Renowned etiquette expert visits APSU to help students with professional decorum
At the end of a meal, when the waiter brings that narrow, padded booklet with your bill, do you ever wonder how much of a tip you should leave? On a recent episode of Access Hollywood Live, famed lifestyle and etiquette expert Elaine Swann said 20 percent of the bill is a basic starting point.
“That’s where you kind of want to start,” she said. “A lot of times people ask me, ‘Can you not tip your server at all?’ And that’s a big no-no. Of course, here in the U.S., that’s how they make their living, so you have to leave something.”
Swann is one of the country’s leading experts on etiquette, and after founding The Swann School of Protocol, media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Today Show and CNN have sought her advice. Last month, she visited Austin Peay State University to help prepare students for professional interactions during the University’s special “Evening of Etiquette.”
“That night, our students learned about networking and professional etiquette, and Elaine Swann taught them how to navigate dining etiquette,” Diana Forte, coordinator for APSU leadership and student organizations, said. “They received in-person instruction while enjoying tray-passed appetizers and a three-course meal.”
Local business owners and employers, staff, faculty and community leaders attended the free event as table hosts to support the students and network with them. The APSU Office of Student Life and Engagement and the Office of Career Services organized the event.
The Swann School of Protocol is the first Black- and female-owned etiquette licensing program, with more than 20 independently owned and operated Swann Schools across the U.S. Swann also is the author of “Let Crazy Be Crazy,” which provides strategies and etiquette techniques for communicating with others.
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