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I had a supervisor who used to do that. I started going into her office to talk to her instead of calling. When she asked why I didn't just call I told her that I needed the exercise.
One time a 'boss' did it to me when I was home injured with a sprained ankle. He had someone else in the office but didn't tell me. He led me on about this person (and the group) and I said some 'improper things' about this group. I found out later that the guy was in the room with the manager.
That's just the kind of crappy manager he was...I was home injured and he was looking to stab me in the back and get me in trouble with my coworkers...
I don't see what the big deal is. I am not anyone's boss, but I use speakerphone all the time. It is a pretty common thing in a workplace...isn't it?
In my opinion it's actually pretty rude. How hard is it to actually reach over an pick up the phone? It can be really difficult to hear if you are on the other end of a speakerphone user, and it also leaves the impression that the conversation is unimportant to the person using the speakerphone.
One other thing, people using speakerphone tend to speak LOUDLY which can be disruptive to those around them. (Not to mention having to listen to the entire conversation to begin with.)
I had a former coworker who was a clerk who used speakerphone all the time. It was nicely suggested that it was disruptive to the office. Then she was outright told to pick up the phone. Finally she got written up for being disruptive and rude. She just couldn't understand what the problem was.
Speakerphone has some advantages for the workplace, and some disadvantages. Its like the handsfree cell phone. I use my speaker phone sometimes and also type on the keyboard with both hands free, while still talking. Multi-tasking, its beneficial and has a reason. In an open office setting to be put on sp, is rude, and obviously a tactic for some sort of office politics. Either way its not professional. You can handle it by lowering your voice, and lowering the volume more and more until the person has to pick up, explaining, maybe your speaker phone isn't picking up my voice very well, that normally does the trick. The other way to handle it, tell the person outright, this is a matter of confidentiality, and should only be heard by yourself and me, therefore I hope you protect this conversation and keep it discrete. Or, I need to talk to you privately, period. This may involve others on some things that you have told me to look in to. Turn it around some times, they get shook up, and the games they are playing, people know they do it to you, so therefore, they know they are like that, not trustworthy.
Speakerphones suck, and IMO they are rude (and lazy) to the person on the other end of the phone. All one has to do is reach over and pick up the darn thing, unless it is a call with multiple people (that are necessary to the conversation) on the other end.
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