Proper Phone Etiquette for Work And Home

Businesswoman talking on a cell phone

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"Mind your manners" is what Mom always said, right? But now that you're the mom what's considered good manners has changed a lot, thanks to technology and the fast pace of life. When you work from home, the phone is a particularly important part of your professional life. 

Proper Phone Etiquette Guidelines

Learn the appropriate phone etiquette for these various situations:

At Work or Working From Home

Good phone manners are essential in any business setting--whether you work at home or in an office. But for those us who work at home, the distractions that go along with it can sabotage even our best phone selves. Use these tips for good phone manners while working at home to be sure you always sound professional while working from your home office.

When you work from a home office, you do have the advantage of being able to take personal phone calls without disrupting anyone else. For those work-at-home moms (or WAHMs) who telecommute part-time, remember the level of professionalism you use in the office reflects your work ethic and is the basis for your boss and coworkers' assumptions about what you do while working at home.

At Home

There are no special rules for good phone manners in your home life, as opposed to in your career. The business phone manners that you use at work are entirely appropriate for your personal life. Your sister doesn't want to listen to you typing at the other end of a phone conversation any more than your clients do, right?

Also, keeping background noise to a minimum reduces your stress while on the phone whether at work or at home. So follow these dos and don'ts for phone manners at home too.

Falling somewhere between your personal and professional life is a job interview by phone. Often conducted at home, the interview needs to convey your professionalism.

Your Kids at Home

And while the rules for good phone manners don't differ much between home and work, at home, we are also tasked with teaching our children telephone etiquette. And, in turn, we must also set good examples.