Wireless Manners Needed More Than Ever: Etiquette Expert Offers Common-Sense Tips

Advanced Phone Features Improve Wireless Etiqette

Pleasanton, California, May 3, 1999

In 1922, noted etiquette authority Emily Post called Americans to action by saying, "A knowledge of etiquette is essential to decent behavior." And when it comes to wireless phone use, a reminder to practice common-sense courtesy is definitely in order, says Peggy Post, great-granddaughter-in-law to Emily.

With more than 69 million wireless subscribers today, and more than half of all Americans expected to have wireless phones by the year 2003, Peggy Post recently joined forces with Pacific Bell Wireless to increase awareness of the need for proper wireless etiquette. Post says wireless phones are an accepted part of the way we live today, and, when used properly, can provide a level of convenience and safety that is unmatched by other forms of communication.

With Americans growing increasingly frustrated by the bad behavior some wireless phone users practice, Post draws information from a recent Pacific Bell Wireless consumer survey to offer guidelines and codes of behavior to improve wireless etiquette. From accepting phone calls in movie theaters to interrupting church services to answer wireless calls, wireless phone users are apparently eschewing the Posts' call for letting consideration for others dictate behavior.

Author of etiquette books published by HarperCollins (including the 75th anniversary edition of Emily Post's Etiquette) and a contributing editor at Good Housekeeping and Parents magazines, Post provides easy tips for using wireless phones in business and social settings without incurring the wrath of family, friends and colleagues.

Post explains that advances in wireless technology provide a host of features that enable users to manage their phones and return to a level of politeness that would make even Emily Post proud. This could come none too soon, survey respondents agreed.

"With options such as Caller ID, Voice Mail and vibrating batteries, it's easy to use a wireless phone and still be considerate of those around you," Post said. "You don't need to let the device dictate your behavior. You can enjoy the benefits of wireless without being rude."

Survey results indicate many wireless users need to improve their phone etiquette. More than half (60 percent) of Californians surveyed would rather visit the dentist than sit next to someone talking on a wireless phone at a movie theater.

Other survey findings include:

• Women have better wireless phone manners than men. The survey found that 36 percent of Californians think women are more polite with their wireless telephones, compared with 19 percent who think men are more polite.

• Wireless phone features can improve wireless etiquette. Most wireless phone users think technology can have an impact on improving wireless etiquette. The majority of Californians believe the following wireless features have an impact on improving wireless etiquette: setting the wireless phone to vibrate rather than ring (89 percent), Caller ID (78 percent), Voice Mail (80 percent) and Call Forwarding (80 percent).

• Americans feel good about using wireless phones for safety, scheduling and emergencies. Californians believe wireless phones are most appropriately used for safety, in emergency situations and to make scheduling changes. Most respondents think it's appropriate to use wireless phones when a car breaks down (99 percent), when a person is lost (95 percent), or when a person is running late for an appointment (77 percent).

• Wireless phone use may not be appropriate even in a public place. Some public places are rarely, if ever, appropriate for wireless telephones. Most respondents found it inappropriate to use a wireless phone during a funeral (96 percent), a class (98 percent), a movie at a theater (96 percent) or during dinner at a restaurant (87 percent).

For Pacific Bell Wireless etiquette tips, visit (www.pbwireless.com) or a Pacific Bell Wireless PCS store.

Pacific Bell Wireless, together with SBC Communications' other wireless affiliates, is a leading wireless provider, serving 7.2 million customers and seven of the top 10 markets nationwide. It is a company of SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com), a global leader in the telecommunications industry, with more than 37.7 million access lines and customers across the United States, as well as investments in telecommunications businesses in 11 countries. Under the Pacific Bell, Southwestern Bell, SNET, Nevada Bell and Cellular One brands, SBC, through its subsidiaries, offers a wide range of innovative services. SBC offers local and long-distance telephone service, wireless communications, data communications, paging, Internet access, and messaging, as well as telecommunications equipment, and directory advertising and publishing. SBC has more than 130,000 employees and its annual revenues rank it in the top 50 among Fortune 500 companies.