You are enjoying a corporate dinner with your supervisor, and the host serves corn on the cob. Is this a test?
If it is, having a cheat sheet wouldn’t hurt. Dale Webb tackles the sticky, greasy, drippy world of dining etiquette with the newest upgrade to her popular iPhone application, “Etiquette Avenue.” With the “Food for Thought” upgrade, users can access screen after screen of tips and advice on handling messy meals and confusing cuisine in professional situations.
Today, “Etiquette Avenue” is available with this newest feature for $2.99 at www.itunes.com/appstore/ [iTunes Store]. Current users can download the upgrade for free.
According to app creator Webb, director of The Protocol Centre™ in Coral Gables, Florida, finger foods, crustaceans, and unfamiliar foods pose the greatest challenge to diners eating with superiors, clients and colleagues.
“Typically, foods such as pizza, grapes and spareribs don’t cause the same anxiety as when they are served in a less casual or business setting,” said Webb. “No one wants to be perceived as unclean or messy in a professional situation, and simply eating with your fingers can send that type of message. In some cases, eating with your hands can be avoided; in others, it cannot. Knowing the difference gives you confidence.”
Some of the advice in “Food for Thought” includes handling artichokes: Always eaten with your fingers, one leaf at a time …; grapefruits: When a grapefruit is halved, don’t be tempted to squirt the excess juice onto your spoon …; and salad: If you get one of those large pieces of lettuce, you can either fold the lettuce leaf with your fork, or cut the lettuce with a knife.
This upgrade builds on the previous addition, a “Job Interview/Resume” category that was released in September 2009. The Job Interviewing/Resume category covers preparation for before, during and after the interview, including practice interview questions. Developed as part of the curriculum for college and university students, the Job Interviewing/Resume was included as a critical element of business etiquette.
“Everyone goes to interviews all of their lives; it’s valuable information,” said Webb, who remembers a most impressive job candidate as someone who did her research and literally wowed the interviewers.
“When she left the room, we all said ‘wow.’ She was so well-prepared. And she even had questions for us. She knew something about every one of us. It was almost scary,” she said.
Introduced in late June, the iPhone app “Etiquette Avenue” reached the Top 20 of downloaded applications under the “Business” category within a week of its debut and has remained in the top tier of most-purchased apps in its genre. Industry and mainstream reviewers also weighed in almost immediately on the app’s features and merits.
According to the October 2009 issue of “O” magazine, “If you have only… 5 minutes: Check out the iPhone application Etiquette Avenue for tips on writing thank-you notes, making small talk, and getting along in a foreign country.”
Like a polished executive, “Etiquette Avenue” pays attention to the details. Jim Morin, a Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist, created the whimsical illustrations introducing each category. Gregg Weiss of Blue Whale conceived the illustrations as ‘flash cards’ that flip to reveal advice. The Protocol Centre™ (www.protocolcentre.com) provides seminars on Business and Dining Etiquette and International Briefings for corporations, educational institutions, government and individuals. On its recently revamped website, The Protocol Centre™ also offers its curriculum through “Protocol to Go.”
