Wednesday, October 13, 2004
How to honor the person across the table
Cell Phone Etiquette: Debating the Caller ID.
I've done quite a bit of research on this topic, including CNN, Monster.com, and this great list of cell phone etiquette resources.
Still, nothing is more frustrating than to be on the other end of the “Caller ID Debate.” If you’re not familiar with this atrocity, here are the four steps. (1) Your conversation partner gives you the “just a minute” index finger, (2) checks their caller ID, (3) tilts their head and stares at the phone for 2-5 seconds, and (4) makes a decision to answer the call or return to your conversation. This is terribly uncomfortable. You actually watch your friend (?) decide whether or not there’s someone else she’d rather talk to. Ouch.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What are your cell phone pet peeves?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
Connect with Scott
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* People using the cellphone in the john.
* People talking too loudly into their cellphone in a restaurant.
* People getting annoyed if you pay attention to them while they're on a cellphone in a public place... especially if they're talking loudly.
* People who don't tell the person on the other end that you'll call back when you're done with your current face-to-face conversation.
I told a friend once that he had a choice: tell the person on the other end good-bye or I was going to leave. I ended up leaving. He got ticked off, but that's the way it goes. My time's important too.
Regards,
Bal
- calling someone you care about that refuses to answer
- getting constant calls from people that are looking for someone other than me
It annoys me when people talk loudly on their cell phones. Worst yet, this happens often in public places where other people are quietly sitting or waiting like bookstores, airports, restaurants, and waiting rooms. So you are forced to endure their conversation. It is sometimes tempting to pipe up and say, "Wow! Your boyfriend did what? You should dump him." or "I don't know what your friend on the other end of that conversation thinks but I think you should get the Toyota and tell your mother to mind her own business."
Basically, if other people are stationary and you get a call - YOU should walk to a private place. Don't force others to be party to your trials and tribulations.
Seriously. All those things annoy me. I once asked a guy in an airport waiting area to pipe down...with a smile on my face. He did, for about 5 seconds.
My own personal pet peeve as someone who works in the service industry is when a customer comes in and can't even stop their cell conversation long enough to place an order with you and treat you like a person instead of a foodbot (or coffeebot). (This happened much more frequently to me when I worked in a high-end coffee shop, by the way.) The people taking your order & making your food or beverage are people, too!
One of my pet peeves is leaving your cell phone ON when you're sharing a meal with/in a meeting with/on a date with someone. Just turn it off, or turn it to silent if you must know who dialed your digits. I think making the effort to make sure your time with someone else isn't interrupted sends a really positive message to whoever you're with, and doesn't even allow for that temptation to "just see who it is"...
There are two peives that tie for The Worst Offense:
1) When an audience member answers his/her cell phone while a speaker is on the stage speaking - and AFTER an announcement was made to turn cell phones off.
2) When a speaker answers his/her cell phone while speaking to an audience. I actually paid money to see a presenter speak who not only started 20 minutes late, he ANSWERED HIS CELL PHONE in the middle of his own presentation! The thing that made this moment particularly annoying, is that an announcement was made prior to the presentation that the audience turn off cell phones and not put them on vibrate because the program was being recorded with sensitive, high-level equipment and would pick up any type of background noise such as vibrating phones! When the phone rang, the speaker reached into his pocket and proceeded to have a 5 minute conversation, which was clearly not about an urgent issue.
Whew! Glad to get that off my chest! Thanks for asking that question, Scott!
Kirstin Carey
Orange Tree
www.OTTSG.com
Another pet peeve is people who spell peeve incorrectly.
-Kirstin Carey
Orange Tree
www.OTTSG.com
Don't worry Kirsten, that hapens all the time. Damn you Microsoft spell check - you've stupified us.
NO WAY.. The speaker actually answered the phone, AND had a conversation ON STAGE?? WOW!!
I agree with the phone in the bathroom thing. I mean, really, what can be that important that you can't even wait a few mins. and go to the loo in peace.
I don't like people walking around talking on the phone, only they don't have a phone, so sometimes you think they may be talking to you. The headset thing is just out of hand.
My biggest pet peeve for cell phones is when someone just lets the phone ring. I've been at business mixers and suddenly the phone rings. The person stares at the phone for a second and then just continues talking. They might give a quick acknowledgement to the ringing phone or say, "it will roll to voicemail". Meanwhile, I've lost my train of thought, as well as my respect for that person.
To avoid this pitfall, please turn off your phone, unless absolutely necessary. At least, set it on vibrate. Finally, if it does ring, answer it and ask to call back later. Then, shut it off.
Dear Scott, thanks for another super article, i just love this site, thanks for the hard work.