Things You Need to Know

Business Etiquette

Mist Opportunity to be Polite

October 12, 2006

Last night I slept in Miami. Tonight I’ll bed down in Asheville, NC. The night after that I’ll grab some shut eye in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Before I next see my own bed and pillow, I’ll overnight in Richmond, VA, New York, NY and Sacramento, CA. Such is the life of a busy consultant, and truth be told, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Admittedly, TSA’s August decision to ban gels and liquids has not made business travel easier. I was scheduled on a 6:30 a.m. flight from LAX to Seattle via Dubuque the day the ban went into effect. That morning, while standing in a massively confused security line, I dumped everything: shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, foundation, mascara, cologne and the best darn hairspray in the entire world. (I swear by Aveda’s (www.aveda.com) Firmata. I bet, even in the midst of a hurricane, it would keep every hair in place.)

Now, we’re permitted to carry three ounce containers of liquid products, though we’re limited to the number of containers that fit into a one quart sealable bag. I’m amazed at how much this new rule actually allows me to tote. This morning, in fact, I discovered that if I lay containers flat, rather than attempt to stand them upright, the plastic bag actually holds more.

What has any of this to do with business etiquette? Since the initial ban on all liquids and the more recent easing of restrictions, I’ve encountered two Aveda sales clerks, one of whom demonstrated the epitome in workplace class and the other who demonstrated a complete lack of it. Kudos to the store clerk in Seattle who helped me replace all my personal care products, discouraging me from buying a few items that she thought were simply too expensive given the short time I would be able to use them. And thumbs down to the over-affected, impressed with his own importance sales clerk at the Cherry Creek Mall in Denver, who rudely explained that Aveda would never make a travel size bottle of Firmata hairspray because the company is, after all, environmentally friendly. Dear young man, I only wish you had shown some friendship to a customer who, up till that moment, had been quite loyal.

Remember, the rules of business etiquette apply to everyone, not just those who wear suits and carry brief bags. Good manners lubricate all business transactions, multi-million dollar mergers and the sale of a $2 bottle of hair mist alike.