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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
PaintYourAssLikeRembrandt · 04/04/2025 16:50

This wouldn't bother me at all, they are in a different room so it's not rude imo.

Freshflower · 04/04/2025 16:52

Annoying more than rude

Ilovelurchers · 04/04/2025 16:53

As long as it isn't effecting their work I wouldn't care.

Did he ask first? I guess that's the polite thing - it's what Uber drivers tend to do for example if they want to take a call (I always say yes because I don't mind).

What would you have said, had he asked?

pearbottomjeans · 04/04/2025 16:54

YANBU, so annoying and disruptive. He could at least use headphones like everyone else, then you’d only have to hear one side of the conversation.

skippy67 · 04/04/2025 16:54

How do you know it was a personal call if you can't understand what they were saying?

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?

Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 16:56

pearbottomjeans · 04/04/2025 16:54

YANBU, so annoying and disruptive. He could at least use headphones like everyone else, then you’d only have to hear one side of the conversation.

It could have been an unexpected call? Not everyone has ear buds.

Dazzlemered · 04/04/2025 16:57

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

bluedelphiniums · 04/04/2025 16:57

I would find that rude. If someone called me at work, I'd say, sorry can't talk atm, I'm at work, and keep it brief and discreet. YANBU.

Original poster
booksandbakinglover · 04/04/2025 16:58

skippy67 · 04/04/2025 16:54

How do you know it was a personal call if you can't understand what they were saying?

You’re right, I’m assuming it’s personal because the electrical company is English and the customer services are English, but I guess his boss or someone could be from the same country as him🤷🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
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).

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!😅

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 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:
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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

CurlewKate · 04/04/2025 17:26

Why does it matter that it was in another language?

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?)

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:
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 17:43

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: