Cell phone etiquette (or not)

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

Everyone certainly knows how to belabor the point here.

Mel...it's within your rights and opinions not to own one! And I respect that! Period.

[anapuni808]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

Since this is a thread about "cell phone etiquette (or not)", and since Mel doesn't own a cell phone - maybe we could all (myself included) leave him out of our comments from now on? We seem to have drifted way off topic - from etiquette to ownership.

So, back to the topic: I have a serious problem with the folks on the bus who insist on having their very personal conversations right next to my ear! or the other ones who get on the bus with their phone to their ear and just never shut up.

I overheard a conversation one day between 2 young men on the bus that went like this:

#1 - can I borrow your cell phone?
#2 - where is yours?

#1 - I left it at home because it rings too often

Didn't he realize that you can actually turn the dang things off?

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

When I'm talking to someone (in person) and their phone rings then they answer it without even excusing themselves, I just walk away without a heartbeat.

Yesterday I was in the Prince Kuhio Plaza here in Hilo trying to buy another bluetooth headset to replace the one I lost. I asked the girl at the mall kiosk about the ones on display. Right then her cell phone rang and she answered it and began a conversation about movies. I immediately turned and walked to the Verizon Wireless kiosk about 15-feet away and began looking at their bluetooth headsets. When she motioned me to come back I ignored her and bought another headset from the Verizon people. When I was done I told her she needed to understand one thing, when a customer is engaged in a sale, not even her cell phone should have interrupted it. She lost a sale and customer forever.

[tutusue]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

When I'm talking to someone (in person) and their phone rings then they answer it without even excusing themselves, I just walk away without a heartbeat. [...]

In the good ol' days of landlines only, esp. pre-answering machines, answering the phone when it rang was s.o.p., regardless of who was talking to whom! I don't remember that being considered bad etiquette. I had school friends whose parents banned answering the phone during dinner which I understand. Otherwise, phone rang, phone got answered.

I've been in many a check-out line where that particular cashier also had phone answering duty. I don't recall that being considered rude.

Craig, my problem with the girl in the kiosk is not that she answered the phone (either cell or land line) but that it was a personal call and she didn't immediately tell the other person she'd call back later. But, if it was her personal cell phone and she answered it with a customer in front of her, shame on her! Answering a business phone during business hours in the presence of a customer has always been acceptable, iirc!

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

Since this is a thread about "cell phone etiquette (or not)", and since Mel doesn't own a cell phone - maybe we could all (myself included) leave him out of our comments from now on? We seem to have drifted way off topic - from etiquette to ownership.

Well, to be fair ... he's the one who took us there, in the second post. But whether he realizes it or not, we're cool with him not owning one. I was in that camp for a long time myself, then circumstances made it preferable for me to get one (mostly being in various studios without phone lines).

POSSIBLY BECAUSE I lived without one for such a long time (note that I am steering slowly back towards the topic here), I like to think that I am conscientious about the circumstances under which I use it - aware of whether or not it's a distraction to others, never having it on when I drive, etc.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

Answering a business phone during business hours in the presence of a customer has always been acceptable, iirc!

Totallly acceptable even for me. When I worked at Home Depot and an inside call rang, I would take the call but immediately excused myself from the conversation with the customer. Then I would tell the caller (usually my boss) that I'm with a customer. My boss would typically tell me to call him back later. Then I'd apologize for the interruption and continue helping the customer. Sometimes I simply wouldn't answer the phone because I knew it was an inside call pissing off my boss but he knows the drill. Customers first!

But this gal at the kiosk was totally out of line in this case and that's why my patience was ZERO for her.

[tutusue]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

[...]
But this gal at the kiosk was totally out of line in this case and that's why my patience was ZERO for her.

I don't disagree with you. It sounds like "kiosk gal" is young and inexperienced. You, otoh, are older and wiser! Hopefully your defection to another store taught her a lesson. Probably not, tho'.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

I don't disagree with you. It sounds like "kiosk gal" is young and inexperienced. You, otoh, are older and wiser! Hopefully your defection to another store taught her a lesson. Probably not, tho'.

yeah she probably thought she was doing me a favor or something like that

[mel]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Cell phone etiquette (or not)

I didn't know Vodaphone sold Apples