Don't Be Rude!
We are all guilty of staring into our cell phones or mobile devices several hours of every day. They keep us in contact with our friends and loved ones as well as allowing us to remain connected to the office when we’re away. However, there are certain times that we really need to exercise restraint when using these mobile devices. One of these times is at a business dinner. You’re supposed to be there to entertain a potential client or remind an existing one just how much you appreciate their business. The fastest way to lose their respect is to not show them the respect they deserve by putting your phone down.
You want to make sure you’re always following electronics etiquette during business dinners. If you’re not certain what the proper etiquette is, just keep reading.
Out of Sight
You can almost be certain that your dinner guest will have a cell phone, just like you. In fact, everyone in the restaurant you’re dining in probably has one as well. If you look around, though, you’ll see that very few people have theirs out on the table. Those that do are probably a lot younger or definitely aren’t there for business reasons.
Keep your phone in your suit pocket or your purse and not out on the table. This way you’ll still be able to tell when a call or a message is coming in, but it won’t be obvious to your guest. If you put your phone on the table or continually look at it throughout the meal, you convey the feeling that you just don’t care about the person you’re dining with. They’ll feel as though they don’t matter and aren’t important enough to put your phone away for the duration of the dinner.
Keep it Down
By this, we mean the volume. Once you step foot into that restaurant, your mind should only be on work and the person you’re there to discuss it with. While it is perfectly acceptable to go to dinner with your phone on you, it’s completely disrespectful to keep the volume all the way up so everyone knows when you get a call or text message. Having the phone on vibrate is more than sufficient to let you know when something is coming through. If you are expecting an urgent message from home, you’ll be fully aware of it coming through without immediately distracting from the conversation.
Step Away from the Table
In the off chance that you do receive a call or a message that you must address immediately, excuse yourself from the table and step away to a quiet area to make or take that call. Your dinner guest will be professional and mature enough to understand that it is an emergency situation, but they don’t need to hear your personal business.
Charge Your Phone
There is nothing worse than going out to dinner, especially a business dinner, with a dead phone. You don’t want to have to ask to be seated next to a wall outlet so you can charge your phone, and it honestly looks tacky, especially for a business dinner. Make sure your phone is charged before you ever even leave the office or your house. You won’t have to worry about your phone going dead and you’ll be able to be reached in the unfortunate case that there is a family emergency.
To be honest, a lot of this electronics etiquette is common sense. If you think you would be offended by someone answer a call while you’re out to dinner with them, then that is a sure sign that it isn’t proper etiquette. By adhering to these rules, you’ll show your dinner guest that they are of the utmost importance and that doing business with you is the right choice.
photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/simmessa/2662967757/">simmessa</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
