11 Tips on Cellphone Etiquette for Professionals  

One would think that between 1973, when Motorola introduced the first prototype for a portable cellular telephone, and the present, society would have mastered some basic etiquette rules for cell phone use. If the loud conversations taking place in restaurants and on public transportation or the number of memes featuring families around the dinner table, phones in hand, are any indication, some people could benefit from a refresher course.

Cell phones are obviously useful tools that few professionals would choose to live without. A Pew Research Center study found, “Some 92% of U.S. adults now have a cellphone of some kind, and 90% of those cell owners say that their phone is frequently with them. Some 31% of cell owners say they never turn their phone off and 45% say they rarely turn it off.”

Being powered on all the time has led to the abandonment of some long-held social conventions. According to the Pew survey, most people no longer find it strange to see people walking down a street talking on cellphones, but some cringe when the person at the table next to them in a restaurant is on the phone. While the distraction of posting a picture at a social gathering or answering the phone during a family dinner might be tolerated, business settings call for a higher level of mobile phone etiquette.

Answer Professionally
When answering a work call on your personal cell phone or a business cell phone, answer by stating your full name for the caller. “Hello, this is Lisa Wells.”

Return Calls Promptly
When a professional situation necessitates allowing a call to go to voicemail, it is imperative that the caller receive a prompt reply, generally within 24 hours. If an all-day event will preclude you from answering or returning the call during regular business hours, consider changing the personal voicemail message to apologize for the inconvenience and suggest when calls will be returned.

Be Attentive
When meeting with someone, whether for coffee or for a board meeting, be present in the conversation. Don’t text, check email or surf the web. In a meeting, it might seem as if nobody will notice your furtive glances at your phone in your lap, but it’s distracting and disrespectful to those actively participating in the dialogue. Moreover, if the meeting is with a client or business contact, an inability to focus on them in their presence speaks loudly about your ability to give their account adequate attention when they are “out of sight and out of mind.”

Delete the Cute Ringtone
As impressive as a degree from your alma mater is on your resume, the fight song as a ringtone says, “sorority sister” more than successful software developer. So, demonstrate pride and support for your university by mailing a check to the alumni association, not with your ringtone.  Use a standard ringtone that’s not distracting.

Leave a Short, Concise Voice Mail
Lead with the pertinent info: Who is calling. What the call is about. Which number is best to return the call. That’s it. Save the details for the return call or send an email with a more detailed response.

Alert the Other Party to Speakerphone
If you need to make or receive a call on speaker phone, hands-free is necessary in most states while driving, the caller should inform the person to whom they are speaking that speakerphone is being used. Some people even mention who else is listening. “Bob, I am in the car with Sue and Ted returning from a conference. Can I call you back in ten minutes?”

Keep the Phone Off the Table
Neither elbows nor cell phones should rest on the table. Place the cellphone in a pocket, purse or briefcase and resist the temptation to retrieve it.

Don’t Use Your Cellphone in Public Places
A cell phone is not a status symbol; it doesn’t speak to the importance of the owner’s job or life. Even if on-call, one should avoid answering a call, or even allowing an audible ring, in these public places: bathrooms, hospitals, weddings, funerals, auditoriums, public transportation, movie theaters and elevators are just a few of the locations where cell phone calls should be off limits. It’s polite to keep the phone on vibrate or silent in those settings. If a person absolutely must answer the call, stepping outside or moving to a private location is appropriate.

Speak Softly
Cellphone microphones are sensitive. A person doesn’t need to speak loudly to be heard, even in a loud environment such as the grocery store. Noise canceling ear buds or headsets reduce the need to speak much above a stage whisper, further reducing the need to talk loudly into the phone.

Be Careful with Voice to Text
Voice/Talk to text is a fantastic feature that has made texting faster and reduced the temptation to text and drive. Its use in an office environment should be governed by the same etiquette rules applied to speaking on a cellphone. No one in the office needs to hear the person at the next desk dictating a text regarding shopping lists or after-hour plans.

Don’t Post to Personal Social Accounts
Unless it is your job to alert your company’s followers what you’re eating for lunch, don’t take pictures and post to your personal social accounts around your business colleagues or during business hours. It will be viewed as unprofessional, so save that for when you’re with your friends.

Cellphone use during business hours is typically now part of your job, but a little mobile phone etiquette goes a long way to preserve professionalism.