Etiquette Tip of the Month

EXCITING NEWS! Syndi Seid has been named the “Business and Social Etiquette Expert” for the national office supply company website Staples.com. See her profile featured in the August 2004 Staples Newsletter, or go to www.staples.com/bizservices/asktheexpert/syndi_bio.asp and “Ask The Expert” a question.

This month’s Advanced Etiquette Tip is based on a viewer question submitted through Staples.com and Syndi’s response.

QUESTION:
Some of my colleagues tie up the printer by printing huge reports and spreadsheets. It's inconvenient and sometimes it seems down right rude, but it’s also part of work. Should I say something? What's the protocol on printer use? Also, who should replace the toner and paper when the machine runs out?

RESPONSE:
Most importantly, anyone sharing office equipment must use it with the utmost respect, care, and courtesy, and also be sensitive to the needs of others. Remember, if you expect everyone with whom you work to clean up after themselves, you must model that behavior yourself.

Consider instituting these guidelines for your shared printer:

Photocopy Multiples. If you have a big print job, perhaps requiring more than ten copies of more than five pages each, consider printing one set and photocopying the rest. Photocopiers are typically faster and less costly to operate than printers. The efficient worker makes every effort to plan ahead in sending large print jobs to the photocopy department for duplication.
Schedule Around Others. If you must send a large job to the printer, try to schedule it when your co-workers go to lunch, or on a break, so you can complete your work uninterrupted.
Breakup Large Print Jobs. When you must complete a large job during prime work time, break up the large job by printing 25 copies at a time, allowing co-workers to print their work between sets. Overall, let small print jobs take precedence over large print jobs.
Know Who Is In Charge. Designate an attendant, and have it be part of their job responsibilities, to restock the paper shelf and other equipment supplies, as needed, and know who to contact when repairs are required.
Establish a Supply System. Do your part in maintaining the supplies needed to operate the machines. Decide as a group that the printer should never be left empty of an ample supply of paper in all bins, and that everyone understands the system. As a reminder, mark the last ream of paper with a large marking pen: "LAST REAM! Contact (name) at (extension number) to restock shelf" and remind everyone to contact the attendant when they open that ream. Depending on the needs of your company, you may want to mark the last two reams.
Know Basic Maintenance. Every person using shared equipment should be trained on how to use it properly and to take care of everyday situations, such as how to un-jam the machine, replenish paper bins, and, as appropriate, replace the toner cartridge.
Leave the Machine Operable. If the machine stalls or jams, or an indicator light appears, take time to undo the jam, fix the problem, or alert the attendant before leaving the machine. Never leave a machine in an inoperable state without letting others know.
Avoid Wasting Paper. When using letterhead, colored paper, or any other type of specialty paper, be sure to remove all extra sheets before leaving the machine. Leave the bins with an ample supply of plain white paper.

BONUS: Keep It Clean. Avoid eating, drinking, or setting food and drinks near the printer. Accidents can happen.

NOTE: If you would like an authorized FREE copy of the above guidelines to post near your shared printer, please email me at Info@AdvancedEtiquette.com and we'll be happy to send you a copy, suitable for framing.

Happy Practicing!

To view our past Etiquette Tips of the Month, please choose a topic below:

Party Tips Episode III: Prevention is Worth a Pound of Faux Pas
(Current Issue: July 2005)
Beach Etiquette (June 2005)
Flower Etiquette (May 2005)
Umbrella Etiquette (April 2005)
Spring Cleaning: Your Actions and Behaviors (March 2005)
Dos and Taboos at a Chinese Dining Table (February 2005)
Try My "ABW" Approach to Year-round Gift-giving (January 2005)
Gift-Giving and Receiving (December 2004)
Thanksgiving: A Perfect Time for Thank-You Notes (November 2004)
Cultural Awareness: Celebrating National Days (October 2004)
Thinking Rightly: Ethics and Etiquette (September 2004)
Party Planning ... The Key to Success! (July 2004)
Is it Marketing or Spam? (June 2004)
What to Wear? (May 2004)
Letter Writing Etiquette (April 2004)
Etiquette on the Road: Manners for Pedestrians & Drivers (March 2004)
Workplace Etiquette (February 2004)
Ten Ways to Celebrate the New Year - Chinese Style (January 2004)
Being a Perfect Party Guest (December 2003)
Be the Perfect Guest at a Family-Style Meal (November 2003)
Party Invitations (October 2003)
Theatre Goers Beware! (September 2003)
Being a Proper House Guest (August 2003)
Proper Introductions (July 2003)
The Lost Art of RSVP! (June 2003)
Toasting Practices for all occasions (May 2003)
Bathroom Etiquette (April 2003)
Shaking Hands: A critical factor in giving a good first impression...or not? (March 2003)
Telephone Etiquette (February 2003)

This document and all documents on this website are copyrighted material. We request that you use our byline, tagline, copyright credit, URL and/or 800 number in print or verbally when re-using any portion of any document. For further FREE reprint permission, please contact us as shown below. Remember, stealing someone's work for your own use is unethical, not etiquette, and for sure against the law. Thank you!

If you would like to join our mailing list,
please click here and fill out our Subscriber Profile.