A Tale of Poor Business Etiquette

"Politeness goes far, yet costs nothing." — Author and Reformer, Samuel Smiles

"Customers may forget what you said but they'll never forget how you made them feel." Unknown — "May I venture to inquire your name?" asked the lady of the house. "Oh, any name will do for me; the name of the book is of a good deal more importance to you..." 

Peddling Etiquette:

A Dealer in the Commodity Rebuked

For Poor Manners

Yesterday a Carson lady was called to the door by the ring of the bell, and as she opened the door a tall man with a book under his arm glided into the hall, hung his hat on the rack and slid rapidly into the parlor. "Madame," he said, as he cast his frame into an easy chair, "I'm selling a very valuable book and it only costs two dollars and a half."

"May I venture to inquire your name?" asked the lady of the house. "Oh, any name will do for me; the name of the book is of a good deal more importance to you. I am selling a work on etiquette, teaches you how to act in polite society, treats of good manners, how to receive company, etc..., etc..." "Does it treat of making calls and the like?" "Ah, Madame, I should say so. Devotes five chapters to the latest rules governing calling." And the man opened his sample with a broad grin.

"Does it have any suggestions as to how a strange man should act when he enters a lady's parlor without an invitation and prior to an introduction?" and she fixed a calm look upon the party in the easy chair. The party in the easy chair folded up his sample, moved gracefully to the hat- rack and made toward the gate. — The Carson Appeal, 1884

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber is the Site Moderator and Editor for Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia