(Pamela Eyring is the president of The Protocol School of
Washington (PSOW), which provides professional business
etiquette and international protocol training. Founded in 1988,
PSOW is the only school of its kind in the U.S. to become
accredited. Any opinions expressed are her own. PSOW’s website
is: http://www.psow.edu.)
By Pamela Eyring
WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) – Cellphones are ubiquitous
and research shows that although most users think they have good
mobile manners, many people report being irritated or annoyed by
the use of the phones in public places.
Clearly there’s a lack of understanding of what is and isn’t
acceptable in terms of cellphone etiquette. Following is a list
of do’s and don’ts:
– Do respect those who are with you. When you’re engaged
face-to-face with others, either in a meeting or a conversation,
give them your complete and undivided attention. Avoid texting
or taking calls. If a call is important, apologize and ask
permission before accepting it.
– Don’t yell. The average person talks three times louder on
a cellphone than they do in a face-to-face conversation. Always
be mindful of your volume.
– Do be a good dining companion. No one wants to be a captive
audience to a third-party cellphone conversation, or to sit in
silence while their dining companion texts with someone. Always
silence and store your phone before being seated. Never put your
cellphone on the table.
– Don’t ignore universal quiet zones such as the theater,
church, the library, your daughter’s dance recital and
funerals.
– Do let voicemail do its job. When you’re in the company of
others, let voicemail handle non-urgent calls.
– Don’t make wait staff wait. Whether it’s your turn in line
or time to order at the table, always make yourself available to
the server. Making servers and other patrons wait for you to
finish a personal phone call is never acceptable. If the call is
important, step away from the table or get out of line.
– Don’t text and drive. There is no message that is so
important.
– Do keep arguments under wraps. Nobody can hear the person
on the other end. All they are aware of is a one-sided screaming
match a few feet away.
– Don’t forget to filter your language. A rule of thumb: If
you wouldn’t walk through a busy public place with a particular
word or comment printed on your T-shirt, don’t use it in
cellphone conversations.
– Do respect the personal space of others. When you must use
your phone in public, try to keep at least 10 feet (three
meters) between you and others.
– Do exercise good international calling behavior. The rules
of cellphone etiquette vary from country to country.
Good cellphone etiquette is similar to common courtesy.
Conversations and text exchanges have a tendency to distract
people from what’s happening in front of them. Cellphone users
should be thoughtful, courteous and respect the people around
them.
(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Leslie Adler)
