Call me old fashioned, but I still believe in manners. Don’t get me wrong, I love a rude limerick and have been known to curse like a drunken sailor (when I am stone cold sober). I am talking about good ol’ please and thank you, keeping your composure in public – not throwing a temper tantrum because the store is out of strawberry flavoured lipgloss, your favorite hairspray has been discontinued or the debit machine is down and GASP.. you have to use… cash. I have compiled a little list of what not to do in public. If you do any of the following in public, you will look like an ass, plain and simple. Feel free to share with your friends and co workers, I don’t mind. In fact, I urge you to share. Please and Thank you.

– when you enter a store and the sales person  says “Hello”, say “Hello” back. Do not respond with “just looking”…how would you like it if when you said “Hello” we responded with “why are you talking to me?”.

– when the debit machine is down, please do not yell at the sales person or swear at us. We did not see you coming and made a call to our carrier and demanded they cut our service just so you can’t purchase the nail file you are in so desperate need of.

– when you ask a salesperson a question, please let us answer you. Please do not speak over us. We cannot help you if you do not listen. Remember in kindergarten…you listen…I listen…we take turns talking.

– when we ask if you need help, please respond with words…not with the wave of your hands like we are a fly trying to land on your lunch. In my industry, many products revamp their lines every year or so and change the packaging. So when I ask if you need help after you have wandered aimlessly for 10 minutes after waving your hand at me, 9 out of 10 times you need my help.

– not all salespeople are on commission. You can get back up now – a shocker, I know. Yes, there are actually salespeople that are willing to help you, no strings attached.

– unless there is a major emergency, stay off your phone. Also, when I am answering your questions, please don’t start texting your friend about the hot guy that just walked by. Yes, he was hot, but I am the one helping you have great hair so you can actually catch his attention.

– my shop along with many others do not have a playland. We are not paid to be the babysitter/nanny/ au pere, take your pick. Please watch your children. Thinking it’s cute that they open all the nail polishes and try the colors on their toes is about as cute as bringing a muddy puppy over to someone’s house to see their new white carpet.

– never, ever throw a flat iron. I know it’s upsetting that it wasn’t comfortable to hold or that you are frustrated that the manufacturer changed their return policy or that it doesn’t match your new bathroom decor…still no reason to throw an appliance at someone. Ever.

– yelling in public is a no no. Don’t do it. I mean honestly, think about what you look like when you are yelling over a can of hairspray. Yelling over injustice and over human trafficking = good. Yelling over hairspray and the funny smell it has = bad.

– when you are late for an appointment, do not yell at the stylist that now you are running late and the appointment is taking too long. Remember – you were the one who was late.

– if you don’t feel like talking, just pleasantly return our greeting and try saying “I am just going to look around, if I need you can I get you?”. See…how lovely is that, you get what you want and not a rude word was uttered.

Really, it is so simple. Smile when someone smiles at you, say “hello” when someone says “hello”, say please and thank you, say “you’re welcome” when someone offers you a “thank you”. Do not yell in public. Unless you are under the age of 5, do not throw a temper tantrum. Do not throw the flat iron.