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Speakerphone Etiquette
9

Speakerphone Etiquette

Speakerphone Etiquette

(OP)
I thought I'd take a poll of the etiquette of using the speakerphone in cubicle office spaces.
While I would agree that it can be annoying if used frequently, at high volume, or needlessly, I find that it is useful in some cases. If some folks disagree with me, I'd like to hear their opinions. Who does use it, who doesn't, when it is OK?

If anyone is interested, here is a specific situation when I do use speaker, roughly once a week, even if it could be bothersome to others in neighboring cubicles.

I use speakerphone when I need to call in to a remote office and discuss complicated subjects, especially when others from my office need to listen in and take part in the discussion, and this will often involve using my computer for on-screen demonstration through my software (they will share my screen and see what I'm showing them, and vice-versa). Headphones only help if I'm the only one listening on this end, but often there are 2-3 others beside me taking part. They pull up a chair and we can all chime in when needed.

Obviously, this would be a good use for a boardroom, however the boardrooms at my company are usually booked, and more to the point, the software I need is not installed on the computers in the boardrooms (3D CAD, finite-element analysis, etc.). My other option is to remotely log in to my workstation computer from the boardroom computer. This is painfully slow, both to get set up every time and to use (mouse lag). So I usually gain nothing in computer power when using a boardroom. So, I'm back to speakerphone at my desk.

Some of you may suspect that I have a problem with the IT department of my company - this is true. If I get a couple of good suggestions from the group, I will see about making changes to the equipment we use and how to convince the IT guy that he should waste spend his time doing it.

STF

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Hi,

If you're alone in your cube, I'd say that it is rude to use the speaker, unless you are also alone in the office area.

If you need to include others from your location, then use a conference room phone or a manager's office behind closed doors.

Using a speaker on a phone call with other non-interested parties in the vicinity is downright rude and uncaring of your colleagues!

Skip,

glassesJust traded in my OLD subtlety...
for a NUance!tongue

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Group settings are acceptable to me, as are (rare) times when you need both hands free (such as helping debug a circuit remotely). While I'm not a fan of group meetings in a cube, I would begrudgingly accept one knowing the limitations of software install locations and tied up meeting rooms.

Sounds like you have a reasonable grasp on their "proper" use. If you want the IT guy to fix things, you'll likely have to convince management the current behavior is interrupting the usual workflow of others and costing the company money. This will be a very hand-wavy proposition, so make sure it waves heavily in your favor.

Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

In my opinion i would consider you to be a rude person if you used speakerphone in an open office - unless everybody was a part of the teleconference! Get a meeting room or use a headset. If other persons in the same office wants to listen in they can dial into the meeting too using their own headsets. I even think prsons having long phone conversations with headsets or "normal" phones are annoying and wish they would go somewhere else - but once in while you start a phoneconversation that drags out...

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I find it annoying. A guy in my office does so routinely; even 20 meters away, one can clearly hear both sides of the conversation. He is a rude and annoying person, with limited intelligence, and cannot take the hint. It is amusing at times, though, like listening to him try to grasp basic engineering principles, or the time he got his less than stellar performance review over the phone.

If, in your case, you need to use the speakerphone in a group setting:

1. Keep the phone volume to a reasonable, minimal level
2. Keep your voice and those of your peers in the cubicle to a minimum
3. Keep the meeting to as short as possible
4. Ask if you can acquire a white noise generator to somewhat alleviate the situation for your co-workers
5. Make speakerphone use the exception, rather than the rule
6. Stay on topic. Its one thing to discuss work over the speaker phone, but your neighbors don't want to hear about your plans for the weekend.
7. Ask those not talking to mute their phone. Dog's barking, a bad connection, noise in the background, etc. add to the frustration

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Perhaps you need to see if one of these works https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-MixIt-Rockstar-Spl...

For me, use of a speakerphone in a "open" or even cubicle office is one of lifes no no's. A bit like going out with your friends ex girlfriend. Yes it happens, no it's not illegal BUT....

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

About the only time I use it is when something has hit the fan and I'm working on the problem with someone in my office, and get a phone call about same.


P.S. I have a rule to add: ask if you're on speaker before you start cursing.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I find speakerphones to be very annoying and distracting. Most companies have conference rooms for this.

Chris, CSWP
SolidWorks '16
ctophers home
SolidWorks Legion

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I haven't had to work in a cubicle for 20 years, I guess I'm lucky. I do use speakerphone sometimes when I have to move around my office, looking at drawings, using the whiteboard to sort something out, and using a computer, to answer questions over the phone.

I understand the concept, but I think doing the same in a cubicle would be hard on your co-residents in the cubicle farm,

And always tell the other party that you're on speakerphone, and list those who are with you or join you in your space.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

SparWeb - while I see you've tried to find alternatives and are stymied by your IT infrastructure I don't like what you're doing.

People using speaker phones in their cubes where I can hear them tends to be disruptive - even with head phones on and music playing. Oh - and I used to have noise cancelling headphones but they didn't work well cancelling speaking or similar 'variable' sounds. So when I got new headphones I didn't bother with noise cancelling.

I never use speaker phone by myself, a few time I've had someone in my cube from another dept that wants to call someone and have both of use talk in which case I've used it but try to keep the call short as possible - and don't like it.

Posting guidelines FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm? (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

By the way, regarding any ideas to keep the calls short etc. - sadly the damage may already be done by the initial interruption. I've seen/heard several articles/stories etc. about how after an interruption it can take 15-25 minute on average to get back to the level of concentration you had on a task before being interrupted. A quick Google search brings up a bunch of results along these lines.

Posting guidelines FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm? (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

How about a long phone cord? Wouldn't that allow you to wander about your cubicle? They're what, $5 if you go for something exotic.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I think the OP is doing everything right. I too prefer a conference room for these types of meetings but have worked for companies where more often than not those rooms are occupied. Use speaker phone in a cubicle as a last resort. Hopefully it's rare that you do this and your coworkers are in the same boat you are so they most likely understand.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Dan - is that you?

I told you before, I do not care to listen to you calls, I have my own work to do without you dominating any sense of peace. Find an empty office/conference room I don't care. It is not my problem if believe everyone around you needs to hear how important you think you are.

Please - see the secretary get a head set, or schedule a conference room.

If this is Tim sorry Dan.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

(OP)
Thank you, everyone!

As I suspected, there is about 90% dislike among those who responded. In my office, it's really becoming the norm (I'm not the only one) but this is sounding more like settling down to the lowest standard of office etiquette - especially for those who suffer in silence. Most people in the office are now doing this, but now I'm thinking the ones who don't, just know they're in the minority so they don't say anything.

Forgive me - I was born with a pretty thick skin, and the work environments of my first 15 years have been much noisier than this one. I'm used to noise. It's not fair to expect this of everyone, of course. The only way I can find out, though, is by reading off-hand comments about it on Eng-Tips since nobody mentions anything at work. Another reason for me to read these forums!

What I really need to do is encourage "cultural" change to raise the standard of consideration, for everyone's sake. OK I'll try to set an example, make the effort to fix the boardroom computers, and get headsets that can be plugged into everyone's telephones. Just having all the phones set up properly would probably cut the abuse in half.

STF

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I'm a little less strongly opposed to it. I think only frequent abusers should be publicly flogged. The occasional instance is to be understood, and if a coworker does it /rarely/ I would afford them the benefit of the doubt that it was necessary for reasons possibly not apparent (headphones broke, needs both hands for computer/other things, etc)

We have but one conference room here, and sometimes a closed-door office is unavailable - especially when the call doesn't include a participant with a closed-door office.

I went from being in an office alone with a door I could close, to a group setting with 3 others recently. It was in the interest of "increasing collaboration, and better utilizing our specialized talents to better the group performance". (the other two are estimators/sales, and the third is a prjoect manager/estimator) Given the large amount of communication the others need, I had to get used to it.

I got some cordless bluetooth earphones. For the first long while, I had them in all the time. Now I rarely "plug in" to silence my surroundings. I also work attached to a manufacturing shop so I may be more accustomed to noise during work.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

If you overhear a conversation that seems like it shouldn't be on speaker, it means they must want your input. So feel free to chime in by yelling over the cube wall.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

You don't need speaker phone to produce lot of noise.

I worked once in the office building converted from warehouse. The managers and salespeople were given "private" drywalled enclosures with doors but without ceilings.

You have no idea how loud person can be if he / she thinks nobody can hear the conversation.

"For every expert there is an equal and opposite expert"
Arthur C. Clarke Profiles of the future

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Its never ok, find an empty conference room.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I've been in this small firm of seven employees for 20 years. Other than the boss who has his own office, we are in open cubes.

I'm grateful that (2) of the original employees (when i came on board) are now gone, only for the fact that the first thing they did every morning was turn on the overhead radio that we all had to involuntarily listen to. Now that they're gone, the overhead does not come on.

Apparently, in my office, i've been conditioned to what we've been doing for the past twenty years. We have phone conversations with clients throughout the entire day, that everyone in the office can hear. If two or more of us need to speak to the contractor, we simply put it on speaker-phone, as is necessary, we have our conversation, conduct business, and we all move on with our work. Why is this a problem? Nobody (in our office) is doing anything malicious!

We DO have a small and large conference room available, but, why uproot all of our plans, construction documents, etc, and pull away from our computers where much more of the critical information usually is?

Apparently my office environment is much different than most.

Do any of you listen to radios while working? How much of that language is related to your job?

Please forgive me - i don't mean to be critical, but, i apparently work in a much more tolerable and peaceable office environment where people are content. Open speaker-phone conversations have never been considered a problem.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

If I were doing monkey work, some conversations going on would not be a problem. But when I'm working on a design or anything that takes consentration and thought, those same voices would be a deep distraction.

Maybe folks in your area just aren't doing much creative work.

Skip,

glassesJust traded in my OLD subtlety...
for a NUance!tongue

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

BSVBD -
If a coworker asked you to refrain from using the speaker phone in an "open area" and/or turn the volume down - would you give your coworker the same "I have been doing this for 20 years - deal with it" response?

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I do think it's a little funny that BSVBD had a problem with 2 former employees turning on the radio, but doesn't see a problem with using a speaker phone. Either item is being discourteous to your fellow employees by forcing them to listen to what you want to hear. In most cases, technology has advanced to minimize our impacts to others (e.g., headphones for radios, 3-way calling or networking of computers instead of using the speakerphone in the middle of the office). Why is "common" courtesy so uncommon anymore?

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Three words 'Skype for Business'.

Has the advantage of allowing conference calls where everyone can stay at their own PCs and the meeting leader can either present their screen to everyone or allow any one of the participants to take control to point out a problem. It also means if someone needs to consult reference material they can search their hard copy library or their hard-drive without leaving the call and missing out on any of the conversation - then share their screen if they need to refer to a .pdf or .dwg. Can also allow conference calls the old-fashioned way with one group in a meeting room with a speakerphone and the rest all over the shop.

Has the disadvantage of making an engineering office look like a call centre. And some people just do not like headsets.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Skip, monkeydog, zelgar...

I didn't mean to cause strife...

All i meant to express is that in our (small) office, everyone uses speakerphone, only in rare cases when more than (2) people need to be part of the conversation, as it seems to be the most expeditious procedure, especially when the boss initiates it.

Since we all use speakerphone, nobody would ask another to refrain or turn the volume down, and solving a problem with a client is not what i would voluntarily "want to hear".

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

BSVBD,

No strife here, my company is larger then 20 people, my office area is close to 15 people. Most people in my office are on some sort of conference call at some point in the day, most people in the office are courteous enough to their coworkers as to not pollute the office with that noise pollution.

I don't have to deal with everyone in the office using speaker phones when a conference call-in number works well.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I detest the use of speakerphones in open/public spaces. Unfortunately at my current company as well as my last company everyone is in love with their speakerphone and are more concerned with their convenience than others. I view these people as arrogant and rude and with very few exceptions I learn that that is exactly what they are.

Any speakerphone conversations belong behind closed doors with everyone involved in the call aware of who is attending.

Just my two cents.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Honestly it depends on your cube space. Most of ours are laid out in a way that the sound won't travel to your neighbor. That doesn't stop them from giving us the nice wireless headsets though, which make it easier to multitask since you can actually step away from your desk to some degree.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Perhaps equip each cubicle with a "Cone of Silence"?

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I put my desk phone on speaker when I have someone else with me. I advise the other caller "I'm putting you on speaker - I have (xx) here with me". Then I ensure everyone is able to hear each other clearly without making too much fuss. This is occasional (weekly at most) and impromptu. For any planned call I find a conference room or empty office and make it professional.

It is definitely rude to handle a call with a handsfree device just so that you can multi-task. Especially if the caller is your customer. I guess if my customer is doing it, I have to no place to be offended, but if I'm not able to hear them I might politely insist on adjustments to ensure we have zero miscommunication.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

It seems to me that a speakerphone conversation is akin to a face-to-face conversation. Is the latter annoying to some of you as well?

Or is the volume of phone conversations so much larger than face-to-face ones that it is the shear quantity, rather than the type, of overheard communication?

I would even say a phone conversation where you can hear both parties is better than one where you can hear only one of them - you don't have to try and work out what the other person must have said to elicit a given response.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

"It seems to me that a speakerphone conversation is akin to a face-to-face conversation. Is the latter annoying to some of you as well? "

Can be, some peoples voices are at volumes/pitches where they are more distracting than others. Or some discussions may be easier/harder to ignore for other reasons too.

In cube farms with high walls and good sound absorption sitting down in the cube reduces sound quite a bit, but often conversations have at least one participant standing which negates this. Low walls or truly open office you don't even get this respite.

Speakerphone with the volume turned well down may be OK but there are still issues:

1. The person in the office will typically speak louder with crisper diction when using the speaker phone - not sure if this is actually necessary all the time or if it's psychological concern over the microphone being further away than when you hold the phone in your hand. However, makes them more intrusive than when they are just on regular phone a lot of the time.
2. On true conference calls the volumes of different callers can vary - speakerphone has to be turned up so the quietest/poorest line quality participant can be heard.

Posting guidelines FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm? (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I can see both sides on this one, and can argue for and against both sides on this one. We have an open office plan with cubicles here as well, and there are a few people that routinely use speakerphones for meetings.

Sometimes, that can be justified, like multiple people around the desk where that specific software is installed. Solves computer performance issues over remote connections, leaves all necessary related documents close at hand, etc. Other times, it is a single person here on the call, and that is when I believe that it crosses over the line into unnecessary distraction, etc. (Unless there is a valid reason, like needing two hands to manipulate a sample that was sent, and is a subject in the call, etc.

I know it can be unavoidable if the conference room is booked, and multiple people have to be involved in a conversation, so at those times, grin and deal with it. I know everyone could simple dial in from their phones, but spread through the office, it's tougher to see if someone picks up a drawing and points to something.

When it is all said and done, strictly in-house, in an open office setting, I err on the side of no speakerphone conversations, unless there is a specific reason to do so. That said.... with respect to the party on the other end of the phone, I believe that it can be quite insulting to put them on speaker so you can keep on working, especially if it is something unrelated. Basically telling them they're not worth your full attention. Even if it is a conversation that is related to the job, but not your scope, so it really doesn't involve you, never want to give the client the impression that they're unimportant, or less important. Bad form.

As an aside... my favorite.... when someone in one of the edge offices talks to someone else in another one of the edge offices... BOTH on speaker... both loud talkers. I get to hear the conversation 3 times, at least. Once when they say it, slight delay coming through the other end, and a third when it echoes off the walls in the open area. That's assuming that the mic in office 1 doesn't pick up the speakerphone in office 2, for what office 1 just said.... then that gets to be unrelenting feedback that makes you want to start cutting phone cords. When this occurs, I can see no valid reason for it. If it's necessary for the speakerphone, close the office doors. If it's not necessary, don't do it.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I used to have a project manager who would (loudly) talk on his cell phone to customers while walking up and down the main hall of the building (even though he had a nice office). My teams office space was across the hall from his office so he would regularly stand next to our cube farm door and talk on his phone.

He would even talk while in a stall in the restroom.

It was RIDICULOUS as well as rude to everyone in the building and in my mind to the customers he would talk to on the phone.

I dont mind my coworkers having private conversations, but it can get rather annoying depending on the common sense level of the person having the conversation.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

2
Guys / Gals / Engineers / Team…

I CAN see SOME aspects of BOTH sides of this discussion.

I have MY opinions… You have YOUR opinions… We are ALL different… So are “THEY”… We ALL have to work TOGETHER.

I understand the challenge.

I’m in a small office. Some of you are in large cube farms. As much as I may be able to sympathize and imagine, I CANNOT empathize with the cube farm.

I work with reasonable people. I work in the luxury that all seven of us ARE on the same page.

Giving the benefit of the doubt, and considering that EVERY participant in this discussion is a reasonable person, and EVERY individual that we are speaking about, that are causing these speakerphone offenses (myself included), to varying degrees of intolerance, are NOT reasonable persons, perhaps even intentionally proud, arrogant, disrespectful, agitators, agent provocateurs… I DO perceive that the participants of this thread ARE experiencing a greater degree of stress / disturbance / annoyance / disrespect / etc… than what I am exposed to, in this area of speakerphone-abuse.

We ALL experience stress. I DO understand what a 60, 70 and 80-hour work week is like. I experience stress, unfairness, imbalance, fatigue, unreasonable people (and they experience me) etc… I DO experience workplace conflicts and unreasonable people... and they experience me.

What concerns me is that this alleged speakerphone-abuse is causing needless mental and emotional stress, grief, pain, trauma…

EVERY… ONE… of you are comrades for an indispensable cause at your workplace. NONE of you needs this pain!

There are FAR MORE weightier matters to be distressed over.

If “they” annoy you… if they cause pain… if you are disturbed because of them… THEY WIN!!!

OVERCOME!!! YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!

If you feel the abuse MUST be stopped… do something about it.

If doing something about it will cause MORE hardship (ONLY by “THEM” – I understand!), then you have a decision to make. One month from now, if the abuse continues and you see no resolve, is it worth clinging to the anguish?

We each have a choice… if it continues and there is no apparent resolution to your preference… smile… or frown… the choice is yours. Have a good day or have a bad day. “They” cannot control that! (If they CAN, there is certainly something more than speakerphone abuse at hand.)

You ALL have a job to do… be content… or complain and be miserable…

The choice is yours… HAVE a GREAT weekend… relax…

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

IRstuff -
I like it when the next stall over is on the cell phone.
I take it as a personal challenge to outdo myself with as loud of a bodily noises as I can.flush

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Sorry, I cannot be content when I'm attempting to do my work and some person persists to disrupt others with no regard for their work environment. How can anyone be content with not being able to perform at their best level because of some rude colleague?

Of course there are thing one can do under these conditions. I've scooped up my laptop and headed for a quiet place, for one. That's not the issue.


Skip,

glassesJust traded in my OLD subtlety...
for a NUance!tongue

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Who would even install a speakerphone in cubicle?

Offices (with doors) and Conference Rooms (with doors) have speakerphones; Cubicles (open) just don't. It's one of those common sense rules that you don't even notice, until it's broken.

It's a failure of Facility Management or I.T. or whoever installed it.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

VE1BLL Every single phone in our office has the speakerphone. I didn't realize some offices regulated it.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Where I work, it was a mixed bag.
About 7-10 years ago, all speakerphones were removed from the cube farms, only allowing offices with doors to have a speaker phone.
That was a good change.
Now if we can train the office dwellers to close their door when on the speaker phone ... no one else in the office, just the offender - loud talker with the speaker on loud.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

monkeydog - I used to get up and go and close the door. Cue puzzled office dweller emerging after his call to ask " Was that too loud", to be met by the answer - YES.

In many offices even that doesn't always work as the ceiling void is very thin and office partitions only go so far up to the ceiling tiles.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I do agree with the general anti-speakerphone responses but I do find the variety of "sensitivity" to be interesting.

I think the context of the workplace is the main driver. If working in laboratory conditions, or windowless cube farms with nothing louder than a copy machine... phone speech can be quite disturbing, I suppose.

There's quite a lot in the engineering world that isn't in such "sterile" conditions, where such sensitivity would be laughable. I'm somewhere in-between the two extremes these days, but I do find the dichotomy amusing. The more sensitive folk seem to purport this should be an obvious law of simple human courtesy. I do not think most responses were written with consideration of the diversity of the audience on this site. The diversity is one thing I value for this forum.

Sorry, not really a productive response, but more of a Monday morning observation.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

<slightly off topic>
soapbox
I'm appalled by phone etiquette in general especially when it relates to mobile phones. Like conversations in restroom stalls, a phone call in a public setting many times elicits an immediate response with a vocal volume that seems to ignore the people in close proximity. I realize that this thread is focused on the office, but the culture at large seems to have placed phone conversations in public as a right without abridgment.
soapbox
</slightly off topic>

Skip,

glassesJust traded in my OLD subtlety...
for a NUance!tongue

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

People don't know exactly how loud they are, so give them a way to measure it. Use a decibel meter or record them. Call it a Team Building exercise. Ha! Have everyone do it so no one is singled out.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Consider using a throat microphone and convincing people to lower their voices significantly.

Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I just remembered seeing a device a few years ago that records sound and plays it back louder, with a short delay. It confuses people so they stop talking or lower their voice. If you set it up right they may just think it's feedback from the speakerphone and either turn it down or pick up the receiver.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

@1gibson, what a tease. You gotta come up with the product name that broadcasts as such.

Skip,

glassesJust traded in my OLD subtlety...
for a NUance!tongue

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

"SpeechJammer"

A few articles from 2012, not really anything since based on a quick search.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

'Instant Karma Machine', for noisy neighbors. Repeats loud sounds back at them three times. There are several versions described on YouTube.

--

Some of our colleagues are infamous for loud-talking into their speakerphone (from their office, with the door open). If they called someone nearby, it caused an interesting stereo delay effect. One could cover up one's handset mic and yell the answer back through the air, to embed a not-so-subtle point about speakerphone etiquette into the response.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

My first real job involved sweeping floors, holding a survey rod, and minor drafting for a civil engineer, whose office was in the basement of a 16th century church. The drafting area was in the open space on the floor above where pews had been once upon a time. Think large-ish wooden structure, sturdy but squeaky.

The first rule I had to learn was that when The Boss was present, everyone spoke in a very low voice, and avoided moving furniture or making any sort of noise. ... which was a real shame because the chief drafter whistled beautifully, and would fill the whole place with glorious sound when The Boss was out.

The Boss also spoke loudly enough on the phone so that most of his conversations were easily heard anywhere in the building. Of course nothing else happened while he was on the phone, but it was his phone, and his building...





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Quote (VE1BLL)

"Some of our colleagues are infamous for loud-talking into their speakerphone (from their office, with the door open). If they called someone nearby, it caused an interesting stereo delay effect."

That is the WORST!

At a previous job, I was in a building with the mechanical team on one side and the electrical team on the other side. Well we had our manager in the corner, and they had their manager in the opposite corner.

The "interesting stereo delay" happened regularly as both would call in to the same conference call and of course be on speakerphone with the door open....

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

I would get a head set with a microphone that plugs into your phone. Working in cubes over years I use music with earphones to keep the background noise down from everyone.

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

(OP)
I didn't think this thread would live this long.

Now I have a peeve of my own. Noisy people!

This morning we were all in a boardroom using speakerphone politely the way you're supposed to for a conference call, four others on the other line...
Then the senior engineer started taking something apart right beside the phone. The device was the subject of the discussion, but I could tell that the folks on the other end didn't appreciate the noise and the clattering of parts on his desk. I reached over to set it aside so that our guests could hear what the others were saying, but he was determined to test fit the cover in his hands over and over and over and over...

How can people not know that they are making noise??!?!?
Hasn't everyone been subjected to the crying baby in the movie theater, the phone call from the night club, the conversation with 4 people talking all at once?

I can't imagine how I would explain this to someone without insulting their intelligence.

STF

RE: Speakerphone Etiquette

Engineers are great at ignoring all else once they have a problem in their hands... I wouldn't think it rude if someone quietly called my attention to my disassembly process.

Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

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