Answering Machine and Voice Mail Etiquette simply requires the application of some common sense when using these devices.
A little forethought will avoid misunderstandings and frustration. 
Keep your outgoing message on your device short yet polite
There should be no background music or other noise recorded
What would they need to know if you are not available to talk to them?
When would you be back?
Who else could help them?
Check for messages immediately on your return
Return the call the same day; immediately if possible
Don’t ask to be called back if you are merely conveying a simple message that does not require discussion Leave your FULL name and a short message clearly If you need to leave your number, do so slowly and clearly. Repeat it once
More cell phone etiquette is needed than for any other type of communication device.
Cell phones, being mobile, are often used in situations where the phone user and the conversation are not welcome.
Their use in some venues may be considered rude and even downright offensive.
Almost all the tips on telephone etiquette apply to cell phones with the addition of one very important one – don’t contribute to noise pollution.
There is no doubt that cell phones have a permanent and essential role in modern society.
But when cell phones interrupt important proceedings and are used in the wrong place at the wrong time, it is unacceptable and makes us grind our teeth in despair at the users’ rudeness and blatant lack of care and consideration for the people around them.
The following are some of the places and events where cell phones should be switched off or the ring tone muted.
If it is vitally important to be reached in such places then the call should be kept brief and the voice low:
- On public transport in proximity to other commuters
- In hospitals, restaurants and shopping centres
- At checkouts, cinemas and theatres
- Train stations, bus stops and air ports
- Doctors’ surgeries, churches and conventions
- Waiting rooms, libraries and lecture rooms
- At christenings, weddings and funerals
- And at a dozen other places that you can think of without my help
It’s not the use of cell phones that is the problem; it’s the loud and annoying ring tone.
It’s the shouting into the cell phone; it’s the airing of one’s private life on the cell phone in the presence of strangers.
It’s the endless verbal diarrhoea and ear bashing that one and all are subjected to without fear or favour that is the problem.
Driving or walking on the street while talking on the mobile phone delays the reflexes and can shorten someone’s life.
That life could be yours. So be safe or be sorry.
It is bad cell phone etiquette to make a call whilst in the company of another person.
In fact, it is downright rude.
If you absolutely must make that call, apologise first, then make the call.
Keep it very brief.
Sending text messages in company is even worse.
Once again, if you must, excuse yourself first and then be very brief.
Share the message with those present as a courtesy to let them know that they are not the subject of the message.
It is unforgiveable to talk on a mobile phone while 'dealing' with another person such as a checkout in a shop or bank- teller or greeting or farewelling someone.
Lastly, camera cell phones. These are so useful and handy.
Be aware of privacy laws, the rights of others and charges of voyeurism if used inappropriately in the wrong places.
Practicing good cell phone etiquette will not improve your popularity but it will certainly not make you unpopular.
By the end of this page you will have practical knowledge of good dating etiquette to enable you to make a positively good impression
When people date they usually share a common objective – they hope to win over the object of their affection
They therefore want to give a favourable impression of themselves
Hopefully, they will also bring out the best in their date
The fact that you have read this far indicates that you want to know how to behave properly on your date so that you can practice good dating etiquette; a good start!
The rules are basically the same for teens, the middle aged and seniors, first date or last date, girls or guys
Primary rule – girls and guys, treat your date with dignity and respect; this applies to online dating as well
Don’t know what dignity and respect are? Read on to find out:
No swearing. Broaden your vocabulary beyond a few repetitive expletives
No drunkenness. Being stoned or wasted only gets a laugh from your yobbo mates at your expense
Act like a lady or gentleman. You will feel better for it Be genuine. It must come from the heart
Be that way during your first date right until your last and see what a difference it will make to you, your date's and your life
Do not expect your prospect to be available for a date at short notice
Ask a few days in advance of the proposed date Set a meeting time and if possible an ending time
If the person cannot or will not be available for a date at the second request – they are not interested
Don’t push the issue. Move on
Guys usually initiate the first date or two (it is OK for the girl to initiate it if they are already good friends) after that either may do so
Whoever initiates it – plan to have at least one alternative place to go to or of what to do
Give the other person time to think about it and perhaps come up with other options
Discuss it with dignity. This is a good opportunity to agree on who pays for what?
Guys, be prepared to pay for the date (especially the first one)
Subsequent ones can be worked out in due course when you know a bit more about each other
Never spring it on her to 'cough up'
If you pay, understand that there must be no strings attached
Girls, be considerate - offer to pay half OR to buy the drinks or something to show that you are not a freeloader. It’ll blow the socks off them!!
Then there can be no strings attached and you can maintain your independence
But don’t sweat the issue - you could talk about it on the way to the venue so that you are prepared
You could offer to cook a meal or bring a picnic basket to the next date if there is the possibility of a follow up date
Be prepared ahead of time to have a few topics for light hearted conversation; nothing too controversial
No strong opinions please
Remember that the objective of a date is generally to assess the potential of coming together to be a couple in a close permanent relationship in so far as permanency goes
Postpone rather than cancel
Do not just fail to show up. That would be despicable
Dating Etiquette - During the Date
Be on time. It shows respect for your date’s time. If you are running late ring and give a new ETA
Dress appropriately for the occasion. Clean hair, clothes and person. Lightly perfumed or with deodoriser/after shave
Guys – open, hold open and close doors for your date (even if she is driving)
It shows that you are prepared to go out of your way to be courteous to her
Girls - let him, but don’t expect it
Either way, be gracious about it; smile or thank him This is not the time to push your liberated female views Some other time...maybe
Girls usually precede guys in the theatre, church, movies, to the table at a restaurant and most other places and guys help her to be seated - this is sophisticated dating etiquette
Guys on the other hand lead the way through crowds and traffic
On sidewalks, guys should walk nearest the street to 'protect’ the girl - you get the idea
Neither one of you is perfect, there has to be something to compliment with sincerity
Look for it. Hair; clothes; smile; car; jewellery?
If you can’t find something to compliment, why are you dating this person?
Blind date? Practice being gracious right to the end
Next time start with a cup of coffee first – just to test the water
Do not abandon your date at the venue
Be close and attentive or it may become your last date with that person
Being attentive to your date does not mean totally excluding all others in the group or at the party
Be pleasant to your date
Talking down to your date or being patronising is not good etiquette
Remember your manners. Say – please, thank you, after you, you’re welcome, etc
Acknowledge each others’ courtesies with a smile and/or ‘thank you’
Show a keen interest in your date Make frequent eye contact (do not leer)
Use their name – frequently. To them it is the sweetest word in any language
Never feign affection. This is cruel and deceitful and could lead to problems
If this is a first date enquire delicately to elicit information about likes and dislikes; values and expectations; interests, dreams and aspirations
At each subsequent date widen the field of your enquiry in a casual conversational manner while also imparting more information about yourself
Avoid bragging and talking too much about anything, especially yourself
Turn the conversation around to get your date’s views and contribution to the subject
Keep the conversation light and try to have fun together Use humour, but don't overdo it
Keep it clean
Don’t lie to your date Ask before you smoke
Non-smokers sometimes cannot abide smokers breath or are allergic to cigarette smoke
Definitely don’t smoke during the meal
It is bad etiquette to enforce your own rights over the comfort of others. Don’t do it
Do not have unreasonable expectations of your date Remember – dignity and respect
Do what is expected of you and not what you want to do Do not force intimacy. If it happens it happens
If not it’s probably too soon
Avoid sharing confidences. It puts your date in an awkward position
Guys, see her to her door after the date It’s for her safety
A friendly hug in greeting or to say good bye may be OK or perhaps a kiss on the cheek. Play it by ear
If you promise to ring or contact your date again, you must do it – within a reasonable time frame or do not make the offer
Try no more than twice
It’s OK to date others until you have clearly come to an understanding or are going steady
It is best to discuss your intentions with sensitivity and patience
Keep practicing good manners Remember – dignity and respect
E-mail etiquette is just a small part of Netiquette - no, that’s not a typo! Netiquette is Internet Etiquette for all aspects of the internet, including e-mailing.
The most important and most used and abused is the e- mailing part of the net. Here are some rules to follow for forwarding E-mails. These rules are for those who are being truly considerate and thoughtful
E-mail Etiquette Rule 1. Don’t forward anything without editing out all the forwarding >>>>>, other e-mail addresses, headers, and commentary from all the other forwarders.
People really don’t want to look amongst all the gobbly-gook to see what it is you thought was worth forwarding. If you must forward, only forward the actual ‘guts’ or content of the e- mail that you are of the opinion is valuable.
E-mail Etiquette Rule 2. If you cannot take the time to write a personal comment at the top of your forwarded e-mail to the person you are sending to – then you shouldn’t forward it at all.
E-mail Etiquette Rule 3. Think carefully about if the e-mail you are forwarding will be of value (accurate information - check for hoaxes at Snopes.com), will it be appreciated (is it something the recipient is interested in or needs), if it is humorous (do they have the same sense of humor as you do).
If you cannot think of why the person you are forwarding to would like to receive the e-mail - then simply don’t forward it.
E-mail Etiquette Rule 4. It should go without saying that forwarding of e-mail chain letters; regardless how noble the topic may seem, virus warnings or anything that says ‘forward to everyone you know’, simply should not be forwarded because in most cases it is plain old garbage.
Remember, e-mail is only e-mail; it does not have any magical powers that can bring you bad luck or whatever else the chain letter threatens. By the same token it cannot bring you fame and fortune as they promise.
E-mail Etiquette Rule 5. If you must forward an e-mail to more than one person, put your e-mail address in the To: field and all the others you are sending to in the Bcc: field to protect their e-mail address from being published to those they do not know.
This is a serious privacy issue! Do not perpetuate a breech of privacy started by other forwarders who included their contact’s addresses in the To: or Cc: field by continuing to forward those visible addresses to your contacts.
Remove any e-mail addresses in the body of the e-mail that have been forwarded by those who disregard the privacy of their friends and associates.
Rule 6. Keep in mind that if you are forwarding a private e- mail that was sent to you, you must get the sender’s permission to forward it on to others (or to post it publicly).
E-mails are copyright protected by their authors. Not only that, common courtesy dictates that you should ask the author first if the e-mail sent for your eyes only can be forwarded to strangers or others for which it was not originally intended.
Rule 7. Use the Subject field to enter a clear concise indication of what the e-mail is about. This is a very useful field and can be helpful to the recipient if used judiciously, so make it informative.
Rule 8. Type in capitals only if you mean to SHOUT. Now, it is ill-mannered to shout, so, type in lower case and remember your punctuation.
You do not want to give the impression of sloppiness. Save multi-coloured text for love letters and kindergarten kids to express their creativity.
Rule 9. It is alright to intersperse your replies between a whole bunch of questions; just be sure to reply in a different coloured text so that your replies stand out.
It would help to start the reply with the customary greeting and then refer the recipient to the answers written below each question.
Rule 10. Keep your attachments to less than one MB (if possible). It will transmit faster and avoid 'time-outs."
Rule 11. With all the above "rules" to consider would it be more friendly, personal and enjoyable to simply telephone them? Ahh, then you would do well to brush up on your Tips on Telephone Etiquette
If one cannot make these extra efforts, then you really have no excuse for feeling hurt when asked to stop sending this unwanted mail.
If you are asked to stop forwarding, don’t get mad; just realize the person on the other side is not interested or too busy to have to cope with a whole bunch of unwanted e-mail.
Also, they have every right to make that request. At the end of the day, when it comes to receiving unwanted forwarded e- mails, if you fear hurting someone’s feelings by asking them to stop forwarding you e-mails, just keep in mind they probably meant well, they were thinking of you and were trying to make a point ….. ummmmmmm in that case, just hit the delete button.
On the other hand you can always send them this web page on E-mail Etiquette. 
Businesses are being swamped with email to such an extent that productivity is being affected.
A lot can be done to avoid propagating email stress and corporate spam by observing the following points:
- avoid sending an email unless it is absolutely necessary
- avoid sending copies or forwarding emails to persons not directly involved in the subject matter
- if you must forward an email, delete the parts that are irrelevant to the recipient
- think carefully before you decide to click "reply to all"
- do not request a delivery receipt or that the email has been read unless such information is vital
- if you reply just to say "thanks" you are contributing to corporate spam. It's courteous, but is it necessary?
- use the Subject field to concisely and accurately describe the contents
- avoid ambiguity to stop a further exchange of emails seeking clarification
- keep the contents clear and to the point
- does your email really require a reply? If not just end with
Employee Etiquette is how you conduct yourself in your capacity as an employee to your employer and your co- workers
NEVER arrive at work drunk, smelling of alcohol on under the influence of drugs
Be on time for your job. Better still, be early Be respectful to your employer
It’s ill-mannered to wear iPod buds in your ears at work Respect the business goals and help to achieve them Respect the firm’s confidentiality of information Respect the firm’s clients’ confidentiality of information Provide your boss with information as required
Keep your boss well informed in a timely fashion
Brush up on your computer skills. Your employer would gladly invest $24.99 (Aust) to add this magnificent 500 page manual of Step-by-Step Computer Lessons to its reference library to improve staff efficiency.
Respect all other employees Cooperate with your employer Cooperate with all employees
Do not ‘big note’ yourself, there is no place for arrogance in this world
Wear appropriate office attire, for example correct footwear, not thongs (flip flops) - they are strictly casual or beachwear. No exposed midriff to display tatoos and body piercing. Be neat, clean and as conservative as the business requires
It is extremely rude to arrive late for a meeting. It is ruder still to not attend at all. Having a good excuse does not exonerate you
Do not dominate the meeting. All communication must take place through the chairperson
Do not interrupt another speaker
Pay attention to the proceedings quietly
Do not leave the meeting until it is closed by the chairperson
Answer your phone pleasantly even if you are having a bad day
Always return telephone calls and do so as soon as possible. Show consideration for other people’s feelings
Apologise if you are clearly in the wrong. If in doubt, apologise anyway. It’s no big deal and brings closure to a fruitless event
Accept an apology graciously and with compassion
If there is conflict, do not get personal in your remarks
Keep interruptions to a minimum and always apologise if your intrusion is an interruption of a discussion, concentration or other activity
If you have found this information helpful, please feel free to forward an email to your friends and business associates using our
with a link to this page.
You are welcome to link your web site to our page "Employee Etiquette" if it helps to spell out expected employee attitudes (smile).
Together we can build better harmony and cooperation in the workplace.
Employer Etiquette is how you conduct yourself in your capacity as an employer to your employees
Be respectful to your employees. Do not play favourites with any of them or you will quickly lose the respect of the rest of them
If an employee disagrees with you, hear them out. Give them your full attention. You may learn something useful from them. You will certainly get a different perspective on the subject.
This is an excellent opportunity to test your skill at handling the disagreement with tact and sensitivity. Never be dismissive or invalidate your employee's point of view. Do not trivialise their opinion
Get to know your employees; remember what they tell you about themselves. Keep notes to help your memory if necessary
Be sure to know their names
Respect what is told to you in confidence
Introduce new employees to their co-workers and have proper indoctrination procedures in place to make them feel welcome and useful from the start<