I think there are a lot of people out there who have no clue what “RSVP” means and therefore don’t know what to do with it when they see it (kinda like going to a fancy restaurant and not knowing what to do with all of those strange looking forks and spoons).
or
Perhaps, there are people out there who are just “RSVP blind” . . . they just don’t see it there on the invitation no matter how prominently displayed.
So, What’s RSVP mean?
From Wiki: “a request for a response from the invited person. It is an initialism derived from the French phrase répondez s’il vous plaît, meaning “Please respond“.”
The connotation here is that it is a request to RESPOND “YES” if you intend to come or “NO” if you are unable to show up.
The inviter (Host) asks for your RSVP on her invitation so she can plan accordingly and have the appropriate amount of food, beverage, materials, chairs, space, etc.
Like it or not – when you respond, you create a commitment to show up (or not) and the host is counting on your word . . . Should anything change on your end of the deal, the burden is on YOU to let the host know.
When you say: “YES” and fail to show up, you may think “it’s not a big deal because there will be others present and no-one will notice your absence. ” WRONG! Failing to show up when you have made a promise constitutes a break in credibility and leaves the host with leftover everything.
Showing up when you have RSVP’d “NO” is just as egregious . . . Now, there’s not enough to go around – which is totally not fair to those who played by the rules.
I can’t believe I’m offering an etiquette lesson here, but I also know that a large number of my blog readers are Real Estate Professionals who are notorious for their “flightiness” with respect to being where they say they’ll be WHEN they say they’ll be there.
There’s ALWAYS a good reason/justification (I got tied up with a client) for not showing on time (or at all) . . . or for showing up without having RSVP’d (“So busy, I forgot to let you know I was coming”)
But
What’s that say about you in the eyes of the people who relied on you commitment (RSVP)?
The first thing they’ll think is that you don’t respect them. You don’t care!
They’ll be disappointed . . . resulting in a withdrawal from your “Credibility Trust Bank Account” . . . Do this repeatedly and the invitations will stop coming.
Just sayin’
Best,
b