Personal Phone Etiquette

Personal phone etiquette extends to cell phone use.

Phone etiquette is not just essential for business communications, but for personal communications as well. In this day where you can place or receive phone calls virtually anywhere at any time, telephone etiquette should extend beyond the office. Basic telephone etiquette includes practicing tactfulness and being mindful of your surroundings.

Appropriate Phone Call Hours

Before making any phone call, make sure it is an appropriate hour to do so. Do not call during a mealtime, too early in the morning or too late in the evening. Most people eat lunch between the hours of noon and 1 p.m. and dinner between 5 and 7 p.m. Individuals are usually awake by 9 a.m., and may prefer not to be disturbed after 9 p.m.

Using Cell Phones

When you are using your cell phone, ComputerWorld suggests you not speak loudly and avoid personal topics while in public. If you are in a physical conversation with another person, do not accept cell phone calls and avoid text messaging. If you are expecting a call and you are spending time with a family member or friend, let them know ahead of time. Silence and do not use your cell phone during a movie or at a performance. In addition, silence your phone while dining in a restaurant. If you must use your cell phone while at a restaurant, do so near the payphones, which are typically located near the restrooms.

Calls for Others

Sometimes you answer a call at home meant for another family member. Before seeking that individual, ask the caller to wait a moment while you retrieve the person. Do not place the phone to your chest and yell to let the individual know there is a phone call for him. Yelling may hurt the caller's ears. Rather, set the telephone down and retrieve the person, or take the telephone to the individual. If you must raise your voice to get the individual's attention, press the "Mute" or "Hold" button on your phone so the caller cannot hear you yelling.

Taking Messages

If you receive a phone call for someone in your home who is not available, ask the caller if she would like to leave a message. When taking a message, write down the caller's full name, the name of the business she is calling from (if applicable), her phone number and a brief reason for the call. When writing down phone numbers, always repeat the number to the caller to make sure you wrote it correctly.

Hanging Up Gracefully

Sometimes a phone conversation does not seem to have a natural ending point or the person with whom you are speaking likes to talk a lot. When this happens, let the individual on the other end of the line know you enjoyed speaking with them, but you must go. However, let the person know you would like to continue the discussion at another time and set up a day and time to speak again.

References

• California State University, Fullerton Information Technology: Telephone Etiquette
• Azusa Pacific University: Phone Etiquette
• ComputerWorld: Here comes the new cell phone etiquette