Modern etiquette plays a crucial part in our lives these days. With little tips and tricks about what’s polite and what’s not, you can turn your manners to those of a Queen. To show the lady in you, etiquette should be an essential part of every part of your day.
Let’s start with your number one companion. Yes, your cell phone. These days, it’s impossible to escape the near-constant presence of cell-phone in our daily lives.
“Never take the phone out of someone’s hand when they’re trying to show you a photo.”
The sixteen Dos and Don’ts of cell-phone etiquette:
- Don’t call someone after they text you. If we wanted to talk to you, we wouldn’t have texted.
- If the line drops, it is the receiver of the call that should call back.
- Never take the phone out of someone’s hand when they’re trying to show you a photo. No matter how close the person is.
- Avoid talking about personal or confidential topics in a public place (Bathroom, transportation, etc…). That’s mostly because the people around you do not want to hear your personal stories. This includes domestic yelling, no matter how important it feels to you at the time.
- Your ringtone represents your image. You need to consider what you use as a ringtone.
- Call waiting etiquette, the most polite option is to remain with your first conversation and ignore the call waiting. If you must take the second call then quickly explain to them that you’re already on a call and will phone them as soon as you are finished.
- Speaker phone etiquette. Rule one: you have to let the caller know that you’re using a speaker phone and that you might be around other people.
- Never place your phone on the table while you have a meal, it is considered rude. This is another way of showing the person you’re with that they’re not worth your time. Keep it in your purse or pocket.
- In business, avoid using over familiar words when calling your colleagues, even if you know them on a personal level. (i.e. Hello darling, honey…etc).
- If you do need to take a call when in the company of others, then it is polite to alert them before you start the meeting and excuse yourself when the call arrives.
- Don’t yell or even raise your voice on a call, even if the background is loud. As the rest of us don’t want to hear your call from 20 miles away. You can call back some other time to listen clearly.
- Never record a call without asking permission. Not only is that rude, but also illegal.
- Never answer the phone with a bad impolite attitude by using non-word sounds like sighs or heavy breathing. If you are not in the mood or angry don’t pick up the phone. Once you have answered, you should act nicely and politely.
- Never ever answer another person’s mobile phone or touch other people’s phones.
- Never call after midnight or before 9AM. Your close friends are excluded.
- Don’t call more than twice, that’s more than enough. If they’re not answering, then something else is probably preventing them from doing so, this will not change by you calling over and over.
Dina El Selmy is a modern and business etiquette blogger and author, and holder of pharmaceutical science degree. Dina works as a freelance writer, writing articles about the modern aspects of etiquette and women’s health.
Check her Instagram profile for more etiquette tips @Dinaelselmy