The Queens, reps and the patter.

[David.]

Absolutely serious, it’s all about standards.
My late mother took great exception to representatives who might be at the kitchen table doing business with my father who did not stand up to acknowledge mother if she entered the room. A gentleman should always stand to acknowledge and meet a lady.

That is just good manners.

 

[An Gof]

Visiting farmers. First visit, always call at the farmhouse, rather than drive around the premises looking for someone. Got an earful many years ago for " taking a liberty" of going straight into the yard without permission. He was a grumpy pedant of bloke though.....

Quite right, and I trust that you used the Tradesman's entrance rather than take the liberty of knocking at the front door

 

[An Gof]

That is just good manners.

Indeed, but it’s a slippery slope between manners and standards.

 

[David.]

Visiting farmers. First visit, always call at the farmhouse, rather than drive around the premises looking for someone. Got an earful many years ago for " taking a liberty" of going straight into the yard without permission. He was a grumpy pedant of bloke though.....

I take exception to people poking about the yard, and accordingly, would never visit anyone else without first calling at the house/office.

 

[Highland Mule]

For those of you unfamiliar with such things, this book may prove helpful

View attachment 735574

You expect the standards of Debrett’s from someone selling you a bag of cattle food? How wonderfully naive. You do know it’s now largely a joke, alongside “overheard in Waitrose”?

 

[David.]

Yes but manners are just as applicable to someone selling a bag of nuts, as to someone measuring you for a new set of tweeds.

 

[Highland Mule]

Yes but manners are just as applicable to someone selling a bag of nuts, as to someone measuring you for a new set of tweeds.

Manners, yes, but on matters of formality, I beg to differ. Do you expect silver service from the local McDonalds?

 

[bovrill]

Manners, yes, but on matters of formality, I beg to differ. Do you expect silver service from the local McDonalds?

We've still got a few Wimpeys round here for that!

 

[An Gof]

You expect the standards of Debrett’s from someone selling you a bag of cattle food? How wonderfully naive. You do know it’s now largely a joke, alongside “overheard in Waitrose”?

You don’t have a Waitrose? That’s simply awful.

 

[Johnnyboxer]

I understand your point and agree. That said on several calls prior to this one in question and I think 2 visits in person to the farm. I’ve told him every time I do not like nor tolerate these phrases “touch base, drill down, going forward” etc and management language. I’d warned him and as it turns out so have some of my customers I passed his number onto. He’s a nice pleasant man with manners, I just think too much time in the office and in that environment has poisoned his vocabulary for when out on farm calls. Then again every farmer or customer will want to be spoke too in a way they find acceptable which can be the opposite to me. Just happens to be the way I was brought up which was to accept nothing less than what I’ve stated else where.

I take great dislike to these phrases and the manner I’m spoken too at times as to me it rude and offencive. I won’t tolerate it where as others will, possibly because it doesn’t bother them or because they are too nice to say anything, I don’t know. As said before, if they are trying to mske me part with my money into their account, the least they can do is speak to me in a manner I want. It’s nothing but common decency as I’m the customer.

Perhaps he thought your business was 'low hanging fruit'

 

[Paddington]

Boarding an aircraft this year the passengers in front of me were greeted with the usual "good morning, sir, good morning, madam", however I got a "Why, Hallo there !" and a strong whiff of aftershave from the male attendant. Must be the hat.

 

[Rowland]

Manners, yes, but on matters of formality, I beg to differ. Do you expect silver service from the local McDonalds?

No , but in most fast food chains the staff are trained and talk to you politely.

I suffer to opposite I’m the salesman and the level of language often used can be of a poor standard. Some of the texts I receive are a joy and often it’s takes me several attempts to understand them .

This is a bit of an extreme but you get the jist

How much do U seL x 4 m8 f I got a few c%d U do discount I cn coLec wud dat sAv me NEthing

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I take exception to people poking about the yard, and accordingly, would never visit anyone else without first calling at the house/office.

I have never found a farmer in the house in work time .

 

[Sharpy]

I have never found a farmer in the house in work time .

Round here quite a few farmers would take it as an insult if you tried the house first.

 

[Highland Mule]

I have never found a farmer in the house in work time .

No, but surely the butler would welcome you until they arrived?

 

[An Gof]

No, but surely the butler would welcome you until they arrived?

Yes, he would take your calling card; ready to present to the Master of the house on a salver. Then to enquire if he is “at home”.

 

[ajd132]

Saying 'touch base' is not bad manners

 

[Fallowfield]

Saying 'touch base' is not bad manners

Would that not rather depend on which base it referred to?

 

[Fallowfield]

Round here quite a few farmers would take it as an insult if you tried the house first.

Agreed. The implication is that the caller assumes they're sitting with their feet up watching Jeremy Kyle rather than out grafting.

 

[Highland Mule]

TOUCH BASE | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionaryhttps://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/touch-base