Thursday 10 September 2020

Mobile Phone Etiquette...

THE GOLDEN RULES of Mobile Phone Etiquette

By

Scupin Richard


1. Answer with a Smile: Any call that you receive, any time of the day, make sure that you answer them all with a cheerful smile on your face, with elegance, courtesy and grace. That’s gentleness!

2. Make your ‘Hello’ Mellow!: Remember...! First impressions are best impressions! This applies for a phone conversation as well! The very tone of your ‘Hello’ has a great resonance and impact on your listener. Hence make sure that your very first greeting – your ‘Hello’ over the phone is graceful and dignified in tone! Else, they may feel the shock of their lives and chances are, the receiver might even end up suffering a mild heart attack in the process! You might then end up leaving bitter memories of your phone call with them! So yes! Make your Hello Mellow! That’s politeness!

3. Avoid Interruptions: When you’re talking to someone over the phone, never permit interruptions of any kind from anyone else! If the situation so warrants, firstly, ask for the permission of the person at the receiving end, before you admit interruptions to your talk. You could say, “Could you please excuse me for a moment!” And when you return, say, “Thank you for holding on.” That’s gentleness and politeness put together!

4. Avoid Distractions: When on a formal / official call, never give room for any distractions. Distractions, [like interruptions] could be a huge put off! Added, the receiver could easily sense your distraction and end up feeling irritated and slighted as well! Chewing gum or munching chocolates or eating snacks during a phone call is a strict NO! While driving your car or riding your bike, never use a hand-held mobile phone. Always have a Bluetooth headset or a normal headset exclusively for such occasions. That’s discernment!

5. Respect Personal Spaces!: When you’re in a room filled with friends or family or visitors, courtesy and basic etiquette demands that you respect their space and also regard and cherish their own rights to privacy. Do not disturb them in their sweet little space, by answering your call right in their midst. If the situation warrants it, you may get their excuse if needed, and gently move out to a place where there’s not much of a disturbance, and then continue on your talk. That’s civility!

6. To Hell with the Y(h)ell: When you’re in a public place – like in a train or in an airplane or in a bus, make sure you don’t yell at the top of your voice when talking over the phone. It is ill manners to do so. Always speak in a low, gentle tone, or make sure you have a headset on you, and move to a secluded spot, where your call will not be considered a nuisance to those around you. That’s thoughtfulness!

7. One Missed Call is worth a Thousand!: When you wish to dial someone, make sure you don’t give them a hundred missed calls in a row, with such regular, sincere pacing, in a very short duration of time. Chances are, the receiver will even dread the very thought of calling you back for the rest of their sweet lives. One missed call would do. If the person at the other end is really free or inclined to, they’d sure call you back. In case it’s quite urgent, you could always leave them a message or ask them to call you back! That’s gentility!

8. Make it in a Minute: When you’re having lunch, coffee or dinner with your friend(s), and you wish to make or answer an important call, courtesy demands that you end your call in less than a minute’s time. That’s courtesy!

9. Cultivate the ‘Mute’: Cultivate the gentle habit of muting or turning off your mobile phone ringer when entering a classroom, a meeting, an eatery, etc., where others might be disturbed by the constant beeps and rings on your phone! That’s being wise!

10. Plan Well before you Tell: List out the things that you intend to discuss with your listener, much in advance, even before you dial someone. And once you make your call, always make sure you have a notepad and a pen/pencil at hand. That’s being sagacious!

11. Listen! That’s an Art: As with speaking, so also with listening! Listening is a gentle art! A graceful art as well! Remember, it’s discourteous to dump your thoughts and views on your listener, without bothering a heck about their thoughts and opinions. That’s being one-sided and dictatorial. So take time to listen to what the person at the other end of the line also has to say during your phone conversation! That’s respect!

image: pond5dotart

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