Phone Manners You Need To Adopt Today To Communicate Better With The Older/ Younger Gen

Advice from a geriatric millennial who’s sick and tired of getting calls from her parents for every little thing. And telling her Gen Z team to use the call feature on their phone once in a while.

As a geriatric millennial (God, how I hate that term), I work with both. The older gens — boomers and Gen X — and younger- millennials and Gen Z.

I’ve seen how both struggle to communicate with each other. Because there’s a massive difference between how they both communicate.

Technology has made gigantic leaps in the last 20 years. The older gen has a hard time (and let’s face it, sometimes right-out refuse) to keep up with it. And the younger ones developed habits born from using smart devices most of their life.

For instance, people like my parents are used to landlines. They’re used to having long conversations on the phone. Gen Z doesn’t know what a telephone is. And they hate using their smartphones for making and receiving calls.

You can see how there’s a big gap between the two. I’m caught in the middle, asking my dad to WhatsApp me instead of calling for a little thing. And telling my Gen Z team to make a call to a client instead of sending messages for 30 minutes.

In short, the older gen doesn’t have any messaging etiquette and Gen Z lack call manners. From my all-seeing position in the middle of the two, here’s my list of advice for both.

Phone Advice for the Older Gen:

Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980)

• Ask yourself before making a call- can this be a text? If it’s something short, like a question, or you need to inform us about something, WhatsApp us. Remember there’s an amazing feature called Voice Notes. So even if you don’t like typing, leave a voice note. This means we can check your message when we have the time. If it’s something urgent or requires an explanation, by all means, call.

• If they don’t answer your call, message! Sometimes we’re busy and can’t answer. And in the case of Gen Z, don’t want to. So if you tried calling but they don’t answer, leave a message.

• When sending a text, keep it short and simple. There’s no need to sign off with “yours sincerely”. Or use old-fashioned formal email language with words like kindly. (Read how you should be writing emails now). Texting has changed the way we speak. Conversational language is the best.
• Please learn to say bye. I don’t know if this is just me but my parents never say bye when they’re done with a call. So either I cut it while they want to continue the conversation, or they cut it when I’m talking. So rude. Wind up the conversation, and say bye. It’s a clear indicator that the call is over.

• Please don’t talk for ages. If you want to have a chat, the polite thing to do is to ask through a message first. Ask us if we have the time for a chat. This way, we’re prepared for a longer convo. And it helps you make sure that you have our time and attention.
• DON’T. FORWARD. STUFF. Stop it. Just. Stop. If we need to know something, we’ll Google it.

Phone Advice for the Younger Gen:

Gen Y/ Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012)

• Answer the damn phone. If someone’s calling you, they have a good reason. It’s easier to talk for 30 seconds than get into a text conversation that lasts for 5 minutes and never gets to the point.

• Some things are easier said on a call. Misunderstandings tend to happen through texting. So pick up the phone and call them. And it’s nice for us to hear your voice.
• Call back. If you miss someone’s call, call them back. It’s super rude not to. If you can’t, send a message saying you’re not able to take their call right now, and would they mind messaging you instead?
• Reply to text messages. I know you’re busy. But not replying is not nice. If you’ve seen the message, acknowledge it with a reply. Even an emoji will do. :)

ONE Phone Manner I Wish Everyone Would Adopt

Please, ASK the person you’re calling if they have the time to talk to you. Or that you’re not disturbing them with this call.

There’ve been countless times when I’ve said hello and the caller launches into a full convo. And I don’t have the time/ I’m not in the right mindset to listen to them.

When you make a call, you want them to pay attention to what you’re saying. So please. Ask them if they can talk to you at that moment.

Okay, I’m Gonna Say Bye Now

Boiled down, all I’m trying to say is that the older gen has to get used to texting more. And the younger gen needs to remember to make and answer calls.

About The Author

Shabana Feroze, Managing Director, Silver Kick Herself.

Shabana decided to start her own creative agency after becoming jaded with corporate marketing. She has marketed international brands. Such as Burger King, Mango, Papa John’s Pizza, DQ Grill & Chill, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Nutella, and Costa Coffee. Shabana is a published author, an anti-FGM/C activist and a group fitness instructor who enjoys her MMA classes a little too much.