Telephone Etiquette

It seems to me that modern technology has brought on some poor etiquette when it comes to making telephone calls.

1) People who talk on the phone while being served. I put this first because, in my opinion, this is the most ignorant thing I see people doing in public. They'll go through the checkout somewhere, treating the teller/cashier like a robot servant, and ignore them. I want so badly to slap the phone off the ears of people who do this. Ignorant, ignorant, ignorant. You can't take 5 minutes out of your super busy day...

2) When a person calls you numerous times but doesn't leave a message. Clearly you have something important to say. Leave a message so I can determine how important and when to get back to you.

3) Private Number. You no number, me no answer telephone. (I realise we didn't have the priveledge of caller ID 20 years ago, but we do now and should use it. If you want to get through.)

4) Being put on speaker phone without your/my permission.

5) Having a conversation with someone and they stop or keep stopping randomly to text. God damn ignorant! Conversation over.


Anyone else get bothered by bad phone etiquette?

 

A couple years ago I was going to a bar to meet 5 friends. I was the last to show up. When I got there I saw them all sitting at a table with a beer each in front of them, and every single one of them was texting, not saying a word to each other. I imagined they were all texting each other instead of actually talking and the image gave me a good laugh. But I couldn't help but think, jeeze, why bother coming out.

 

I appreciate a smile from a cashier but don't much like the small talk. So just a smile when we first see each other then they can just scan my stuff is good enough for me... Though I've noticed recently, a lot of cashiers don't even seem to acknowledge the customer. Kind of rude. They just look at your stuff and scan your stuff. So then I'm just kind of standing there and I will probably whip my phone out in that case.

But I do believe in good phone etiquette. I really hate when going to a restaurant or diner with someone and the person goes on their phone to check their instagram or whatever and I'll call them out on it. Sorry, but I don't wanna watch you take pix of your food, kinda lame and rude.

 

I very rarely talk on the phone but I can't stand those issues either. I also can't stand it when I'm having a conversation with someone and they answer a phone call or start texting. That's the rudest shit in the world. There's no excuse for that. Be here now, people!

 

When ur on the phone having a conversation and they keep taking breaks to talk to someone in the background...what am I supposed to do, hold the phone and listen to u chat w/ whoever. I usually hang up, don't waste my time.

I usually go thru the checkout line w/ headphones on...and headphones in my ear is the universal don't talk to me sign ya know

 

Right... When you're out with someone or people and someone constantly stops to take pictures for or update their Facepalm account. Fuck that. Can't stand it.

 

Not really, it appears we haven't lost our manners here :mickey:

edit: I do hate the filming with phones at concerts and also dislike it when people are too busy taking pics of the fun instead of partaking sincerly in the fun themselves.

 

I hate it when some one calls me, I answer the phone, they are talking to someone next to them and I'm saying hello, HELLO! I get this all of the time at work with people in the field. If I wasn't on a recorded line, I would hang up on the stupid fuckers.

 

Ha! My mom does that all the time. I would get mad normally... But she did give birth to me and all...

 

My mom does it too. I can't count the times I've answered the phone only to hear, "Yes Charlie, I'm recording Jeopardy", or "it's on the kitchen counter where it's supposed to be".

It doesn't bother me when mom does it though. Just everyone else.

 

I went to a get together once with a bunch of guys with the same kind of car I have, we planned it out through a forum. Gearhead stuff, don'cha know. When I pull into the meeting spot there's a line of 10 HHR's and a whole bunch of guys out milling around the parking lot playing with their smart phones. No body was talking, they weren't looking at each other's cars... Too busy with the damn phones.


Anyways, I think now that "everybody" has a cell phone superglued to the side of their head the term "Telephone Etiquette" is an oxymoron...


(the word "everybody" above is quoted because obviously not everybody actually has one glued to their head... Some are wanting implants)

 

Some people have unlisted numbers simply because there are people like stalkers or evil ex's or other people like that that they don't want being able to find their phone number.

We've had an unlisted number for over ten years because there is a person or two we do NOT want finding out our number.... we don't expect people to answer- most people do anyway but we don't care if people screen their calls and pick up when they hear us talking on their machine (for landline) or call back (after listening to v.mail for cell phone).


Then again, I never call anybody.

 

Cell phones have become a normal extension of people. While I do think they are a great invention and have a place, it is not at a dinner table for example. My own kids know that they do not bring their phones to the table or into a restaurant. I do not even answer the landline during meals.

I also wonder at times why people who are in public think that the rest of the world wishes to hear their conversation. I am not referring to an important call or an emergency.

Can't even blame it on kids as old farts are as bad.

 

people that only answer if caller id shows usually owe people money

 

all except 4, I am hearing impaired, if I am on the phone I am on speaker and I hate trying to go out with people and only seeing th top of everyone's head until someone wants a picture - why be there?

 

yep. i have a hard time ignoring a call that i don't know the source of. i'm too curious of a person i guess; it would drive me crazy trying to figure out who was trying to call me.

also it pisses me off when those people keep ignoring their phone, then complain because they missed an important call.

i assume it's mostly so your friends and family know the real you and stop asking you when you're going to get married and start a family.

 

I thought it was so one could double their wardrobe..?

 

I'll have you know I always answer the phone when Visa calls. Lol

 

i did say "mostly." there are many benefits.

 

Like having someone to take out the trash...