Cell phone ringers in the office

[rammstein]

Hey-

Do you work in an office with other people? Here's a GREAT WAY to make the office experience more pleasurable for everyone- set you cellphone to ring at is ABSOLUTE LOUDEST all the time. This is especially important for when you leave your cellphone on your desk and go into meetings for a few hours. This way, everyone can bask in the greatness that is your ringer. The beeps for voicemails are great too. And if you REALLY want to score points, have your cellphone blast maniacally every time you get an email. I can tell you that my day isn't complete unless I know exactly how many emails that each person here gets.

Enjoy my free advice. If anyone needs me, I will be on a killing spree.

[Scott R]

We don't allow (via device) cell phone pager or wireless communication in my office space. We are considered a "secured" area since we have all of your credit card numbers and tax information. The isolation is nice.

[legion]

I love the Indian guy who has a very work-inappropriate gangsta rap ringtone at full volume. Or the other guy that has a ringtone that sounds like a klaxon.

Of course, these people leave their phones at their desks and are in meeting 8 hours a day...

[sand_man]

The timing of this thread is impeccable!

Just a few moments ago, had an idiotic co-worker leave her cell at her desk while she went into a meeting. ******* thing rang loudly with what I believe to be a cheesy rendition of Eric Burdon's (WAR) "Low Rider"!!! The caller kept trying relentlessly: call...hang-up...call...hang-up...I eventually pulled her out of the meeting to let her know. Ended up being her dumb-azz husband waiting down stairs with her freaking lunch!!!!!

[widgeon13]

In the office where I used to work, the cellphone owner would find their phone in the ****ter (toilet) under 5" of water. It won't happen again.

[legion]

I have been known to remove the battery from the cell phone of an extreme repeat offender. I came close to using the dunking stool once too...

My biggest pet peeve now is that I have a desk by the window, and people think it is a fine place to stand and talk loudly into their cell phones. Usually I just stand up and stare at the person until they move on.

We have one lady, that I have nicknamed "Otay Lady" because she says "otay" instead of "okay" (and she is a petit blond that can't be older than 35). Maybe she thinks a 25-year old Eddy Murphy sketch is still the cutting edge of commedy? Anyway, she was standing by the window one day discussing her unusual pap smear results with her doctor...

[kang]

There is a guy down the hall from me who does this. When his phone keeps ringing repeatedly when he is in a meeting, I simply walk into his office and turn the phone off. Unfortunately, he hasn’t gotten the hint…

[chrisf]

I used to work for a guy that never...NEVER....answered his phone. He would just sit there and watch it ring, looking to see who it was. Regardless of who, he wouldn't answer...and wouldn't send it to voice mail, just let it ring & ring. Once it stopped, if it was some one he actually needed to talk with, he would immediately call them back, if they didn't answer he would leave a nasty message, something about "playing this phone tag with you is ridiculous and a waste of my time & money!!".

This first few times he did it, I thought he was trying to amuse me. I must say, I thought it was bizarre. But after the first few days of working with him, I realized he did this with every single call....even his wife. What a F'n freak!!

I left after just 8 months.

[Netspeed]

I used to piss them off (especially if they hate loud cars) by using a Ferrari ringtone.http://www.race-tones.com
(my site...shameless plug)

[masraum]

If we have someone with a super loud ringtone and they leave their phone laying around, we eventually pull the battery out of the phone. It can't ring that way.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I have Ozzy's "Crazy Train" as mine. The looks on peoples' faces when it goes off are priceless.

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by legion

I have been known to remove the battery from the cell phone of an extreme repeat offender.

That is exactly what we do with the repeat (and unremorseful) offender in our office. Has "Footloose" as a ringtone, full blast, and leaves it at her desk all day. Never brings it with her at lunch, so we get to hear it then too.

We used to take the battery out and leave it beside the phone, thinking she'd get the hint. Nope. Now we keep the battery, and hold it ransom for coffee.

This is the same lady who eats chips on conference calls. We work for the local telco, yet basic phone functions like "mute" elude her.

[baldman]

If I have a repeat offender that leaves their phone on their desk and it rings constantly I do the simplest thing... I answer it. It's great when the name is programmed into the phone so you can see who it is...
*ring*
Yeah Mike, what's up?
Who is this?
You called me buddy, what do you want?
I was trying to call Joe.
Well you called me. Now what do you want?

*hangs up and calls back*

Mike, this isn't funny. If you want to play games then play with someone else.

[craigster59]

I'm usually working on the set of a movie or TV show, so my phone is usually on vibrate. Very rarely I'll forget to set it on vibe and the crew gets treated to the Isley Bros "Fight the Power".

What gets me is with all the ring tones available, how many people have the "old fashioned" phone ringer tone.

[rammstein]

Vibrate? Why set it to vibrate? If it is on vibrate, then only you will be notified of an incoming call? What am I supposed to listen to then?

OK- how about this- if it is on vibrate, set it on top of your desk so that I can hear it buzzing over and over again all day. Whatever you do, don't keep it in your pocket.

[Shawn 357]

Originally Posted by craigster59

I'm usually working on the set of a movie or TV show, so my phone is usually on vibrate. Very rarely I'll forget to set it on vibe and the crew gets treated to the Isley Bros "Fight the Power".

What gets me is with all the ring tones available, how many people have the "old fashioned" phone ringer tone.

I have a old fashioned boring ringtone. I don't want my phone to sound like a slot machine, I don't want it to play my favorite album, I just want it to ring when I get a phone call. I guess I'm boring.

[legion]

Originally Posted by Shawn 357

I have a old fashioned boring ringtone. I don't want my phone to sound like a slot machine, I don't want it to play my favorite album, I just want it to ring when I get a phone call. I guess I'm boring.

+1000

I try to make my cell phone as non-obnoxious as possible.

[bivenator]

I'm still not sure that I "get" having a ring tone. Most people put a song that they really really like as their ring tone, however when the phone rings you have to pick up the phone and you never hear the song. I guess as motivation to answer the phone one should have a song that is barely tolerable thus ensuring a quick pick up on the incoming call. And another thing while I'm here, why pay 2.99 for a ring tone when you can get the entire song downloaded for .99.

[Hugh R]

My son's cell phone has Mr. T's voice saying "Mail! Motherfu(ker!

[djmcmath]

Basic office etiquette seems so obvious. You'd think that you wouldn't need a primer to let you know that doing ALL of your phone conversations as loudly as you can using speakerphone is maybe a bad idea. You'd think, maybe, that if the people in your meeting won't want to hear your cell phone ring, maybe the people in your office won't either?

For those of you in secure areas, I understand the desire for no cell phones. On the other hand, I used to work on a submarine, and I'll tell you that it's very difficult to find people without their phones. You can't get signal inside the hull of the boat, and someone could be anywhere. I'd spend an hour trying to find someone, or get them on their cell phone, only to find that they were closing out a tank, or sitting in some meeting in another secure area. Very frustrating, that. I like my current job, where people have desks that they usually work at, and cell phones that they normally carry.

Dan