Tip of the Week: 4 Ways to Not Annoy Everyone With Your Smartphone

Smartphones have been great for enhanced productivity and accessibility, but they can also result in some rather rude social behavior. While productivity might be on the rise, manners seem to be in decline, thanks to people not knowing how to properly use their smartphones in public. Here are four smartphone etiquette tips that every device owner should abide by.

Keep the Phone Off the Dinner Table
When you sit down to eat, most people expect you to be mentally present and engaged in any conversations. When you can’t take your eyes off your phone, it’s considered rude. Even checking your phone every now and then for notifications is frowned upon.

Solution: Leave your phone alone during dinner. Don’t even put it on the table, as its very presence is likely to be interpreted as disrespectful to someone else at the table.

Fun Facts: A restaurant in Iowa, Sneaky’s Chicken, offers a 10 percent discount for diners who don’t bring their treasured phone to their meal. Also, Bucato, in Los Angeles, has a dedicated “cell-phone section.”

Keep Your Voice Down if You’re in Public
It’s perfectly acceptable to use your phone if you’re in a room with other people, but only if you keep your voice at a manageable level. You know there’s something wrong when other people around you can’t concentrate, or have to talk over you in order to continue a conversation. In this case, poor call connections are often the culprit, and users will resort to talking louder so the person on the other end can hear their voice. Unfortunately, this usually draws the ire of the room, especially when the one on the phone doesn’t realize what they’re doing. This is why it’s always important to be aware of the volume of your voice, which is easier said than done.

Solution: Just step out of the room. It's that easy.

Don’t Use Your Phone at Cash Registers
Using your phone while shopping is okay, but most cashiers don't appreciate you being engaged on the phone while they are ringing you out. You might not be planning on having a lot to talk about with the cashier, but when you continue talking on the phone during checkout, it shows that the cashier isn’t worth your time. Naturally, people don’t like feeling this way, and it makes the cashier feel awkward for interrupting your “important” phone business.

Solution: You could just hang up the phone, but if it’s important, at least take the time to apologize to the cashier ringing you out, and focus as best you can on them. That way, they know they have what little attention you can afford them.

Stop Leaving Long Voicemails
Contrary to popular belief, voicemails are not meant to include every detail of the reason you’re calling. Voicemails should rarely, if ever, exceed one minute in length. Any longer, and voicemails can simply overwhelm people. People often need to scramble to find a pen and paper, and if it’s an especially long message, they’ll have to listen to the whole message again to make sure they didn’t miss anything.

Solution: If you have a lot of information to share, ask the person to call you back. Just leave your name, callback number, and the reason you’re calling -- what every voicemail system asks for -- and nothing more.

Believe it or not, some people are clueless when it comes to being considerate while using their phones. Hopefully, sharing tips like these can make the world just a bit more enjoyable for everyone.

What are some of your tips for helping others be more considerate with mobile devices? Let us know in the comments.

Did you know SMART Services has been sharing helpful tips like these, in print, online and before insurance and business audiences for 25 years? Two of our most popular presentations are 30 Technology Tips in 30 Minutes, and The Latest Gizmos and Gadgets You Need to Know About. Call us at 586-258-0650 for more information.