A little politeness can earn students a 50-percent discount on meals at an East China university as part of a schoolwide campaign to boost etiquette on campus.

Students at Anhui Normal University (ANU) that use common courtesies such as 'hello,' 'please' and 'thank you' with cafeteria staff are eligible for the discount on their lunch and dinners, reported anhuiwang.cn. 

"Two meals cost us just 3 yuan ($0.5)," a pair of students enjoying the discount said.

The policy, which started May 1, encourages students to greet staff with a smile and suggests example phrases such as "Hello auntie, I'll please have a (menu item), thanks for your work!"

Most ANU students welcomed the policy. "We can't take their hard work for granted," said a student at the school surnamed Xu, "But most students are basically polite anyway."

News of the half-price meals had students at other schools licking their lips on social media.

But some argued that politeness may be difficult to muster when faced with impatient and grumpy cafeteria workers. 

anhuiwang.cn