The Art of: Thank you.

It's not a Monday and I'm not even in a bad mood today but as I am purchasing my steaming cup of fat free chai tea this morning at Starbucks, I notice that the people around me are grumpy and well....ill mannered.

I was raised in a pretty strict household; I'm the middle child of a career military man. My dad made please, thank you, sir, and ma’am a household event (not to use them all in mainstream conversation could have resulted in major punishment). Was I the only one being taught good manners?

I, of course, teach my boys good manners at home (without the threat of a spanking) but when I go into a main stream coffee shop and hear a man, in is late fifty's order his grande latte with 4 splenda’s and I want it double cupped! without so much as a please or kiss my butt...I get a little offended. What happened to being nice to people, even with a simple act of please?

A friend of mine, a lawyer, usually says thank you after ordering and sits in quiet anticipation to see what his waiter will respond with. I can see the look of disappointment on his face when he gets a "uh-hu" or "no problem". The correct answer is: "you’re welcome".

In sales, i just feel better about myself when I say please and thank you. I try, very hard, to treat people with respect. We all deserve a little please and thank you in our lives...and say yes ma’am or yes sir the next time someone asks you a question. It won't make you seem weak...it simply makes the person you are talking to feel better.

Thank you for reading,

Misty B.