So a while back I was working at a Call Center as a Customer Service Rep at Bank of America. And it was pretty cool! I got to talk on the phone all day with different people so I never got bored, and I felt good to do everything I could to help them with their account issues.
One of the things that were also really fun was having uptraining with senior account managers that came from the United States to teach us about any changes in policy, or other things we needed to uptrain about. They’d usually stay for about two or three weeks in a Hotel and would help us by giving feedback and advice on how to assist the customers.
I remember on one ocassion, a very nice lady that came for from the United States to give the uptraining sessions came to me and other friends in the cafeteria. She had a very worried look about her. After my friends went over to get dessert, she leaned closer and told me she was worried about a particular worker who may have tried to harass her.
What?! I couldn’t believe it! I knew this guy for a while and I couldn’t think of him as doing something like that! I was worried and asked her to explain what had happened and why he had been inaproppiate.
“Well” She said “earlier this morning when I came in to work I ran into him in the hall. But when I went closer to greet him, he held my hand and kissed me!”
I was baffled at first, but later I learned that our friend had actually kissed her in her cheek, so I explained to our uptrainer that it is very common here in Mexico to greet people we like in this way. I know that this is also done in the United States, but it’s not as common as it is here. It’s one of those things where there are no written rules, and it may be different between one person or another, but we do it basically in a daily basis, depending on who we meet.
I will try to sum it up the easiest way possible:
– When you meet someone for the very first time, the greeting will largely depend on the context. For example, if you meet someone in a formal or working enviroment, the first greeting will most likely be a formal handshake, and depending on the kind of relationship that will result later, it could either derive into only formal handshakes, or kiss greeting.
– Full lip to cheek contact is not necessary, and actually, seldom done (if you do, try to keep your kiss dry, no one likes a wet cheek!). It’s more like putting both cheeks toghether and making a smooch sound, and it’s not a long kiss either!. Sometimes it is even done in a diva “muah muah” gesture in both cheeks, depticting fakeness as a joke between friends. Kisses in both cheeks aren’t really customary or common here, but if you see a particular person do that to everyone, you might as well roll with it 😉
– If you are introduced to someone by a very dear friend of yours, and if it is a joyous ocassion such as a party or other social meeting, a kiss greeting may be applied.
– Greeting with a kiss is usually done only the first time you see someone in the day. For example, if you meet with a friend of yours at school but have different classes toghether, you don’t greet her with a kiss every time you see each other within classes. The greetings would be infinite otherwise!
– If you meet very dear friends of yours, or friends you haven’t seen in a very long time, hug and kiss greeting!
– Also, we kiss in the cheeks when we are leaving for the day. If there are a group of people we usually say goodbye to each person individually with a kiss, unless of course you’re in a very big hurry and are at some distance, then you can do a general wave-goodbye and leave. But if you’re saying goodbye to everyone individually it can be rude to skip one person.
– If you are a girl you can kiss your girlfriends as a greeting or as goodbye , as well as boys. If you are a guy it is considered correct to greet or say goodbye to girls with a kiss in the cheek as well. Guys usually don’t greet or say by to eachother with a kiss. A firm handshake and a hug/pat on back will suffice for them!
Anyway, that’s all I can think of now! So tell me, have you ever done a kiss greeting? Have you had any awkward moments? If you have friends or dear aquaintances here in Mexico you might as well have a little fun and try kiss greeting someone! Just take a deep breath, don’t hesitate and smooch away! It’s actually pretty easy to pick up on how and when it’s appropiate, and hey! They even say it’s healthy to receive a number of hugs and kisses per day! 😉
If you have any other comments, also feel free to post as well!
Life In Mex 