Business Etiquette Awareness Quiz: Your Manners Matter! Do they make the grade?

Workplace manners do matter!

Many studies have shown that workplace rudeness creates tension and stress in all types of office environments. Business etiquette encompasses much more than saying “please,” “thank you,” “hi,” and “goodbye” to co-workers, though these common courtesies help.

Test your knowledge of etiquette. How would you handle these situations? I’m willing to bet you could use a refresher course on basic business manners. Do your manners measure up? Take this quiz and find out.

1. The following is a good introduction: “Mrs. Boss, I’d like you to meet our client, Mr. Smith.” (True or false)

Fake. Mention first the name of the person of greatest authority or importance. Gender or age is not the deciding factor. When a client is involved, he or she should be mentioned first. A proper business introduction should mention the first and last name: “Bill Smith…”

2. If someone forgets to introduce you, it’s appropriate to continue the conversation without saying anything. (True or false)

Fake. You should say something like, “My name is _______, I don’t think we’ve ever met.” Or, “I am __________, Joe’s wife, and are you?”

3. If YOU forget someone’s name, don’t worry. Keep talking. (True or false)

Fake. It’s okay to admit you can’t remember. Say something like, “Your face looks familiar, please help me with your name.” Or, “My mind went blank, is your name?” Or say, “I’m Marjorie Brody”; then the other person will usually say her name.

4. When shaking hands, a man should wait for a woman to hold out her hand. (True or false)

Fake. With an increased number of women in the workforce, business etiquette has become gender neutral. Women don’t have to hesitate to offer their hands first.

5. Who goes through the revolving door first?

has. Host
b. Visitor

has. Host. That allows you to be ready on the other side to guide the guest to where they are to meet.

6. It is okay to have private conversations in office bathrooms, elevators, and other public spaces. (True or false)

Fake. The saying “Walls have ears” is true. You never know who might be listening in on intimate details of your life or business transaction/conversation. And, at best, it’s inconsiderate that you’re invading these public areas making noise.

7. You should always carry a drink in your left hand at a cocktail party. (True or false)

Real. This will allow you to properly greet someone with a handshake without having to juggle your drink.

8. What percentage of the message you communicate to someone is conveyed through your visual appearance?

has. 30%
b. 55%
against 75%

b. 55% Remember, your package does count; That means your wardrobe needs to fit and be appropriate for the environment, and it needs to be well-groomed. Also pay attention to your body language and don’t forget to smile!

9. When two businessmen communicate, the average visual distance is:

has. 1 1/2 feet
b. 3ft
against 7 feet

b. 3ft Any closer and you could be invading his personal space. Any further and you’d have to scream. This distance will vary depending on the country. It is important to understand cultural differences before doing business in foreign countries.

10. It is appropriate to tell a business associate that your fly is open. (True or false)

Real. Otherwise, he will be embarrassed when he finds out. Why let others see him in this state, when you can take him aside and subtly tell him to zip up? Imagine how you would feel if no one told you!

11. It is appropriate for women to wear sexy clothes to a company cocktail party. (True or false)

Fake. The key word here is “company”. This is still a business event, so women should dress appropriately and professionally.

12. Women should wear tights and men should wear socks for “business casual” attire. (True or false)

Real. Bare feet are almost NEVER acceptable in any work-related setting. The one exception: If your company retreat or business trip is at a beach or pool and everyone else has flip-flops or sandals. “Business casual” does not mean “dress casual.”

13. Your water and wine glasses are placed on the right side of your environment. (True or false)

Real The water and wine glasses go on the right side above the plate. Remember, the glass has five letters, just like the word “correct”.

14. To indicate that you don’t want wine, turn your wine glass upside down. (True or false)

Fake All you have to do is wave your hand over it when asked or say, “No thanks.” Most waiters or waitresses won’t ask again.

15. Bread should be cut into small pieces with a knife. (True or false)

Fake Break off small pieces with your hand to butter them, then eat them.

16. The host, the one who invites, pays for lunch. (True or false)

Real Find out your company’s policies BEFORE inviting clients to lunch. Be selective about the restaurant and make sure it’s within your budget.

17. You put your napkin on the chair when you finish dinner and when you get up from the table. (True or false)

Fake The napkin (cloth or linen) is placed on the table, to the left of the plate when you finish eating.

18. If disconnected, it is the caller’s responsibility to redial. (True or false)

Real You initiated the call; you have to redial if something happens to the connection. It doesn’t matter how it happened.

19. When using a speaker phone, you must announce if someone else is present before the conversation begins. (True or false)

Real If you must use a speaker phone (something I recommend avoiding unless it’s a group call), it’s rude not to let everyone involved in the conversation know who’s present.

20. If you’re out of the office, it’s important to change your voicemail message. (True or false)

Real You should record a greeting that says something like, “I am out of the office today, April 12. If you need assistance, please contact _________ at extension 12.” Or say, “I’m leaving today, April 12, but I’ll be back on ___________.”

21. It is okay to send confidential information and large attachments in a
Email. (True or false)

Fake First of all, there is no such thing as private email. Even after you think you’ve deleted a message, any competent IT professional can recover it from your hard drive. And the message also travels to other mail servers during the entire messaging process. General rule: NEVER send confidential or private information. Second: never send a large attachment. Consider using traditional mail methods (USPS, UPS, FedEx), because the recipient may have trouble downloading the file (taking too much time or space on their hard drive).

22. Important mail must be answered within:

has. 48 hours
b. 4 days
against a week

has. 48 hours Follow-up is critical in business. More than two days is unprofessional and will likely cost you a client or business.

23. “Dear Sir/Mrs.” should be avoided as a greeting. (True or false)

Real It shows that you didn’t take the time to get a name and it shows no respect for the recipient.

24. Thank you notes must be typed. (True or false)

Fake A well-written thank you note works wonders: the recipient feels special and appreciates the fact that you took the time to personalize the note by writing it by hand.

25. During a meeting it is okay to leave your cell phone on in case you are waiting for a call. (True or false)

Fake It is rude to your fellow attendees and speakers if your cell phone rings during a meeting. Turn it off or put it on vibrate mode.

26. If you overhear a colleague’s conversation in a cubicle, it’s okay.
Comment what you just heard. (True or false)

Fake. Discretion is advised in this situation. In general, try not to eavesdrop on your cubicle mates. But sometimes you DO hear information. This is the time to pretend you didn’t. Of course, there are always exceptions.

Score:

0-8 good – Uh oh! You’re probably one of those people who forgets to fill the copier with paper and steals paper clips from a co-worker’s desk. Tsk tsk. I bet your co-workers don’t think much of you. I also doubt you’ll get that coveted promotion. Buy an etiquette book or consider hiring a coach to help you polish his professionalism before it’s too late.

9-17 correct – From time to time you forget which fork to use for salad during a business meal, and you may also forget that sweatpants are not appropriate when the dress code is “business casual”. Still, there is hope for you. Find a role model/mentor and commit to improving your workplace etiquette.

18-26 correct — Nothing bad. She probably remembered sending a thank you note to the client she met last week. It’s also probably safe to assume that she’ll never forget to call his office if he expects to be late. However, don’t act too smug around others. The consummate professional never brags, but instead tries to help others improve and work efficiently as a team.