel 'r Us!
Dope: May I speak to Patty?
Me: May I ask where you're calling from? (We screen here.)
Dope: Indiana
Me not out loud: Dope!
Me: May I ask what company you're calling from?
Dope: Company from which they're calling. (Brilliant!)
Well alrighty then! Now I can get you where you need to go. Is it just me or what? When calling somewhere I say hello - this is Patty from the Purlyspaniel. May I speak to Ms. America please? Pretty effortless.
4. Dude. Nobody enjoys the comical use of the word Dude more than I do. Dooooooooooood. I love it. I know some people hate it. Whatever. My point here is this is business. I am not your dude or dudette. "Not too shabby" is not not really an okay answer to "how are you" the first time you're speaking with a business contact. And "yup" is never, ever an okay answer to an email.
5. I'm almost done here. Please, please, please turn on your spell check or at least give your email a quick review before you hit send. I mean really, do you want to look like the dope I probably already think you are because you called earlier from Indiana?
Thank you for enduring that. Thank you for tolerating my for certain misuse of " " . And I promise not to address the empty coffee pot, toilet paper roll, copy machine paper drawer, toner supply...Here's hoping you have a great weekend!
It's the end of the year! Wow, time does fly when you're having fun. Carole put it out there this week and I love that she used the word intention rather than resolution. It seems like success could be an option!
