Speaker phone capabilities can be a good thing and a bad thing. How many times have we heard other people’s conversation in a public area? I’m still in shock to this day of a conversation that I heard walking around a dollar store.
The lady receiving the call immediately placed it on speakerphone while navigating the aisles with one hand on the cart and the other holding the phone. The party that placed the call was talking freely about her upcoming divorce and child custody issues. I know my face showed utter shock with my lower jaw dropped and all. Mind you, this call went on for about ten minutes before I couldn’t stand it.
Yes, I interjected. As politely as I could, I spoke up and stated, “You’re on speaker phone!” Then, there was silence. After a few moments, the question was asked to the receiving party of that call – Was I on speakerphone this whole time? The lady gasped, took the phone off speaker and scurried away.
For the love of goodness, please don’t do this to anyone. With that said, here are a few suggestions when thinking of putting a phone call on speakerphone.
Distractions
I try to take pride to make sure that I am in a place to fully focus on the call and give my undivided attention to the person at the time of the call. If you are in a place with loud background noises and you are unable to focus, please don’t pick up and just reschedule to return the phone call at a later date and time.
Notice
Just like the situation that I just described, it is so important to ask the party if you can put them on speaker phone. This notification will eliminate any awkward and embarrassing moments. No one wants to hear about someone being in the room after discussing another situation or person that is personal and private to them and to the party participating on the phone call.
Public Places
The most important rule of etiquette is make sure you go to a private area. I can guarantee that most people do not want to participate on your call.