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Modern Phone Etiquette

Your Star said:
This. Like, just text. I get talking when you just want to talk and not meet up, but if you just want to coordinate plans to meet in person, just text. So much simpler.
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How do I know you didn't see the text and are just ignoring me? :mrgreen:
 
joG said:
The real change will come, when the communication center is connected to the brain. ;)
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Too scary to think about!
 
"Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." ;)
 
countryboy said:
Hey, I'm an old guy, and I think texting is a great form of communication. I rarely have time to get stuck in a lengthy conversation, and texting is a great way to avoid that. You can fire off a text and get on with whatever you're doing.

I love my smart phone. I always tell customers to contact me however they wish, phone, email, or text. I'm open to all forms of communication. :D. And many of my customers are older folk too. :shrug: Come join us in the 21st century bro. ;)

The only thing is, I don't go for all that text lingo, I type everything in full words. I'm old fashioned that way. :mrgreen:
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You can tell my age because I type in complete sentences.
 
Josie said:
Back in the day, months-old letters were considered to be more personal than the new-fangled telephone. :)
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Indeed. I'm not a cell phone user and I no longer answer the home phone because 99% of the calls are from telemarketers. Those who know me can call on the business line and even get through toll free. Trying to call me after business hours is an exercise in futility and I like it that way. Email works during non business hours. The young have little patience. I was the same way in my youth.
 
I have always kept the policy that no one is more important on the phone than who you are with in person.

IF I'm having a conversation, a meal, meeting, whatever, the phone can wait.

If you blow me up, you'd better have a very good reason or I'll know the reason why...
 
radcen said:
I hated doing that in school.
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Arrrrgh, so did I. And this is part of what puts people off "English" forever. But I do know a few people who dig diagramming. We all have our little quirks. ;)
 
radcen said:
I hated doing that in school.
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And it was pointless too. When, in real life, do you need to know what kind of clause a group of words is? When do you need to know which one is a dangling participle and which is a helping verb. It didn't help anyone learn to write better, it just annoyed everyone.
 
Serenity said:
I'm under 35.. Perhaps it's a cultural thing but people here wouldn't generally get annoyed if someone called to ask them to have lunch. Much easier than texting back and forth to sort out time, place, etc and it's much more personal than just a text. I don't give out my phone number to people I don't want to talk to talk to or keep in touch with either.
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I think it's more of a personality thing. Some people just prefer the written word.
 
ChezC3 said:
I have always kept the policy that no one is more important on the phone than who you are with in person.

IF I'm having a conversation, a meal, meeting, whatever, the phone can wait.

If you blow me up, you'd better have a very good reason or I'll know the reason why...
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Barring something like waiting on word from a loved one's surgery, I agree with this.
 
chezc3 said:
i have always kept the policy that no one is more important on the phone than who you are with in person.

if i'm having a conversation, a meal, meeting, whatever, the phone can wait.

If you blow me up, you'd better have a very good reason or i'll know the reason why...
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this!
 
For personal? I almost NEVER call to make a personal appointment - it's almost always entirely with texts.

As for business? It depends on what kind of business. There is no set etiquette for all businesses.

I am an investor. People can get pretty frantic about trades and you HAVE TO understand that - that is part of the deal. And what if something changed and they need to buy or sell fast? I do not blame them one bit for calling numerous times.

It completely depends on the business.
 
Lutherf said:
So you call someone's cell and they don't answer. The reason for your call is just casual or not particularly important. Say, for example, you just want to know if they would like to meet for lunch tomorrow. It's just past lunch time today so you've got roughly a whole day to sort this out.

Anyway, you call and they don't answer so you leave a voice message. 5 minutes go by and they still haven't called back so you immediately try their work number, send a text and call the cell again. Is that really necessary? Is it so damned important that you answer your phone right ****ing now that all this stuff is necessary?

I mean, I have clients answering their phone while we're meeting. It's just kind of normal these days. I even find myself answering my office phone is my secretary has stepped out even when I have a client. I apologize but I do it anyway.

Anyway, if I get a call and either don't recognize the number or know from who's calling that it's not important I don't answer. If I'm in a meeting I turn the phone off. Am I just being a cranky old fart in all this or am I missing a change in etiquette?
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Hmm.

Let me play devil's advocate with this for a bit.

I am with two other friends who want to set a luncheon date but we want to include the friend who isn't there because it is sort of in her honor. So if she doesn't answer the cell, yes I will probably send her a text and/or leave messages on her home and work phone hoping for a speedy answer so we can solidify plans while the rest of us are together.

If the caller ID on my phone is somebody I know who is possibly calling with an emergency, I do answer or return those calls quickly regardless of who I am with. If it is not an emergency, I tell them I will call them back when I am out of my meeting or whatever.

On the other hand I am less than friendly with unsolicited calls that want to 'give me something' 'sell me something' 'want me to contribute to something' 'want to fix my credit or upgrade my credit card perks' 'take care of a terrible problem on my computer' 'threatens me from the IRS' 'want to give the necessary information to use when the Publishes Clearing House prize patrol gets to our house, etc. etc. etc. And I routinely hang up on the robo calls.

People who are constantly staring at their phones when we are visiting or having dinner or whatever are just being plain rude.

In other words, I think common sense is the best rule to follow in all kinds of circumstances where etiquette is at play.
 
AlbqOwl said:
Hmm.

Let me play devil's advocate with this for a bit.

I am with two other friends who want to set a luncheon date but we want to include the friend who isn't there because it is sort of in her honor. So if she doesn't answer the cell, yes I will probably send her a text and/or leave messages on her home and work phone hoping for a speedy answer so we can solidify plans while the rest of us are together.

If the caller ID on my phone is somebody I know who is possibly calling with an emergency, I do answer or return those calls quickly regardless of who I am with. If it is not an emergency, I tell them I will call them back when I am out of my meeting or whatever.

On the other hand I am less than friendly with unsolicited calls that want to 'give me something' 'sell me something' 'want me to contribute to something' 'want to fix my credit or upgrade my credit card perks' 'take care of a terrible problem on my computer' 'threatens me from the IRS' 'want to give the necessary information to use when the Publishes Clearing House prize patrol gets to our house, etc. etc. etc. And I routinely hang up on the robo calls.

People who are constantly staring at their phones when we are visiting or having dinner or whatever are just being plain rude.

In other words, I think common sense is the best rule to follow in all kinds of circumstances where etiquette is at play.
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My issue isn't with the call itself or the text. My issue is with the apparent urgency to wrap up something rather incidental to the remainder of my week. Maybe it's one of those "guy things" but if I call a buddy to see if he wants to grab lunch and he doesn't answer I'll leave a message regarding where I'm going and leave it at that. If he shows up, great! If he doesn't, so be it.
 
Lutherf said:
My issue isn't with the call itself or the text. My issue is with the apparent urgency to wrap up something rather incidental to the remainder of my week. Maybe it's one of those "guy things" but if I call a buddy to see if he wants to grab lunch and he doesn't answer I'll leave a message regarding where I'm going and leave it at that. If he shows up, great! If he doesn't, so be it.
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I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just offering a reason for how sometimes knowing quickly is instrumental to the plan for the day or week or whatever. In other words, if you can't meet me for lunch, I probably won't go either and will pick up some take out or whatever. (I hate eating alone in restaurants and I am not a good decide at the very last moment person either.)

It really is a matter of our own personalities and what drives us though I think.
 
I personally ALWAYS will answer if it is my mother, since she is of advanced age. If it's not an emergency, I will tell her I am busy. There have been a couple of times it was an emergency though.
 
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