Water Cooler

11 Rules For Good Cell Phone Etiquette

(Personas Image Dynamics) Here are just a few rules for good etiquette for cell phones and headsets that I find most important.

No dialing the phone while you are driving, or worse yet, no texting while driving! I can't tell you how many times I have noticed the person in the car in front of me wondering around in their lane only to pull up next to them to pass them and see that they're dialing or texting. I personally know of one instance where text messaging caused a 21-year-old to lose his life in a fatal car crash. It's just not a smart thing to do at any speed.

When in the presence of others, do not shout into your phone. It's intrusive. If you can't be heard by the person you're talking to, don't raise your voice; get up and go somewhere else to finish your conversation. As your mother probably used to say when you were little, "Please use your inside voice."

In restaurants, initiate or answer only essential calls, and keep conversations brief if you MUST have them. If you need to be available to take calls, leave your phone in your pocket; don't lay it on the table. Put your phone on vibrate. Continuing to use the phone while someone else is talking to you or is trying to take your order while you are nodding and signaling is rude and makes you look self-important. If you are waiting for an important call and want to be available to take it, tell those you are with that you are expecting that call ahead of time

Attend to face-to-face conversations/activities totally and use your cell phone as an answering service until you are done. An invisible barrier wall goes up as you stay connected with the distant other person on the phone and it limits your focus on those who are present and interacting with you in person. It can send a message to the person you are with that they are not as important as the other person you're talking to on the phone.

Ever been on the phone with someone and suddenly you hear the toilet flush? Never under any circumstances use your phone in the restroom, especially in public restrooms. Sometimes we all need a little privacy and we don't need someone in the next stall having a conversation. I have been on the receiving end of one such call and I gotta tell you, it wasn't pretty! It's just plain rude.

Rules for work:

All of the things I just covered still apply here along with some additional things to help you give the right impression.

Make sure it is alright with management to have and use your personal cell phone at work before using it. There are many places that don't allow you to take personal calls at work.

Turn your cell phone ringer off. There are many potential distractions in the workplace and your cell phone ringer doesn't need to be one of them. It can be very annoying and distracting for those who trying to concentrate on their job. Either turn the ringer completely off or put your phone on vibrate.

Unless you're on a break, use your personal cell phone for only important calls; things that need immediate attention. Generally calls related to your children's care and/or family and medical emergencies are considered important. You are being paid to perform your job, not tend to personal business.

Bluetooth/Headset etiquette:

Once again, apply the previous rules of etiquette along with these.

Do not wear your earpiece when you're not on the phone. No one knows if you are here or there! Remove your headset/Bluetooth while engaged in interpersonal conversations. It shows the person you're with that you are and intend to remain focused on them. When you have your Bluetooth in your ear during lunch or any other interaction with another person, nonverbally you are telling the person you're with that there's a possibility that someone more important will be calling you. Building rapport and better relationships begin with making others feel important by focusing on and showing interest in them.

Let the people around you know that you are on the phone. Simply point to your ear or mouth the words "I'm on the phone." It lets them know that you are not ignoring them or even talking to them in the first place, but to someone else. I've been in a situation before where suddenly a conversation I was having didn't make sense, only to find out that the person I was with had taken a call without telling me. It made me feel a bit frustrated and certainly unimportant.

Save heated discussions for later. If you're on a call that gets heated, switch to your handset. It's easier to forget that you are around others who can hear you when you're on a headset and are focused on a heated discussion. The tendency then is to raise your voice. The rest of us don't want to hear the argument. Take it somewhere else if you simply must have it at that very moment.

REMEMBER TO BE REMEMBERED FOR THE RIGHT REASONS!!! 

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