Courtesy...Mind Your Ps and Qs

[Anatta]

Kia Ora,

I've always been polite(well mannered-minded my Ps & Qs), I remember during my school days when with friends in a shop and they didn't say please or thank you, for some reason it made me feel quite uncomfortable and I would always pull them up on it..Even nowadays, I do quite often cringe when say for example, standing in a queue at the supermarket and people don't say please or thank you when dealing with others,...

I realise that for some people their minds are elsewhere,it's not that they are being impolite, they are just pre-occupied with other things...

So would you say you are mindful when it comes to showing courtesy when dealing with others ?

Metta Zenda

[Adam (birkin)]

Definitely...I was always like that (polite), but when I got into customer service, I made sure I was always polite to staff, no matter what. Because I knew what it was like to be treated rudely, or with a lack of consideration.

[Jessica Merriman]

It was a necessity as a paramedic to be courteous and professional and I hope it has stuck with me all these years. As well as being polite it also conveys a sense stability and responsibility. I sadly see manners in the decline unfortunately. I mean just watch how people talk in real life and on sites like youtube. Trash upon filth. I personally feel we here on Susan's do a very good job with manners. Maybe it is because we are more aware of how we are in our daily lives. Love ya family! 

[Ms Grace]

Almost always, especially with service staff. The only exception is when I find their behaviour rude, sloppy or inconsiderate... but I'm not rude back, just curt rather than courteous. The one time I was deliberately rude to some guy just doing his job (not a parking inspector, but close enough in concept) has stayed with me ever since and makes me cringe every time I remember it!

[Ltl89]

I try to be as polite as possible (sometimes overly so) but I can get over emotional and act like a total bitch at times.  I hate that about me and try to work on the bitchiness as best as possible.  So, I suppose I'm a courteous and polite bitch, if that makes sense. 

[Beth Andrea]

Yes, I almost always say "Please" and "Thank you." Also keep a level, calm voice.

It's actually gotten to almost be a neurosis, because I cannot express outrage and anger, even if it is called for. I just, I don't know, I honestly think I'm part Canadian. 

My kids were raised that way, too. They always were very polite, very fun to be around...and then they started going to public school all in the same year. (4th grade, 6th, and 9th)...man oh man we could see (and hear) the difference in their behaviors and demeanor.

Schools are definitely "the blind leading the blind" when it comes to manners. (No offense to teachers, I know your hands are tied for legal reasons)

[Anatta]

Kia Ora,
There's a lady who owns and works in a local shop who for the most part comes across as quite grumpy, as if the world owes her...
Before she took over the store another lady ran it and she was absolutely amazing, always smiling always had something nice to say to her customers, everyone I know has said the same thing about her...Sadly the service has gone from one extreme to the other...However the rest of the staff there are very friendly which  make up for the owner's bad manners...

One day I was there shopping which included buying a red capsicum , they were out of season, so quite expensive –the price tag was $3.99 , anyway when I got to the counter, she said "$2.99" (now the sign clearly said $3.99 in big bold print), doing the right thing, I said "The sign says $3.99", now for some reason  this really pissed her off, she glanced over to where the 'clearly' stated sign "$3.99"  was, and said in an accusing(can't you bloody read) tone " The sign says $2.99 !", I went to say "But the..." .then thought better of it, she was in no mood to be corrected-even if it meant she would loose out on a $1...And  to  top this all off, when she had finished serving me, she forgot to give me a bag, and started to serve another customer, so I politely asked for one and again she blew her top and got really annoyed with me...

When I finally got my bag, I smiled and said 'out loud'  "THANKYOU" and as I was walking out of the store I could hear her mumble something –which was definitely not "You're welcome!" ....

No doubt things are not well in her life, she behaves like this to most people, so I take this into consideration when having to deal with her...I'm sure underneath she's a really nice person...

Metta Zenda

[Sephirah]

I don't see the point in not being polite with people. 99% of them don't care if you're not. It's just another anecdote for them to tell about the "difficult" person they had to deal with. Whereas by being so, you can take comfort in your own mind knowing you held people in the regard that you would want them to hold you in. That and it unnerves folks who are expecting you not to be, lol. And diffuses lots of situations that would otherwise be more heated.

[Joe.]

I always try my best to hold the attitude of  treat people how you want to be treated. I've been brought up to say please and thank you. If I didn't say please as a child, I wouldn't get it, simple as. I now say please and thank you to everything, I can't imagine not saying it, and it really really bugs me when other people don't say please or thank you. I've always been brought up that manners don't cost anything, and they really don't. Saying please or thank you at the end of a sentence or when somebody gives you something really doesn't take a lot. I try my very best to be as polite as I can.

[Anatta]

I don't see the point in not being polite with people. 99% of them don't care if you're not. It's just another anecdote for them to tell about the "difficult" person they had to deal with. Whereas by being so, you can take comfort in your own mind knowing you held people in the regard that you would want them to hold you in. That and it unnerves folks who are expecting you not to be, lol. And diffuses lots of situations that would otherwise be more heated.

Kia Ora Sephirah,

That's so true...

Metta Zenda

[Anatta]

I always try my best to hold the attitude of  treat people how you want to be treated. I've been brought up to say please and thank you. If I didn't say please as a child, I wouldn't get it, simple as. I now say please and thank you to everything, I can't imagine not saying it, and it really really bugs me when other people don't say please or thank you. I've always been brought up that manners don't cost anything, and they really don't. Saying please or thank you at the end of a sentence or when somebody gives you something really doesn't take a lot. I try my very best to be as polite as I can.

Kia Ora Joey,

That's also true... Talk is cheap....But good manners are free...

Metta Zenda

[Anatta]

I plan to be polite MOST of the time.  I occasionally get stressed or in a hurry and can occasionally be on the rude side.  I was raised to be courteous by my parents, then spending time in the (Boy) Scouts and reading "Goofus and Gallant" in the "Children's Highlights" magazine at the doctor's office really reinforced my upbringing.

I try to be aware of people who have crappy jobs and will go to the far side of nice for their sake.  Well, with the exception of door-to-door salesman, or telemarketers.  I consider them to be "free range rude"  (ala Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs") and dump whatever gunny bag of frustrations I might have on them.

Kia Ora Joules,

They're fair game targets for abuse....but should also be dealt with in a humane way 

Metta Zenda

[Eva Marie]

I always try to be polite, especially to people waiting on me in restaurants or the pizza delivery guy or other situations like that. The courtesy is not always returned but so what? Like someone else said maybe they are dealing with huge problems in their life that I don't know about, or they actually are a curmudgeon and in that case I'm just glad that I'm not living my life that way.