Work related meetings . . . what is the decorum these days? (1 Viewer)

[Pipes]

I don't think this is going how the op thought it would.  Put me in the turn off the phone for a client meeting camp.  If there is a situation where an emergency is more likely to happen, ie your wife is 9 months pregnant, then it's ok to keep it on but give the client a heads up before the meeting starts that you may have to take a call.

 

[Angry Beavers]

I am not piling on, but no way in heck if I am a customer and meeting with someone do I expect them to be answering their cell phone. Once, I'll be annoyed. Start texting again and I am walking........  Customer Service is where it is at............... you need to find a way to differentiate yourself from your competition and that is one way to do so!

 

[northern exposure]

I have encountered this situation many times and have come up with the perfect solution.  First of all, you should.....

Oh, hang on a second, I see another thread that I just have to post in. Just hold on, it will only take 10-15 seconds.

 

[Funkley]

I see both sides here, he over-reacted but you probably should have turned the phone off. But i am a Dad too and my phone stays on.

 

[shadyridr]

Even I know not to use my phone when meeting with a client.

/thread

 

[RedmondLonghorn]

I have always thought you are a great contributor to this board...another example of exactly what I was thinking. 

I was having a pretty crappy morning and then I saw this reply. You're too kind.

 

[RokNRole]

Rule of thumb

if you are trying to get money from them keep the phone off.

if they are trying to get money from you then do what you want. Text, cuss, take a dump in your pants. They won't care they just want to make that sale.

 

[Peyton Marino]

too funny, I just had an experience with this during a phone interview.  the interviewer was working from home, she actually stopped to answer her landline while talking with me.  then she had a conversation with some dude a few minutes later.  apparently she was having cabinets delivered.

obviously way different scenario if she happened to be the interviewee.  

 

[bagger]

I had a new customer meeting this afternoon and got a work related phone call partly through. I told the person on the phone I was busy and would call back. Total time:15 seconds. Ten minutes later I got a text involving one of my kids was stranded and needed a ride home. I apologized to the customer and said I had to answer the text right away (it took 10-15 seconds) and put my cell away after that. (Those were the only two interruptions on my side in what turned into a 45 minute meeting.)

Thirty minutes later, the customer got a call he "had to take" and was on the phone for 5-10 minutes. After which he mentioned he had an emergency and had to leave. I asked when he could schedule 30 minutes to finish our meeting. He said he would never do business with someone that would not give 110% undivided attention to a customer. He insisted I was rude and unprofessional and the "constant interruptions" ruined our meeting,  Bottom line, he said he would not be coming back.

Which brings me to my question. What is considered the norm (or "acceptable") for things that go on in business settings or in the workplace? In my situation, I am not sure I could have done anything differently and was "distracted" twice for a total of 30 seconds.

I've had meetings recently where people texted over and over, answered calls and emails, had something to eat, paid a bill electronically, and even asked to use my phone charger so they could charge their phone. Were my actions way out of line?

You should have let the call go to voicemail. No point in answering a call to say you are busy.

Texting the kid is totally legit. 

Seems like you are better off without this customer.

 

[bagger]

No, he wasn't traveling by helicopter for life saving surgery and no body parts were severed.

Stuck somewhere without a ride in the pouring rain several miles from home? I defer to other parents what an emergency is or isn't.

I address that in the middle of a meeting personally, my kids come before prospects. The problem was you weren't just responding to an emergency you started a pattern of interruptions. If you only addressed your kid via text prefaced with "so sorry i need to respond to my son" I doubt the client would have had an issue. When piggy backed on taking a call from random business person then it's just rude and poor customer service.

 

[RokNRole]

https://youtu.be/m5RtlpXsl8k

 

[bigbottom]

You should have let the call go to voicemail. No point in answering a call to say you are busy.

His mailbox was full, so the customer couldn't leave a message.  The customer had tried to reach him earlier, had contacted someone else in the office to tell him that his mailbox was full, and then tried to call him again.  He picked up because his co-worker had told him that the customer was trying to reach him.

Personally, I'd probably be more annoyed/pissed if I were that customer rather than the customer in the meeting.  I try to call the guy, I can't leave a voicemail because he ignores his inbox and let's it fill to capacity, I call a co-worker to get him a message that I'm trying to reach him and his voicemail box is full, I try to call him again.  And when I finally get through to him, HE TELLS ME HE'S BUSY AND CAN'T TALK TO ME.

 

[eoMMan]

I immediately thought of this:


It was a rainy night when he came into sight
Standing by the road, no umbrella, no coat
So I pulled up along side and I offered him a ride
He accepted with a smile so we drove for a while
I didn't ask him his name, this lonely boy in the rain

 

[bigbottom]

I immediately thought of this:


It was a rainy night when he came into sight
Standing by the road, no umbrella, no coat
So I pulled up along side and I offered him a ride
He accepted with a smile so we drove for a while
I didn't ask him his name, this lonely boy in the rain

Well that's creepy. 

 

[IC FBGCav]

I address that in the middle of a meeting personally, my kids come before prospects. The problem was you weren't just responding to an emergency you started a pattern of interruptions. If you only addressed your kid via text prefaced with "so sorry i need to respond to my son" I doubt the client would have had an issue. When piggy backed on taking a call from random business person then it's just rude and poor customer service.

Step in to my office.

YOU'RE ####### FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FattyVM]

Legal Industry, some of the partners will pull out their phones occasionally for INTERNAL meetings. Client meetings are another story, and I've never seen a cellphone out on our side of the table at all. Some inventors keep theirs out and will occasionally check them, but it's them and their companies paying us for our time, they are free to use it how they see fit.

ETA; I've never seen an associate dumb enough to have a phone out during even internal meetings.

 

[eoMMan]

Well that's creepy. 

No love for Heart?

I guess a young son who can't drive....yeah, creepy.

 

[the moops]

what kind of business you in anyway? 

 

[bagger]

His mailbox was full, so the customer couldn't leave a message.  The customer had tried to reach him earlier, had contacted someone else in the office to tell him that his mailbox was full, and then tried to call him again.  He picked up because his co-worker had told him that the customer was trying to reach him.

Personally, I'd probably be more annoyed/pissed if I were that customer rather than the customer in the meeting.  I try to call the guy, I can't leave a voicemail because he ignores his inbox and let's it fill to capacity, I call a co-worker to get him a message that I'm trying to reach him and his voicemail box is full, I try to call him again.  And when I finally get through to him, HE TELLS ME HE'S BUSY AND CAN'T TALK TO ME.

Well I agree, but he is just compounding issues by answering in the meeting.