Phone etiquette in public and at work
Good phone etiquette comes down to putting the person in front of you first: keep the phone off the table at meals and meetings, step away to take a call, use earbuds for audio in shared spaces, and keep your voice low on public transport. At work, answer with your name, return missed calls within a day, and text before calling unless it is urgent.
About 5 minutes to learnEveryday skill
Mark it once you can do it without this page open.
How to do it
- Put the phone face down, out of sight, at meals, meetings and dates.
- Say you are expecting a call before it comes, and step away to take it.
- Use earbuds for videos, music and speakerphone in shared spaces.
- Keep your voice low on buses, trains and in waiting rooms.
- Answer work calls with your name, and leave voicemails with your name, number and reason.
- Return missed work calls within one working day.
- Text first to ask whether now is a good time for a call, unless it is urgent.
Common mistakes
- Checking the phone in the middle of someone's sentence.
- Taking a speakerphone call in a shared space.
- Leaving a voicemail that says only call me back.
Quick self-check
Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.
Teach this to someone
A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: Phone etiquette in public and at work
What to say
Good phone etiquette comes down to putting the person in front of you first: keep the phone off the table at meals and meetings, step away to take a call, use earbuds for audio in shared spaces, and keep your voice low on public transport. At work, answer with your name, return missed calls within a day, and text before calling unless it is urgent.
What to show, in order
- Put the phone face down, out of sight, at meals, meetings and dates.
- Say you are expecting a call before it comes, and step away to take it.
- Use earbuds for videos, music and speakerphone in shared spaces.
- Keep your voice low on buses, trains and in waiting rooms.
- Answer work calls with your name, and leave voicemails with your name, number and reason.
- Return missed work calls within one working day.
- Text first to ask whether now is a good time for a call, unless it is urgent.
The check question
Ask: Where should your phone be during a meal with someone?
Related skills
- Table manners and which fork to use
- How to write a professional email
- How to be a better listener
- Every skill in People and Etiquette
Last reviewed . First published .