Can You Hear Me Now??????

One of my pet peeves is rude people on cell phones in public places. I am not anti-cell phone. I have one and feel naked if I don't carry it with me at all times. All I ask for is some common sense & courtesy. Simple things like turning your off ( or at least to vibrate ) when in meetings, a movie theater or performance or at a luncheon or dinner.

When I had a shop in a busy urban area we had many annoying experiences:
1. The Businessman who came into our shop solely to get away from noisy traffic so he could have a cell phone conversation.
2. The loud talker who exposed staff & customers to T.M.I. - way too much information. (Her mother recently passed away, she lost her job & her life- partner was cheating on her......)
3. The shopper with lots of packages from other stores taking over our sales counter so she could answer her phone. ( none of this was our merchandise)
4. The lone shopper with an ear piece so you would think she was either speaking to you or a crazy lady talking to herself.

I could go on, but you get the idea. My people would react by turning up the volume on the stereo in a passive-aggressive way to show their displeasure.

I decided to take a more direct approach & came up with a set of rules that we posted. This way we could politely ask someone if they could take their call outside if they were disturbing us. While I was unsure how these rules would be taken, I was surprised by the overwhelming positive response.

Cell Phone Rules

We request you follow our 5 Basic Cell Phone Rules

1. Keep your conversation polite, short and quiet!
We recommend either taking a message or stepping outside.

2. Respect the personal space of those around you.
Maintain at least a 10 ft. zone from anyone while talking.

3. Private conversations should be kept private.
Although we may personally find your conversation entertaining, it is disruptive to our business.

4. Don’t keep others waiting. Put the phone down and take care of business first!

5. Anything you say, can and will be used against you!
Surveillance cameras are in operation! We reserve the right to submit these tapes to Reality TV Shows, Local Authorities or to Friends for personal amusement.