Learn English – Should I greet the customer at 6pm with “good evening” or “good afternoon”

word-choice

How should I greet my customer if I meet him/her at 6pm for a discussion? Should I say "good evening" or should I say "good afternoon"?

From my understanding, "good evening" is used at around 6pm, while "good afternoon" is used for from noon time until around 6pm.

Best Answer

Both "Good afternoon" and "Good evening" are perfectly appropriate greetings at 6pm. Pick one, and don't overanalyze it. If you say "Good evening" at 4pm, or "Good afternoon" at 8pm, you might get funny looks, but near the boundary, either is fine.