Cell Phone Etiquette

  If you can say it with a ? or a ?, why not? Less is more, especially with texts, which are meant 2 b short. The great advantages of texting and email are the three e’s: They’re easy, effective and effortless. But the downside of electronic messaging is the lack of nuance. Oftentimes, without…

  Because they are hands-free, speaker phones allow more than two people to take part in a call at the same time, even though this can result in a “tunnel effect”—a kind of echo that distorts the sound of the speakers’ voices. Speakerphones in offices, which can be activated by the push of a button,…

  Does anyone use the telephone anymore? Apparently not, if you’re between the age of 15 and 29. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve tried to leave a message for my 17-year-old niece, only to find her voice mailbox full. When I ask her about it, she says she never checks messages….

  With no disrespect to Steve Jobs, we all need a break from our electronic toys from time to time. Last week, my husband forgot his BlackBerry while on a business trip and did not miss it except for e-mails. It was like the old days: he would just call me from his hotel-room phone….

Every time you make or receive a telephone call, you’re making a lasting impression, so make sure your tone of voice and your manner of speaking are courteous. Answering the Phone for Another Person • If you’re answering someone else’s phone, give that person’s name first, then yours: “Pat Farrell’s office, Lisa Grotts speaking.” Avoid…

  f you want to drink, that’s your business. But as soon as you drink and get behind the wheel of a car, it becomes my business. ~ Candy Lightner Candy Lightner, founder of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) had a huge impact on me when I was growing up in Sacramento, California. Her thirteen-year-old…