Rude, Embarrassing and Just Plain Stupid: Seven Cell Phone Etiquette Blunders

By Toni Cascio, Ph.D.

Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee made headlines in August during a town hall meeting on health care reform -- but not for her keen insight into this hot button issue.

No, it was the fact that she answered a cell phone call while a constituent – a cancer survivor, no less – was speaking directly to her. Video of the congresswoman talking on her phone along with comments by angry audience members was quickly posted to YouTube, and within 24 hours it was viewed by over 400,000 people.

Such examples of rude behavior involving technology are increasingly common these days. Synovate, a research marketing group, reported that as more Americans have become “wired,” rude behavior has increased as well.

The biggest culprit? Cell phones. The majority of those surveyed by Synovate -- 68% -- said they witnessed poor cell phone behavior daily. And a June 2009 study by Intel found that about 90% of people are irritated by others’ lack of cell phone etiquette.

So what are communicators to do? For starters, be sure to brief your spokespeople on proper cell phone etiquette before they are in front of an audience, such as the media, employees, investors, retirees, customers or constituents. In fact -- take their cell phone away altogether before any press conference, town hall meeting, presentation or conference call.

You might even consider creating a cell phone etiquette company policy to create a more polite work environment. And of course, communicators should lead by example.

Here are a few tips to share:

1. Use an indoor voice. About 72% of participants in the Synovate survey reported that people speaking too loudly on their phones, particularly in public places, was the most irritating cell phone behavior. This is especially true when the conversations are about very personal matters. I was recently in an elevator and had to listen to a colleague recount the vivid details of his colonoscopy via his iPhone. No one should have to go through that experience. Trust me on this one.

2. Keep a safe distance. There are certain places where it’s universally seen as rude to answer and make calls: the theater, a wedding ceremony, a public bathroom. In any other public area, you should step away by yourself – about 10 feet away if possible — to keep conversations private.

3. Turn it off. Another common complaint is having someone answer a call in the middle of face-to-face conversation or a meeting. Angelique shared with me that she was once reading a poem during a friend's wedding ceremony when the bride's brother -- sitting in the front pew -- answered his cell phone and proceeded to talk to the caller!

Answering a call during a gathering or when you’re already having a conversation says that the person you’re speaking with isn’t important. Although you may be waiting to hear if your child needs a ride home from soccer practice, you can check your voicemail later.

4. Give advance warning. Once in a great while, however, you may be dealing with a bona-fide emergency situation or something that takes such high priority that it truly can’t wait. If that’s the case, be sure set your phone to vibrate... AND let your colleagues know ahead of time that you may have to step out to take an urgent call.

5. Check your voice mail – often! Leaving multiple messages that get no response, hearing repeatedly that someone’s mailbox is full, or having that disembodied voice tell you that the voice mail system was never set up are all very frustrating for those trying to get in touch with you. Your goal is to facilitate business, not drive it away, so always respond in a timely fashion.

6. Don’t text message while driving. Not surprisingly, Intel reports texting while driving is frowned upon by 72% of those surveyed. In some places, like Maryland, it's been outlawed. And, honestly, it’s just all kinds of stupid.

7. Let people know you’re on a cell phone. Despite the tremendous advances made in the last few years with cell phone coverage, it’s still possible to hit dead spots or lose calls without warning. If someone doesn’t realize that you’re speaking on a cell phone, let them know at the start of the call to prevent misunderstandings should you suddenly be disconnected.

Although many of these tips are common sense, they’re not common practice. Feel free to repackage these tips and share them within your organizations.

Copyright © Bon Mot Communications LLC 2009

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