There are lots of books on the subject of business etiquette, although I don’t think I’ve ever read one. So, I’m by no means an expert in that department. I just do what I think is “proper” based on conventional wisdom. For all I know, I could be doing lots of things wrong. That, however, doesn’t mean that I don’t have pet peeves when it comes to what other people do, or don’t do.

I’ve assumed that most people who deal with other humans understand the basic stuff, but I’m surprised by how many don’t. Perhaps they’re like me and never read one of those books.

Whatever it is, here are some behaviors that I notice quite often:

1. Not returning telephone calls.

There are few instances when it is justified to not return a telephone call at all. Even if it takes a couple of days, go with what Nike suggests - Just Do It.

2. Putting the body of an email in the “subject” line.

For casual email – ok! But not for an important email that requires much more detailed information. So put just the subject in the subject line. That’s why they designed the page that way.

3. Not calling your appointment if you’re running late.

Calling is the courteous thing to do if you’re running late to an appointment, so make sure you have the phone numbers you need to call if you’re going to be late.

Yes, these are really basic and really obvious, but I’m amazed at how often people violate these simple things. If you tend to have trouble with these, check in with yourself and be thoughtful and courteous.