TIPS - To Insure Prompt Service

TIPS: maybe it sould be proper service.

It's the holiday season; so don't forget to TIP all those people that make your life easier and go out of their way for you. You should let them know throughout the year how much you appreciate them, but if you're like a lot of people, time goes too fast and it seems like last month was the holidays...Oh it was for our Jewish friends.

Cash is best. It doesn't matter if you can only spare $5. Go load a gift card at a coffee shop or gas station or subway card. It's not the amount, it's the thought. If you can afford it...make it more.

Who should be tipped? Maintenence workers at your apartment building, lawn service, cleaning people, delivery people, anyone in your life on a regular basis.

Take a breath, enjoy the holidays.
xoxoAmanda

Great News Story and Great Manners

I was so excited to read in the New York Times today proof that honesty pays!

Apparently, a homeless man, David Tally found $3000.00 in an abondoned backpack and turned it in to the Tempe, Arizon Community Action Agency. They were able to find the owner, a college student. Word of his honesty spread and it's come back to him. People have sent him checks totaling more than the 3k, he's had job offers and Mayor Hugh Hallmand declared it Dave Tally Day!

It just goes to show you that one good deed gets another.

Cell Phones

Something new to add to my loathing of cell phones.
Cyber bullying...

I think that cell phones should be illegal unless it's a medical or life threatening emergency for children under the age of 17. If you don't believe me, check out this article in the NYTimes Sunday edition. Just another thing added to the radiation they dose you with.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/05bully.html

VOTE

Get out today and Vote. It's your right. It's about our freedom. I get so tired of people complaining about everything. Voting is a way you can make a change. YES, every vote counts. If you don't believe it. Check the tally!

People still risk their lives to get to the U.S. because they know they can make a change in their lives and have a say in their community and country.

It's good manners to vote. Go out and exercise them.
xoxoAmanda

Halloween Manners

Trick or treat smell my feet
give me something good to eat

That would be bad manners! To all you kiddies out there young and old...have a fabulous All Hallows Eve and don't make the gouls and zombies angry.

Frankly, if you come across a zombie it's only good manners to kill them...otherwise they'll eat your brains and then you'll be a zombie. You've seen the movies...just whack them as fast as you can...its a mathematical fact, it's all you can do.

xoxoAmanda

phone manners

Hello...can you hear me now?

Talking on the phone is one of my least favorite ways to communicate. I prefer face to face, preferably at a restaurant or bar or texting if it needs to be immediate. But there are times when we need to use the phone. Like when we're dealing with a problem, such as airline reservations, over billing, computer problem, FedEx.

The issues I have with these phone call centers is the NO one has trained these people in customer service. Basically, the customer is always right as long as they don't shout, call names or use obscenities. Unfortunately, after you have spoken with someone at a call center whose English is their third or fourth language and are reading from a script that doesn't have your problem on it you get a little bit frustrated. But what can we do?

When making this call, give yourself time. It may take an hour or more. Then the first thing to say is ask for a supervisor. Above everything do not let them upset you. Stay calm. Speak in a friendly manner. Lastly, until you get what you want, keep saying this is unacceptable. You may have to repeat this a lot. Say things like, "How can we solve this issue?"

I promise with good manners you will get what you want. You just have to be persistent.
xoxoAmanda

Oil Is Not Black Gold

Egad, the oil spill is such a dissaster, I can hardly think of anything else. I have to admit the mess it's making in the gulf is in a way beautiful in a twisted way. The way the oil is swirling in the water. It reminds me of the time I was sitting next to a surgeon on a flight and he started showing me brain scans of cancer patients...they were amazingly beautiful.

But it's sickening. BP is promising to pay, but no amount of money is ever going to fix this. I was lucky enough to visit the Florida panhandle over the New Year holiday in January...you've never seen such a pristine beach with white sand dollars washing ashore. That will all be gone...I'm not even sure my grandchildren will get to see what I saw only a few short months ago.

Greed is very bad manners. It make people do horrible things for money. You can't take money with you. All you have in the end is your integrity. Integrity is a word that is missing from most people's vocabulary. It's easy to put back, just do the right thing...even if it's painful. You will not regret it.

I promise and for those of you that know me...I never break a promise.
xoxoAmanda

Behaving Badly

Darlings...why is everyone behaving so badly? It seems I can't go anywhere anymore without being accosted by bad manners! I think it's television. The other day I was in the grocery store, I hope you read last Sunday's column, and a young man tried to pick me up. It was rediculous. I felt like I was in cougar town! I do not want to be flirted with a boy who Doesn't know who Donovan was or the Kinks or never had fizzies in their drinks. What a bore.

Have you noticed lately that it is just about impossible to get a word in during a conversation. Everyone is always talking about themselves. It's one thing to use that as a conversational tact when you have nothing to say, but to just go on talking and talking about yourself and never asking one question of the other is just plain rude.

When was the last time you heard a child say thank you without being prodded? If you did, it was probably my granddaughter! I have seen adults stop dead in their tracks when she thanks them for opening the door or for handing her something. Isn't that sad...

It just takes one idea to change something. Just a pleasantry of a hello or thank you will make someone's day or maybe their week. It's so simple to be polite. Just treat each other the way you would like to be treated.

Let's stop behaving badly and be a good example.
You know I'll do my part.
xoxoAmanda

You Have Bad Manners!

Telling someone they have bad manners is just as rude as having the bad manner to begin with. Plus, it's focusing on the negative. Instead, be an example. If you hold a door for someone and they pass through without saying the proper thank you, just say, "You're welcome." They'll get the message and probably say thank you after you reminded them.

If your child is eating with their mouth open ask them to please chew with their mouth closed. If they persist, ask them to leave the table. This can backfire once the child figures out if they hate what they're eating they can be excused if they chew with their mouths full; so use this sparingly.

If someone calls you up on the phone and starts shouting at you, just say you can't hear them and hang up. When they call back if they are still shouting, tell them that there must be something wrong with the phone and that they should call back later. This gives them time to cool off and probably forget what they were so angry about.

Good manners is about deference and defection of bad manners. As we all know, it's better not to say anything than to say something negative. If we focus on the positive our lives will be so much better. Sometimes you have to search for the positive, but I can promise, you will find something to be positive about.
xoxoAmanda

Awareness

Being aware of your surroundings is good manners. It would be pretty hard to have good manners if you aren't aware of what is going on around you. You could practice good etiquette because etiquette is about rules and you can memorize rules. Manners are about action and reaction to the moment.

Generally people who have excellent etiquette skills are boring and have no passion, unless of course they're passionate about etiquette!

Manners are essential to a great life, because if you don't pay attention, life will pass you by and what would be the fun of that?

So open your eyes and see, listen and hear and do the right thing. This is why people with good manners have a great life. It's simple.

xoxoAmanda

Patience...is ?

Patience is virtue. I was brought up to believe this and I still do. But patience is not only virtue it is good manners. And like good manners, patience is disappearing from society.

Now, now, now. That is society's creed. There is always a way to get what I want now.

Remember how much you appreciated something that took time. It is still true, that if you have to wait for something you appreciate it more. Plus all fine things in life take time. Here is a sample, wine, patina, slow cooked food and women.

A good, well-mannered and fine woman always takes her time and believe me, she is worth waiting for.

Try exercising patience. You'll not only gain peace of mind, your waistline will loose inches.
xoxoAmanda

Are you feeling it?

We are still in the honeymoon of the new year and so there is still belief we can achieve our resolution to change in some way. One way to do that, that sounds simple, but is hard, is to have empathy.

Empathy, is a word not used very much in todays society because is isn't practiced. When was the last time you really felt another person's discomfort or pain. We are in such a fast paced society that most of us can only manage to recognize a need of someone's, much less have empathy for them.

I think we should all try this exercise this week. Feel the pain...Ray Liotta's character told Kevin Costner's character in the film Field of Dreams and look what happened. He not only met his father and had a game of catch with him, but he saved his farm!

Good manners is not only about communication, but feelings.
xoxoAmanda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOjL6baOwu0

Make It A Ten

Darlings it's the new year! Be like Cyrano de Bergerac and make it a ten. Think of ten positive things you can do this year to make a change in your life.

They don't have to be difficult like loosing weight. I mean come on, how many times are you going make that resolution? This year, just try simple changes, like smiling at everyone you come in contact with, or not losing your cool when you waited for 45minutes in line at the post office only to be told your zip code is wrong and you filled out the incorrect form.

Make small changes with your manners and you'll make yourself happier, I promise. And guess what, because you'll be happier I bet you end up losing that ten pounds!

xoxoAmanda