BUSINESS ETIQUETTE Arkansas Business Education Association Greet and Eat, A Proper Dinner

1. BUSINESS ETIQUETTE Arkansas Business Education Association  Greet and Eat, A Proper Dinner  Terry D. Roach, Ph.D. Arkansas State University—Jonesboro tdroach@astate.edu 870.680.8525 ASU-J 3 August 2010

2. Greetings and Introductions • Make the introduction. • Say something about each person. • Shake hands. • Introduce yourselves.

3. Seating • Enter from the left. • Exit from the right. • Bags, purses, attaché cases, books—under the table. • Men may help a lady with her chair—don’t slide it under her. She can do that herself.

4. Saving a chair • Do not lean a chair against a table—against fire code in all 50 states. • Either put the napkin on the seat of the chair or put the napkin on the back of the chair.

5. Napkin • Goes in your lap when: • The all group members are seated at your table. • The host places his/her napkin in his/her lap. • The server places your napkin in your lap. • Banquet style, when you sit. • Does not go back on the table until everyone is leaving the table. • Placed on the left when the meal is over. • Goes in your chair seat if you leave the table between courses.

6. Place settings • Breakfast • Luncheon • Family Dinner • Formal Dinner • Buffet

7. Breakfast (Replacements.com)

8. Luncheon

9. Family Dinner

10. Formal Dining

11. Buffet

12. Glasses • Are always on the right. • Are arranged in order of service (Informal). • Coffee cup, tea glass, water glass • Are arranged in order of service(Formal). • Sherry • White wine • Red wine • Champagne • Water • NO coffee cup

13. Bread and Butter plateButter knife • Always on the left • Butter knife on bread and butter plate • Butter spreader on bread and butter plate

14. Charger, Service Plate, Salad Plate • In center • May be stacked • May be brought with each course

15. Forks • All but two are on the left: rule of 4 • Arranged according to service: outside toward plate • Usually salad fork, fish fork, dinner/luncheon fork • Salad fork may be placed in last position if formal as salad is a filler • Dessert fork may be at top of place setting, last fork on left near service plate, or brought with dessert • Cocktail fork is on right side in bowl of first spoon

16. Spoons • All but one are on the right: rule of 5 • Are arranged according to service: outside toward service plate. • Usually (informal) coffee spoon, tall drink spoon, soup spoon • Usually (formal) soup spoon • Dessert spoon is at the top of the service plate, spoon nearest service plate, or brought with dessert

17. Knifes - knives • Arranged on the right side: rule of 5 • Usually fish knife then dinner knife • A steak knife may be placed after the dinner knife. The server will remove the knifes not needed for a meal after the entrée is ordered

18. Quick Rule:Finger letters ‘b’ and ‘d’orB M W

19. Common Items • Lemon • Butter • Salad dressing • Salt and Pepper • Sugar • Bread

20. Passing Common Items • The person the common item is nearest starts the ‘pass’. • Offer to your left • Help yourself • Pass to the right. • If the order gets out of order, then all items go to the left or to the right—not both ways.

21. Tea

22. Sugar in the Tea • Two sugar packets at a time. • Excessive if more than two • Tear sugar packets half way or three-fourths of the way—the packet stays as one piece of paper. • Paper goes under the tea glass saucer or under the lip of the service plate.

23. Lemon in the Tea • Hold the lemon slice with the right hand. • Cover right hand with left hand. • Squeeze juice into the glass. • Place used lemon on salad plate—not in the glass. • Neither lemon nor tea are served at a formal meal.

24. Tall Drink Spoon and Tea • Stir the tea gently with the Tall Drink Spoon. • Tap the spoon over the tea to remove drops. • Place the spoon on the next service utensil to dry. • Move to the table after it is reasonably dry • Don’t place a ‘wet’ spoon on a white table cloth

25. Order of Service: Glasses • First glass is Sherry for Soup • Second glass is White Wine for Fish Course • Third glass is Red Wine for Meat Course—the rule of white wine for white meat and red wine for red meat has been eliminated in most restaurants. Order the wine you like. • Fourth glass is Champagne for dessert • Fifth glass is for water

26. Order of Service: Cup • If a coffee cup and saucer are in drink position (right) and you intend to have coffee with your meal, leave the cup and saucer alone. • If you intend to have coffee with dessert, then move the cup and saucer to the center of the table. Bring them back to drink position just before dessert is served.

27. Oder of Service: the Courses • First: Fruit/Seafood Cocktail—use the cocktail fork. • Second: Salad (informal)—use the salad fork. You may use the dinner knife to cut salad greens. • Third: Fish (formal)—use the fish knife and fish fork. • Fourth: Meat—use the dinner knife and dinner fork • Fifth: Dessert—use the dessert fork and/or spoon. Move these into place position just before dessert is served.

28. Bread • Bread is placed on the Bread and Butter Plate. • Bread is placed on the left lip of the service plate. • Bread is broken one piece at a time, buttered one piece at a time, and eaten one piece at a time. • Bread may be used to ‘sop’ gravy or sauces—I wouldn’t do this at a formal meal.

29. Soup (1 of 2) • Cream Soup Spoon—the bowl is rounded. • Broth Soup Spoon—the bowl is oval. • Put the spoon into the soup bowl and push away from you. • Eat from the side of the spoon—no slurping. • When finished with the soup service: • Leave the spoon in the bowl if no soup plate • Place the spoon on the soup plate on the right • Crackers are eaten one bit at a time. • Do not make cracker ‘sawdust’ in your soup.

30. Soup (2 of 2) • If oyster crackers are offered, place one to three in your soup bowl. • Don’t order difficult soups such as French onion or jambalaya. • Cut noodles with your spoon by pressing the noodle between the spoon and lip of the bowl. • You may tilt the bowl away from you to get the last drop. I wouldn’t at an interview.

31. Continental or European StyleAmerican Style • Continental or European Style: Knife in the right hand and Fork in the left hand. • American Style: knife in the right hand, fork in the left hand, cut, place knife at top of plate, move fork to right hand.

32. Salad • Use your Salad Fork (and your Dinner Knife). • Place salad dressing on the side of the salad. • You may ask for the salad dressing to be passed to you if you want more. • If you don’t eat salad, don’t. And, don’t make excuses. Say something like, “I don’t care for a salad today”. • If you use the Dinner Knife, place it at the top of the Salad Plate with the blade toward you for ‘rest’ and the Fork at the 4-10 or 5-11 position for ‘rest’.

33. Fish and Entrée • Use your Fish Fork and Fish Knife. • Place at the 4-10 or 5-11 for ‘rest’. • Blade of the Knife toward you. • Use your Dinner Fork and Dinner Knife. • Place at the 4-10 or 5-11 for ‘rest’. • Blade of the Knife toward you.

34. Dessert • Move the Dessert Fork to the left and move the Dessert Spoon to the right. • Move the coffee cup to ‘drink’ position. • No ‘toasting’ at the table without permission (formal).

35. What if stuff (1 of 3) • If at an interview, don’t order every course. • Dropped a utensil or napkin on the floor: Ask for another; don’t make excuses. • Spilled food or drink, use your napkin and call for a server for more serious spills/messes. • Leave the table between courses. Place your napkin on your chair. • What goes in the mouth with the hand or utensil comes out of the mouth with the hand or utensil.

36. What if stuff (2 of 3) • Your menu has no prices. Ask your host for suggestions. • Don’t experiment with menu items on another’s dollar. • You don’t drink alcoholic beverages. Ask for water, ginger ale, juice, or other non-alcoholic. • Don’t argue over who pays. • Don’t complain publicly. Tell your host or tell your server/manager.

37. What if Stuff (3 of 3 • No makeup/lipstick at the table. • No handshaking before or during the meal. • Turn your cell phone ‘off’. • Alert your host if you must have your cell phone ‘on’. • No eating off another’s plate (formal). • No sharing food (formal). • No ‘doggie bags’ (formal)—well, maybe. • Don’t argue over ‘split’ tickets/bills.

38. Tip • Usually added to the bill if group meets a certain size (6 or more usually). • 15 % or 20%. In Tennessee, use the sales tax and double. Add more if really good service or round down if not so good. • Always Tip—others at your table may have had a great time. • $1 for each person who drank alcohol. No more than $2 for each person who drank alcohol. • Don’t argue over the who pays the tip.

39. Leaving the Table • Napkin goes on the left. • Thank your host and guest for a good time. • Push your chair under the table. • Go to the restroom if needed before you leave the restaurant.

40. Summary • Tell them what you told them.

41. Questions?