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Cell Phone Etiquette: Are You A
Cell Phone Sinner? Mobile Mistakes
Could Wreck Your Career
by: Kate Zabriskie
In spite of their convenience and necessity, cell phones
are now another means whereby we can irritate our fellow
man. Theaters, restaurants, trains–even public
restrooms–are no longer safe from the possibility of an
untimely call. Two weeks ago I even heard someone having
a cell conversation in a toilet stall. At that moment I
knew that if ever there was a reason for voicemail I had
found it.
Somehow cell phone ownership seems to affect common
sense. And on a more serious note, poor cell phone
etiquette can ruin a career. Are you committing any of
the following sins?
Sin 1: Annoying or Cutesy Rings
The cha-cha, the latest pop single, your lover's voice–I
don't want to hear any of these, and neither does anyone
else. Have mercy on the general public when picking a
cell phone ring. Your latest Romeo saying, "Ooh, baby,
baby" may be funny to your friends, but it's a
credibility wrecker at the office. Believe it or not,
that actually happened to a friend of mine. She went to
a business meeting and forgot to turn off her ringer.
Midway through the meeting, her purse started talking.
She had a fancy ring that was a recording of his voice
telling her how beautiful she was. Thank goodness he
didn't use her name, so like everyone else, she
pretended she didn't know the source of the mysterious
voice.
Sin 2: Holding Court
"We just landed, and I'm waiting to get off the plane."
I must hear that from at least four or five people every
time I take a flight. In the midst of all the benign
information that follows, what these rude cell phone
users don't say is, "There is a short, homicidal looking
woman standing next to me. I can tell that she is
getting ready to beat me senseless for talking loudly
about nothing on my phone." People, please: if there is
nowhere for the rest of us to go, think about whether
you really need to have that conversation.
Sin 3: We Can Hear You
For whatever reason, many people talk at top volume when
they are on a cell phone. Microphones are sensitive. The
person you are calling can hear you. We don't need to.
Enough said.
Sin 4: Your Help Is Ruining My Conversation
In the last few months, I have seen signs in fast-food
restaurants and retail stores that say something to the
effect: "We will gladly help you when you are done with
your cell phone call." It doesn't surprise me. Many
times I have watched people talk on phones while in line
(see Sin 2) and then not even address or acknowledge the
employees whose assistance they need. Simple courtesy
will go a long way toward getting you on your way.
Sin 5: Taking a Call When in a Meeting
As the old saying goes, just because something can be
done doesn't mean that it should be done. Whether you
have called it yourself or are merely attending at
someone's request, invitation, or order, a scheduled
meeting is not the time for cell phone calls. The rings
alone are intrusive; answering them is an even worse
breach of etiquette. The message received by those at
the meeting is that they are less important than the
disembodied voice coming through the cell.
Unless your intention is to make others feel
insignificant (definitely not a cool move if your boss
is waiting for you to get off the phone), then don't
answer, turn it off, and get it out of sight.
Sin 6: Are You Talking to Me?
With the invention of hand-free cell phones came the
double-edged sword of convenience and mistaken identity.
Who among us has not been taken aback by the presence of
another human trawling the aisles of Wal-Mart while
actively engaged in what, on initial inspection, would
seem to be an animated discussion with himself or
herself? After giving this person, who is clearly having
a psychotic episode, a wide berth, we realize there is
actually a streamlined headset attached to the person's
skull yet well hidden underneath a hat. At the risk of
being mistaken for a pop singer or air traffic
controller who has wandered away from work, leave the
headset in the car.
Sin 7: Too Much Information
Discussing anything of a private nature that others
within earshot might be able to hear is unwise on a
number of counts. Think about it: do you want your
coworkers to know the results of your latest lab tests
your doctor's office has just called to share with you?
or see your "dark side" when your contractor calls to
tell you his work will take two months longer and $2,000
more than he had originally stated? or hear your travel
agent has booked you on that cruise to Nassau for the
same week you'd requested to have off for surgery you so
desperately needed? Unless you want to raise a lot of
questions and eyebrows, take calls from those who
probably have unpleasant, upsetting, or incriminating
information when you have total privacy.
On a very serious note, too much information given over
a cell phone while others are in your presence could
cost you dearly. A friend recently shared with me his
experience of standing behind a woman talking on her
cell to a repairman who was coming to her home to do
some work while she wasn't going to be there. By the end
of the call, my friend had learned the woman's name,
address, neighborhood (complete with directions on how
to get there), and the location of
the spare key she had left for the repairman to gain
entry to her house. Had he been so inclined, he could
have reached the woman's place before the repairman and
cleaned her out—or worse.
Go forth, and sin no more. These tips just might save
you your credibility, image, job, belongings—even your
life. |
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