Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 841 Chapter 24 Customer Support, Communication, and Professionalism relatives. Writing daily e-mail messages will sharpen your skills. Use the principles previously mentioned. Th e following is a list of key points you should always remember when communicating through e-mail with customers and clients: ■ Check your e-mail regularly. ■ Keep e-mails concise. ■ Do not use emoticons. ■ Limit the size of fi le attachments. ■ Never use all capital letters in an e-mail to emphasize a word or phrase. If you must emphasize a word or phrase, use italics or an asterisk, for example, **this is very important**. Do not use bold or underline. Th is can be misinterpreted as a link. ■ Never send sensitive or inappropriate information in e-mail. ■ Do not send personal greetings, jokes, or other materials that are not appropriate for the work environment. Professionalism Professionalism is the act of exhibiting appropriate character, judgment, and be- havior by a person who is trained to perform a job. It is a businesslike characteristic refl ected in a person and work environment. In relation to a person, it is identifi ed in his or her attitude and dress. In the work environment, it is identifi ed in the décor and general atmosphere. Th is section explores various aspects of professionalism in an employee and work environment. Professional Image Businesses and their employees are often judged by a customer’s fi rst impression of them. For example, if a technician looks professional, the customer feels confi dent in the technician. If the technician looks sloppy, dirty, unkempt, or bizarre, the custom- er or client might have a less confi dent feeling about the technician. Dressing professionally means dressing appropriately. In the work environment, there are two distinct types of acceptable dress: formal business and business casual. For women, formal business attire usually includes a suit with a skirt or slacks and a blouse. For men, formal business attire means a suit or sport coat with a collared shirt and tie (or just a collared shirt and tie) and a pair of dress slacks and leather shoes. However, as a computer technician, business casual is appropriate attire. Business casual generally means a polo shirt (often with a company logo) or collared shirt with no tie, dress or casual slacks, leather shoes, and in rare cases, tennis shoes. Some computer technicians believe they are entitled to wear torn or tattered blue jeans, T-shirts, tennis shoes, fl ip-fl ops, or sandals. Th ese are never acceptable forms of business attire. Remember, your casual attire may refl ect a casual attitude. You are a trained professional dress like one. Many businesses provide shirts for their support staff . When shirts are provided, the dress code is clearly stated to the employees. If the dress code is not clearly stated, then it is assumed. When working in the area of customer support, a polo shirt is most appropriate, but be aware that some companies require a dress shirt and tie to be worn when dealing with customers and clients at their locations. Unisex dress, which refers to the same attire for both men and women, is typically the best and safest choice. As a computer technician, you will likely be crawling on the fl oor or reaching behind desks. Employees should never wear clothing that is too revealing if they have to work in this environment. Th e following are some tips that should become a part of your professional image: A+ NOTE On the CompTIA A+ Exams, there may be questions related to communication skills. Generally, the best answer to the question is one that serves as an example of “good manners.”