I wish my grandmother had a pretty name. Her name is Agnes, and it sounds so old-fashioned. Notice how Susan complimented Beth on her name. It's usually a good idea to find something to compliment a person on. It could be the person's sweater, name, or even his or her shoes.
Compliments often start a conversation.
In many parts of the United States, it is easy to start a conversation by talking about the weather. It is considered a safe topic, and it is of general interest. Yeah, it was raining so hard I had to take a taxi home. I only work two blocks from here. As you can see from above, talking about the weather can help two people start a conversation.