Etiquette Tip of the Week – Elevator Etiquette

If you work in a tall building, taking the elevator or the lift is inevitable. People take it for granted, making it the site of some of the most common etiquette blunders you’ll ever encounter in the workplace.

These simple rules apply universally.

1. Stand back and allow others to exit before you board.
2. Hold the door for those hurrying to get on. Don’t stand idly by while the door shuts in someone’s face.
3. Give people their personal space in an uncrowded elevator.
4. Don’t call out your floor to the person standing nearest the buttons as if that person is the lift operator. If there is space to do so, press the button yourself.
5. Avoid carrying on conversations, personal or business.
6. If you are wearing a backpack, take it off and hold it in front of you so that it does not become a lethal weapon.
7. Using your cell phone is an absolute “no-no.”  The elevator is not a phone booth.

Treat the elevator as an extension of your workplace, and behave as if your most important client is in there with you. Being polite in the office elevator is the first step in the right direction in workplace etiquette.

Hire Lydia to work with your staff to improve customer service and employee relations through the use of those priceless and often over-looked soft skills called manners. Lydia is the “unstuffy” business etiquette expert who helps individuals and organizations add the polish that builds profits. We’re talking about your bottom line here.

Since 1996, countless people have benefited from her wisdom through keynotes, seminars and conference breakout sessions.  Her Southern charm and sense of humor have made her a sought-after speaker and consultant.

Based in Savannah, Georgia, Lydia is available for national, regional and local speaking and training engagements. She has suitcase; will travel.

Contact her via email at lydia@lydiaramsey.com or call 912-604-0080. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter and visit her website, lydiaramsey.com.