Vietnamese people are notoriously late. To us, an appointment is more like an one hour suggested window rather than a hard set time. We’re not the only culture guilty of tardiness. The French carries the same notorious stereotype.
Unfortunately, in American business culture, it’s one of the biggest pet peeves and can break a deal. To ensure your best chances in doing business with Americans, follow the best practices below.
- Be on time. Lateness is a signal that you do not respect the other person’s time. Furthermore, it conveys sloppiness in other aspects of business. No one wants to work with someone that finishes their work at the last minute or pays their invoice past due.
- For group meetings and conference calls: No one will notice if you’re early, but everyone will notice if you’re late. Arrive on time and make sure everyone know you’re there. A simple “hello” will do.
- For interviews: if you’re on time, you’re already late. Arrive ten minutes early and check in with the receptionist. Take the time to review your resume or get some water. There’s no bigger red flag than a applicant running in late, panting, and offering excuses.
- For business meals: arrive ahead of the buyer (the person with more influence in the deal). Grab a seat and let the server know where to direct the buyer. It works to your advantage if the buyer is late; he will feel like he owes you something. That’s a great way to start a deal.
- If you’re more than 10 minutes late: call ahead. Calling ahead lets your guest know you respect her time and works magically to erase any hard feelings.
- Leave when someone is more than 20 minutes late and have not called ahead. Call them to tell them that you are leaving to attend to other maters. If they are very important, give it 30 minutes. After that, it’s a sign that they do not respect you.
Are you an employer or conduct interviews regularly? Do you agree or disagree with the rules above? Any terrible stories? Let us know in the comments.
About Guide to Business in the US series: Proper business etiquette can be the difference in making or breaking a deal. Unfortunately, business etiquette is one of the hardest things for foreigners to pick up, since they often rely more on cultural norms than universal logic. In this series, I identify common business etiquettes mistakes Vietnamese make and set some tested rules to avoid making them.
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