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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to find this rude?

36 replies

booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 16:46

Picture this: you have a professional round doing electrical work on your house. They are on a personal phonecall the entire time (in a different room to you, but it’s on loud speaker and you can hear the entire conversation… however it’s in a different language so you can’t understand it).
Are you finding this rude?

(To add: you can’t get up to close a door because your baby has fallen asleep on your lap😅)

edit: it’s not the fact I can’t understand it that I find rude, but the fact he’s on a personal call on loudspeaker

OP posts:
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TwistedWonder · 04/04/2025 19:55

It’s rude as fuck to have a conversation on loud speaker when someone else in your own house let alone to do it in someone’s house where you’re working. Appalling unprofessional behaviour. I would have to had said something

WiddlinDiddlin · 04/04/2025 19:51

CurlewKate · 04/04/2025 17:26

Why does it matter that it was in another language?

Because the OP can't tell if it's an important/urgent call, if its him asking another electrician how to fix this mess or if its a frivolous chat.

This isn't normally relevant, but if you're going to post it on MN then one of the first questions will be 'oh is it an important conversation or a personal chat'.

And listening to a conversation in another language is often harder to tune out because its an unfamiliar sound (at least I find that I can tune out one of my neighbours far more easily than the other, when their outdoor conversatiosn are of an equal volume!).

DilemmaDelilah · 04/04/2025 19:48

My cleaner frequently has loud phone calls while she's here. Fair enough, she doesn't stop working, but it also means that she isn't exactly concentrating on what she's doing. It annoys me a lot.

A few years ago I had a carpenter making some built in wardrobes. He had the radio on really loud and was singing along. He didn't ask if I minded or anything. I found that really rude. He did a good enough job but there is no way I would have him back. He also asked me for cups of tea roughly hourly, and wouldn't talk to me about the work, only my husband. Misogynistic git.

Gwenhwyfar · 04/04/2025 18:50

" spare a thought for the people who are stressed or upset by noise. Why should they have their needs ignored?"

Because we make compromises when we have to share our space with others. You may be at work in an office, but colleagues are chatting. It's part of life.

FatherDickByrne · 04/04/2025 18:36

It’s bloody rude! He’s working in your home so at the very least he should check if you mind. I can see that the vote is divided so there are clearly some people who wouldn’t be bothered by this. That’s fine, of course, but spare a thought for the people who are stressed or upset by noise. Why should they have their needs ignored? I’m not on board with people having conversations on speakerphone ant the best of times and I would HATE it in my home!

Original poster
booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 18:24

YerArseInParsley · 04/04/2025 18:23

He's definitely qualified for the job and not calling his nephew in Poland and askjng how to rewire a house? 😬

Show quote history

Let’s hope he wasn’t anyway!😂

OP posts:
BeaAndBen · 04/04/2025 18:23

It doesn’t bother me anymore than the radio does.

YerArseInParsley · 04/04/2025 18:23

booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 16:46

Picture this: you have a professional round doing electrical work on your house. They are on a personal phonecall the entire time (in a different room to you, but it’s on loud speaker and you can hear the entire conversation… however it’s in a different language so you can’t understand it).
Are you finding this rude?

(To add: you can’t get up to close a door because your baby has fallen asleep on your lap😅)

edit: it’s not the fact I can’t understand it that I find rude, but the fact he’s on a personal call on loudspeaker

He's definitely qualified for the job and not calling his nephew in Poland and askjng how to rewire a house? 😬

SantasLargerHelper · 04/04/2025 18:21

booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 17:43

I think it’s because if I were working in someone else’s house I’d be as quiet as possible and just get on with my work so I wouldn’t disrupt them too much. But my partner is always telling me that not everyone thinks or behaves the same way I do so I have to stop being shocked when they don’t 😂

I'm the same. And I'm in agreement with you that it's rude and unprofessional.

Crunchymum · 04/04/2025 17:46

My DP is a tradesman and would only take a personal call at work if urgent (I've had to call him before and tell him my mum died - that call was more important than any job).

He would never take or make an unnecessary personal call / call of any length whilst with a customer.

Rude, unprofessional and ignorant.

OldCottageGreenhouse · 04/04/2025 17:44

Very rude! I’m with you, OP

Original poster
booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 17:43

I think it’s because if I were working in someone else’s house I’d be as quiet as possible and just get on with my work so I wouldn’t disrupt them too much. But my partner is always telling me that not everyone thinks or behaves the same way I do so I have to stop being shocked when they don’t 😂

OP posts:
Staringatthestars · 04/04/2025 17:41

Pemba · 04/04/2025 17:21

To put it better then, he is behaving as if he's in his own home with a bit of a lack of consideration for the OP whose home it is. He could have woken the baby for example.

Show quote history

So what would you do if the company sent two people to do the job? Expect them to work in silence?

He could have been assisting a colleague who was on a different job.

At the end of the day, he was talking. How would you even complain?

Dear Boss Man,
The electrician you sent was talking. Reprimand him!!
Thanks.

Original poster
booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 17:39

Okay guys, I quite clearly said the language isn’t the issue, it’s the loud speaker that’s the issue for me.
I mentioned the fact it’s a different language simply because I don’t know what he’s saying.

And before anyone tries to twist it, my partner is from the other side to the world from me and his mother tongue is different to mine… I don’t have an issue with people from different countries and cultures😂

My old work place had a rule that you had to speak only English in the staffroom because everyone understood it

OP posts:
Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 17:29

CurlewKate · 04/04/2025 17:26

Why does it matter that it was in another language?

Because that allows us to think the worst! (Wurst?)

CurlewKate · 04/04/2025 17:26

Why does it matter that it was in another language?

faerietales · 04/04/2025 17:23

Doingmybest12 · 04/04/2025 17:05

I think it's unprofessional. How can his full attention be on the job he's doing. Fine to take a break, step outside but it's not fine while he's working.

Lots of people can multi-task without an issue.

Pemba · 04/04/2025 17:21

ItGhoul · 04/04/2025 17:13

He's invading your space

He's been invited into her space to do some work for her. He's not invading anything. He's doing his job.

To put it better then, he is behaving as if he's in his own home with a bit of a lack of consideration for the OP whose home it is. He could have woken the baby for example.

ItGhoul · 04/04/2025 17:13

He's invading your space

He's been invited into her space to do some work for her. He's not invading anything. He's doing his job.

ItGhoul · 04/04/2025 17:12

Why is it any different from someone having the radio on (which most tradespeople do) or talking with someone they're working with? And why on earth does it matter what language the call is in? Are you annoyed you can't be nosy or something?

Pemba · 04/04/2025 17:05

Yes it is a bit rude. He's invading your space. Might be necessary for them to take a call if it's important, but he shouldn't be doing a long loud call in your home.

The same with taxi drivers. They always used to like to chat a bit to the passengers, and some still do but it seems less common. I also have had one or two blaring out their choice of music without asking if it's OK. I find it ignorant TBH.

Doingmybest12 · 04/04/2025 17:05

I think it's unprofessional. How can his full attention be on the job he's doing. Fine to take a break, step outside but it's not fine while he's working.

Original poster
booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 17:00

Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 16:55

Maybe his mum rang him from Poland with an important update on her health - maybe he'd been waiting ages to speak with his immigration lawyer - maybe his kid rang him from Romania to tell him about their football victory - I guess you'll never know! And presumably it was on speaker because he needed his hands free?

Good point

OP posts:
Original poster
booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 17:00

mondaytosunday · 04/04/2025 16:58

Maybe if they are quite loud you could ask them to quiet down a bit because baby is sleeping. And having a baby asleep on me wouldn’t stop me from moving (in fact it was exactly a time to put them down somewhere so I could get on with stuff).

She’s an incredibly light sleeper, if I move at all, it will be game over😅

OP posts:
Original poster
booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 16:59

Dazzlemered · 04/04/2025 16:57

I’d just be worried that they weren’t 100% concentrating on my electrics.

Eeek I hadn’t even considered this!😅

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