Working in an office environment can be fun and rewarding but it can also get downright annoying at times.
Imagine your colleague in the cubicle next to you talking about her personal life on speaker phone while filing her nails. Whether it’s personal or business, not adhering to proper speakerphone etiquette can make you lose respect in the workplace.
Here are some commonsense rules about speakerphone etiquette offered by the Huffington Post:
• Before picking up the receiver, make sure you stop any other activity that could distract from the call, such as drinking, chewing gum, or typing. Because speakerphones are hands-free, they allow callers to take part in other activities at the same time, such as sifting through papers pertinent to the discussion or typing on a keyboard. Remember that your caller is likely to hear such noises, and try to give that person your full attention instead.
• Avoid using a speakerphone in an office environment where there is open space such as cubicles. If you can shut the door and not disturb others, this is ideal.
• Always ask the person on the other end of the line if he or she minds being put on the speakerphone. Some people find them annoying and invasive.
• Tell your caller who else can hear the conversation. The last thing you want is to have your caller be surprised to hear the voice of someone he or she didn’t know was on the other end of the conversation.
• Driving while talking on a cell phone with the use of a headset automatically turns the cell phone into a speakerphone inside the vehicle. But since studies have proved that talking on a headset while driving is almost or just as dangerous as talking on a hand-held cell phone, it’s best to not talk on the phone while driving at all. Passengers, of course, can use their phones and headsets as they wish, but should follow all the above guidelines when possible.
Etiquette at the office can actually be very easy to follow if you remember to practice courtesy and be aware of how your actions or behaviour affects others around you. For workplace etiquette classes including telephone etiquette training for your employees contact Corporate Class Inc.
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