two knives? Make sure you know which is for salad, soups, or the main course and how to hold them properly. Place your napkin in your lap, don’t speak with your mouth full of food, and eat slowly enough to participate in conversations during the meal.
• Tipping: There are plenty of online guides as to how much you should tip different people, but the rule of thumb for a restaurant meal is to double the tax listed on the bill and add a little bit more. Also, make sure you leave tips for hotel staff, shuttle bus drivers and others who do you a service.
• Always be courteous: When opening a door, hold it open for the person coming in behind you. It’s the right thing to do. Treat service staff with respect, from the janitor to the waitress to the receptionist. They are do-
ing their jobs and don’t need your bad attitude. Also, don’t start eating until everyone’s food has arrived at the table. And never start to eat before your host/hostess does. Bad manners make a very big impression!
There’s a story of a boss who would interview prospective employees at a restaurant for breakfast. He’d arrive a few minutes early and offer a generous tip to the staff if they would agree to screw up the order of the potential hire and make a few other mistakes. How the potential hire handled the situation would determine whether or
not he or she got the job. Treating everyone respectfully, especially in difficult circumstances, makes a big difference.
Taking time to make a good impression will make your journey a whole lot easier, shorter, and more successful. It doesn’t take much effort to learn these basics, but it takes discipline to turn them into good habits. Go for it!
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