July is National Cellphone Courtesy Month

Etiquette Expert Offers Eight Tips To Help Transform Cellphone Boors Into Considerate Wireless Users

PALM BEACH, FL...Etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore is accustomed to getting calls from CEOs who want to polish their social skills while learning the difference between crude and crudités. In July, shes dedicated to tackling a more monumental threat to civility. Shes dispensing advice on how to talk on wireless phones without annoying those around you.

July is National Cellphone Courtesy Month ¾ an event Whitmore founded with the intent to encourage the increasingly unmindful corps of cellphone users to be more respectful of their surroundings by using some simple cellphone etiquette principles.

According to researchers, 423 million handsets were sold in 2002, and approximately 1 billion people around the world -- nearly one in six -- now use a cellphone. Wireless phones and other electronic devices have become so important to keeping people in touch with information they want and need," said Whitmore. Its important to educate people about the proper way to use these devices so that theyre still in touch but not annoying those around them."

Whitmore offers the following eight tips to those who want to improve their cellphone savvy:

1.   Let your voicemail take your calls when youre in meetings, courtrooms, restaurants or other busy areas. If you must speak to the caller, excuse yourself and find a secluded area.

2.   Speak in your regular conversational tone and dont display anger during a public call. Speaking loudly or showing emotion may distract those around you.

3.   Use your vibrate function or turn off your phone in public places such as movie theaters, religious services, restaurants, etc. Many wireless phones now have environmental settings that automatically adjust the phone and its features so you do not disrupt your surroundings.

4.   If you are expecting a call that cant be postponed, alert your companions ahead of time and excuse yourself when the call comes in; the people you are with should take precedence over calls you want to make or receive.

5.   Avoid interrupting meetings, social gatherings or personal conversations by answering your wireless phone or checking your voicemail. Discreetly excuse yourself if you must take the call.

6.   Use discretion when discussing private matters or certain business topics in front of others. You never know who is within hearing range.

7.   When walking and talking on your wireless phone, be aware of your surroundings and remember to respect the rights of others.

8.   Practice wireless responsibility while you are driving. Place calls when your vehicle is not moving. Dont make or answer calls while in heavy traffic or in hazardous driving conditions. Use a hands-free device in order to help focus attention on safety. And always make safety your most important call.

Jacqueline Whitmore is the founder and director of The Protocol School of Palm Beach and is the wireless etiquette spokesperson for Sprint. She offers seminars in business etiquette, international protocol and techno etiquette. She has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, and on CNN. For more information, call (561) 586-9026 or e-mail her at info@etiquetteexpert.com. To receive Whitmores free, electronic newsletter, The Protocol Post, visit her web site at http://www.etiquetteexpert.com.

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