Maybe I don't want people to bother while I was at work

I also work in customer service and we are not allowed to have our cell phones on. We have to turn them off and can only check them on our breaks and during lunch. If we are found violating the policy our cell phones are taken away for the day and we do not get them back until the end of the day. People who need to reach us for a real emegency have a number they can call to reach us; but, it goes through management so it really is only for emergencies (sitters, schools, etc). People who are contantly connected have a hard time adjusting at first; but, after a month or so most of them find it quite liberating to not need to be constantly connected to everyone who is seeking our attention for inconsequential "chit chat".

Well to me it sounds you are assuming he would know you were working. While he may have made a call more then once and THAT can be annoying, he may not have known you were working. You didn't answer so I don't see what the problem is. If you don't want to hear your ring tone whilst working, turn the phone on silent.

I agree. Sometimes I really want to turn my phone off while I'm working but it's impossible as part of my job is making private phone calls. I think if it is possible for you, then you could turn your phone off during work time...? At least that people can still leave a voice message. I'm just saying. :)

Yes, it can be distracting when you're in the middle of a task at work. It can lose the momentum and lose your focus in completing the task at hand. I feel upset and lose my temper when someone calls even if its important. That's why I need also to control my temper because this has been one of my attitude problems.

We don't have that kind of policy in my work. I can take personal calls of any kind of call while working. Everybody is considered public when at I am at work and therefore they have the right to be entertained in any way. Well on your part, if you can not entertain any call for that matter, well perhaps you should be informing your friends that you are not allowed to take phone calls during work or perhaps you can just turn your cellphone off.

It's surprising to hear you say it like its wrong for your friend to have called you, surely he wasn't aware that you are at work. I believe you don't have to sound so annoyed, it's easy to ignore an incoming call if you are busy. Otherwise talk to him and tell him what time he can call you. On a more serious note, I think it's wrong for the management to dictate an employee over the use of their cellphones, and I also believe as an adult, a person must discipline themselves about chatting on the phone during working hours. I personally prefer not to take calls when I'm working as its a distraction and there's no rule about that at my workplace, I will only respond to those that I regard important and strange enough to the numbers I don't know, but as soon as I hear it's a friend who's trying to "catch up", I tell them to call me another time.

The only problem is that if you dont answer the phone you wont know if it really is an emergency. But I understand I never liked getting calls at work either. I would never chat during work but sometimes when I was working my mother would call to ask me something and I would try to take care of that and get off the phone as soon as I could.

The majority of employers don't want you to even have your cell phone on your body while you are clocked in. I don't blame them as they are paying you to do your job not to play with your cell. It's rare that anyone even calls the mainline at work for me. Out of the last 4yrs at my job he's only called once for something that couldn't wait. Otherwise, I will get back to a person when I am off the clock or not at work period.

maybe he doesn't know you were at work, or he might have forgotten not to call you while you are at work. he seemed excited to tell you about his day. i know sometimes that happens to me too where people would call me too but i always make sure i turn my phone on silent mode or discreet so no one is bothered and also i don't get bothered why it has been ringing hehe.

Maybe he just misses you lol..Talk about bromance. Anyway, just ignore his calls, because eventually he will just get tired of calling you when you do not answer during work. Eventually, he will get it.

You are correct, I am also the same category, I don't like any one disturbing me while I was engaged in my work and also I don't like to disturb anyone who are engaged in their work.

I think you're a good employee because too often when I go to the stores or someplace else, the person behind the counter is chatting to a friend instead of helping customers. I think it's bad customer service to make customers wait while they are on personal calls. Some places of work would fire you if they caught you on personal calls or wasting company time. I wish I could be boss at some places to fire these bad employees who waste time.

Dear Kingparker, I think you make an excellent point about not taking personal calls at work. I know the companies I have worked for do not appreciate you doing personal things (talking on phone or surfing internet) while you are at work. The fact of the matter is employment is a contract between an employer who has offered position to do work and in return they will provide compensation. I do not like lots of distractions at work and if friends are just calling to chat then they can talk to my voice mail and I will call them later. I have one girlfriend who leaves three to five minute messages when she calls because she is a talker. Sometimes when I listen to the messages I have to take notes so that when we do talk again we can discuss the voice mail message she has left for me. In short, I agree with your work ethic especially since you work in customer service. The customer comes first because without the customer you would not be employed. Life Free!