Mobile phones in shared offices

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liaconn

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Anyone else think there should be a rule in offices that mobile phones in a shared room have to be kept on a low, discreet ringtone. If I'm trying to work I don't want to be regularly listening to blasts of Lady GaGa from someone's desk (who has probably gone off somewhere so can't even answer the damn thing).
 
Liaconn,

I'm starting to think you work in the same building, maybe even the same floor as me!! Not only do we have annoyingly loud ringtones, we also have even louder personal phone conversations.
 
Do you also have people listening to phone messages on speaker, or music on their PCs?

And yes, I agree about the loud personal phone conversations. Some people just think their lives are so interesting they must share them with everyone else.
 
Many years ago, in the days of mobile phones that resembled bricks, I left mine on my desk, not on silent, and it rang (a perfectly ordinary ring ring - in the days before personalised ring tones) and when I got back to my desk, my phone was in a sealed envelope, switched off, with a note saying 'People are trying to work'.

A quick stop to my gallop I tells ya!
 
liaconn said:
.. music on their PCs?
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Seriously :eek: ?

What's so wrong about confronting the individual(s) and asking them to do it differently, e.g. change their phone profile to "Office" when in work, take their personal calls away from the desk ? If someone was behaving in a different anti-social way (e.g. burping out loud), no-one would think twice about challenging them.

If you have a House Committee, maybe get them to issue a Dos and Don'ts for the work environment ?

Where I work you wouldnt get away with that sort of behavious for long'.
 
TarfHead said:
Seriously :eek: ?

What's so wrong about confronting the individual(s) and asking them to do it differently, e.g. change their phone profile to "Office" when in work, take their personal calls away from the desk ? If someone was behaving in a different anti-social way (e.g. burping out loud), no-one would think twice about challenging them.

If you have a House Committee, maybe get them to issue a Dos and Don'ts for the work environment ?

Where I work you wouldnt get away with that sort of behavious for long'.
Click to expand...

I did once ask someone if they'd turn off the music as I was trying to write a report. You'd think I'd asked them to jump out the window or something. Some people genuinely just don't 'get' it and see nothing wrong with imposing their music, phone conversations and taste in raucous ring tones on everyone else. What is really needed is an agreed set of rules issued by management.
 
mandelbrot said:
Simple solution - ipod/mp3 player.
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Or just use a bit of manners and cop on. You would think that adults in a workplace wouldn't need to be told to turn off music when people are trying to work and to keep their mobile phones on a quiet ringtone.
 
liaconn said:
Or just use a bit of manners and cop on. You would think that adults in a workplace wouldn't need to be told to turn off music when people are trying to work and to keep their mobile phones on a quiet ringtone.
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I meant an ipod for yourself, not necessarily them!!

TBH phone ringtones wouldn't bother me at all; to me it's no different than the phone on anyone's desk ringing - slightly annoying if the thing rings out, but no biggy.

Having music (especially radio with talking & ads etc) loud enough that it's affecting other people, is pretty inconsiderate alright - I've never worked anywhere where that would be acceptable though... or at least no-one I've ever worked with has had the neck to do it and see if they get away with it!
 
mandelbrot said:
Having music (especially radio with talking & ads etc) loud enough that it's affecting other people, is pretty inconsiderate alright - I've never worked anywhere where that would be acceptable though... or at least no-one I've ever worked with has had the neck to do it and see if they get away with it!
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Yeah there was one guy in the last place who used to do it but only in the mornings before the boss came in. Very annoying tbh. Same guy used to make and take work related calls on speaker and was one of those who would sort of schmooze the person on the phone, and tell show offy stories about his prowess at the job. So not only would you have to listen to his side of the call but the other one too!
 
mandelbrot said:
I meant an ipod for yourself, not necessarily them!!

TBH phone ringtones wouldn't bother me at all; to me it's no different than the phone on anyone's desk ringing - slightly annoying if the thing rings out, but no biggy.

Having music (especially radio with talking & ads etc) loud enough that it's affecting other people, is pretty inconsiderate alright - I've never worked anywhere where that would be acceptable though... or at least no-one I've ever worked with has had the neck to do it and see if they get away with it!
Click to expand...

Oh right, misunderstood you.

Most office phones are set to a fairly low non intrusive ringing sound. But some idiots have their mobiles set to blast out loud, wailing, screeching 'music'. Said phones seem to go off at least 2-3 times an hour and it's really, really irritating.
 
Aaaaaaargh! Radios in offices!!! I used to have a client who always hads radio on in her office but quite loud. She'd ring for something and I wouldn't be able to understand a word she was saying to me as her radio was blasting in the background.

I agree about the lound ringtones and personal calls in shared offices. Another one I hate is text messages constantly pouring to somebody's phone and that stupid beep going off all day.
 
None of the PCs in our office have speakers, so no music possible (unless by headphones). Perhaps that's the quick solution to one part of the noise pollution....disable speakers!
 
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