1st Serv. Business Etiquette

1st Serv. Business Etiquette 20 years of experience, protocol officer at Presidential Palace of Haiti, serving the first family.

Bón koup di mond moun mwen yo ❤️👏🏾🇭🇹
06/13/2026

Bón koup di mond moun mwen yo ❤️👏🏾🇭🇹

Open letter to FIFA*
06/11/2026

Open letter to FIFA*

My son is a Black Haitian-American man who served in the United States Marine Corps for eight years. He has lived an exe...
06/02/2026

My son is a Black Haitian-American man who served in the United States Marine Corps for eight years. He has lived an exemplary life, pursued his education diligently, recently earned his master’s degree, and will soon begin a Ph.D. program.

Yet, despite all of that, I still do not feel comfortable believing that he is completely safe in this country.

As a Black mother, I will always tell other Black mothers: fight twice as hard for your children. Teach them, guide them, protect them, and prepare them. The reality is that the world is not always fair to them because of the color of their skin.

I will continue to encourage Black and Brown young people to always strive to be the best version of themselves, not because they have to prove their worth, but because too often they are not given the same grace, the same presumption of innocence, the same opportunities, or the same compassion as others.

Stay in school. Choose your friends wisely. Surround yourself with people of good character. Be mindful of the environments you place yourself in. These are conversations many of us have with our children not out of fear alone, but out of necessity.

Today, I feel anger. I feel sadness. I feel disappointment. My heart breaks for this young boy and for the family that now has to live with an unimaginable loss.

May God comfort his loved ones and give them strength in the days ahead.

As for the man who was found not guilty, the legal system may have set you free. But there is another court that no one escapes, the court of conscience. If there is guilt to bear, it will follow you far longer than any verdict ever could.

May justice, truth, and healing prevail.

Sheila Guilloux
A sad mother of a black Son

06/01/2026

Many people are surprised to learn this, but according to traditional dining etiquette, it is generally a no-no to clear the table yourself at a restaurant.

I know what some of you are thinking: “I’m just trying to be nice” or “I’m helping the server.” While your intention is certainly kind, proper etiquette is not only about intention—it is also about understanding roles and respecting the service being provided.

When dining at a restaurant, the server and support staff have specific responsibilities and procedures for clearing and resetting tables. Stacking plates, gathering glasses, scraping food onto one plate, or carrying dishes to another area may actually make their job more difficult, disrupt their workflow, or create safety concerns.

Good etiquette means allowing people to perform the duties for which they are trained, while treating them with courtesy and respect. The best way to show appreciation is not by doing their job for them, but by being a pleasant guest, keeping the table reasonably orderly, being patient, expressing gratitude, and tipping appropriately when applicable.

Of course, there are exceptions. If you are dining with small children and need to remove an immediate hazard or contain a significant mess, a little organization may be appreciated. However, in general, avoid turning yourself into a busser at the table.
Remember: etiquette is not about appearing helpful; it is about understanding the social expectations of a situation and acting with consideration for everyone involved.
Sometimes what we believe is helping is not actually helping at all.


Etiquette Expert

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I know they’re watching 😊

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