Using the Transportable Vodafone VT1, Michael Harrison telephoned his father – Vodafone's first chairman – on 1 January, 1985.

This was the very first call in the UK made on a mobile! The carphone weighed 5kg (11lbs) and in today's money cost around £4,500. Ten hours of charging would provide half an hour of talk time. http://news.sky.com/story/1400466/30-years-since-first-uk-mobile-phone-call

But 30 years later, whilst most mobile users think they have good manners and mobile etiquette, some people report being irritated by the use of phones in public places. There’s a lack of understanding of what’s acceptable in terms of mobile etiquette. This can vary by culture, but there are still some common rules of etiquette for their use.

The convenience of mobiles means we can talk anytime and anywhere, but there’s still an art to using the phone properly in a professional setting.

Below, I outline 5 top phone etiquette tips for all business professionals. OK, now I know that at first glance they make look quite basic, but just sometimes it’s worth reminding ourselves of the basic principles, if not for ourselves then for colleagues and other members of staff, especially if a company has policies about the use of mobiles in the workplace.

1. Answering

When answering your phone, use a proper greeting and announce your full name.

Using your first name alone, can sound too informal for every professional call and using only your last name can sound too abrupt, The best thing to say is, ‘This is Jane Smith speaking” or “Good morning, John Jones.”

2. Meetings and Meals

People in the flesh deserve more attention than a gadget, so wherever possible, turn off your phone in social situations.

At a meeting or maybe during a meal, if you answer that incoming call, you’re basically telling the people that you are with that someone else is more deserving of your time than they are.

If you’re expecting an important phone call during a meeting and there’s no way that you can reschedule it, then make sure you forewarn the person with whom you are meeting ahead of time.

This isn’t the best scenario, but if it does happen, you can politely say, “I have to answer this call” and briefly explain why before taking it. Then apologies and move away to take the call, but don’t stay any longer than you would for a bathroom break.

If possible, keep a 10-foot (3 metre) distance between you and someone else whenever you talk on your phone. Most people won’t want to hear what you are talking about!

3. Speaker Phone

If you must put someone on speaker, then good etiquette suggests that you immediately let the called know if someone else is in the room (or car) with you.

There are many horror stories of callers not being told and then criticising someone in the room.

4. Leaving voicemails

Don’t leave long-winded and rambling voicemails.

Saving time is one of the major reasons people give for not listening to their messages. Make your message brief and straight-forward. Say what you have to say, succinctly. Speak clearly and let the person know why you called.

And if you leave your number, say the numbers slowly. It drives people crazy when they have to replay the message numerous times to ensure they get the right numbers.

In a survey by eVoice, only 33% of people actually listen to voicemail from their business contacts, (only 18% listen to voicemail from numbers they don’t recognise).

So it’s probably better to forget leaving a message and simply call them back another time – this puts you in a proactive rather than reactive role.

5. Think about where you make or receive a call

Don’t make calls to people from inappropriate venues!

Sorry, but a call from a bathroom is VERY off-putting! Switch off your phone, or turn it onto vibrate when you are going into meetings, cinemas, theatres and so on.

Only make or take calls in a car using a hands free head set.

Don’t make waiting staff wait! When it’s your turn in a queue or time to order food at the table, it’s polite to make yourself available to the assistant or waiter. Making waiters or other customers wait for you to finish a personal phone call is never acceptable. If the call is important, step away from the table or get out of the queue.

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