(FORTUNE Magazine) – DEAR ANNIE: I am interviewing for a management job at a FORTUNE 500 company that will investigate my background, and I'm afraid of what it might find. About three years ago I was on my way home from a friend's wedding reception when I got stopped on suspicion of driving under the influence. I sort of panicked and refused to take a Breathalyzer test (big mistake), which resulted in an automatic suspension of my driver's license for 90 days. At the hearing the judge gave me a year of probation, which I completed without incident. (I've never, before or since, been in any trouble with the law.) Is this likely to surface in a routine background check? If so, will it take me out of the running for this highly desirable job? Or is it forgivable? ON PINS AND NEEDLES

DEAR O.P.N.: More than 1.4 million Americans are arrested every year for drunk driving, so I'd bet you aren't the only one worrying about this. But your questions, alas, have no cut-and-dried answers. Because companies have widely varying standards for what they consider relevant information, there is certainly no guarantee that a three-year-old DUI will pop up in a background check--especially since you are not applying for a job as, say, an airline pilot. A survey of 2,640 companies by the Society for Human Resource Management shows that 28% of human resources departments "regularly" dig into job candidates' driving records, while another 24% "never" do. Fewer than half (44%) check to see if you have a criminal history. (By contrast, 81% verify that you've worked where you say you have, and 57% seek confirmation that your title was as you describe it.)

What if you're found out? The half-dozen or so executive recruiters and HR people I asked about this all said the same thing: If you're otherwise highly qualified for the job you're seeking, your run-in with the law (particularly since it was a one-time incident) is very likely to be forgiven and forgotten. Even so, several of the experts urge you to think about revealing it yourself before the company's investigators find it. "Hiring managers and HR people are well aware that people make mistakes, and they generally can overlook anything in your past that seems unrelated to your current ability to do the job," says one human resources honcho. "However, what will make them uneasy is any sense they get that you are trying to hide something. You're far better off coming forward and saying, 'Look, here's what happened,' and being very aboveboard about it. In fact, taking this direct approach may well get you admired for your integrity"--which, when you're under consideration for a big job, is not a bad thing. Of course, coming clean takes courage, but would it really be any harder than waiting on pins and needles? Good luck.

DEAR ANNIE: I'm in charge of customer service at an e-commerce company. Most of my staff are young and inexperienced. I'm trying to persuade them that it's important to be prompt, courteous, and respectful of customers, but I'm not getting through. Do you know of any proof that politeness and responsiveness can actually increase sales, or am I dreaming? BOSS LADY

DEAR BOSS: I'm glad you asked, because I have a study here I've been waiting for a chance to quote. Last summer an etiquette-consulting company called Eticon, based in Columbia, S.C., surveyed 1,281 people across the U.S. and found that 80% think rudeness in business has been increasing. Biggest beef: telephone rudeness, including "abrupt tone of voice and impolite language" (83%); "indifference or inattentiveness" to customers (39%); "long waits" for service (34%); and "long, abrupt holds" (27%). Asked what behavior they appreciate most, respondents said "friendly, quick greeting" (60%); "helpful even if it isn't your job" (39%); and "appreciation of customer" (38%).

Now, this is where it gets really interesting. When asked how they reacted to bad manners or lousy attitudes, 58% replied that they "take business elsewhere, even if [the competitor] is out of my way or charges higher prices."

So here's an idea. Get your surly staff together and write your company's current revenues on a big blackboard. Then subtract 58%, and explain that this lower number is where you may be headed. If they don't see the light, maybe they're in the wrong line of work. That's fixable.

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