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Social MediaAsk Meghan: What are the etiquette rules for cell phones?
Question: I pride myself on being a responsive REALTOR®. I have an iPhone which I use to update my blog, text, email and talk to my clients and other people in the industry all day long. The downfall of being so responsive is I don’t want to be rude while going about my daily life (buying groceries, attending seminars, going out to dinner with my family, etc.). What are some etiquette rules I can use?
Answer: Dictionary.com defines etiquette as “conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.” To me, this means practicing common courtesy. To figure out if you’re being rude, put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
• When you’re buying groceries, would you be annoyed if you have a line of people waiting to check out and the customer is on the phone, not paying attention while you’re waiting for that person to pay?
• When you’re in a seminar, do you pay more attention to your phone than the speaker? How would you feel if you were that speaker?
• Are your kids allowed to text their friends at the dinner table? Why should the rules be different for you?
Also examine the way you are communicating. A recent New York Times article says cell phones are used more for data than for phone calls but if you’re using your phone to actually talk to a client, does everyone around you need to know that client’s business?
Remember to think about personal safety. If you talk on the phone in your car, wear a headset or set up a Bluetooth connection. Talking on your phone while driving means you are going to be distracted but there are ways to minimize this distraction. If you absolutely must text or respond to an email while on the road, pull your car over. Your life and others’ lives on the road are more important than responding right away.
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Meghan Tinkham is the Community Manager at the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors®. Follow her on Twitter @PAR_Meg. |
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Good points, all — especially the privacy note. The downside of our 24/7 brave new world is finding personal space. Non-essential calls/contacts can go to voicemail and be dealt with at a more appropriate time. No more answering the phone with shampoo dripping all over it!
This issue can go way beyond etiquette. If you’re talking about a client or transaction on your cell phone at the grocery store or coffee shop you may be exposing confidential information in violation of law and/or the Code of Ethics. Unlike in sitcoms, there is no “cone of silence” that drops over your head when you’re on the phone…