Video calls and have become our way of life for the past three months and will be for the foreseeable future. Whether it is for work or keeping in touch with family, they have been a lifeline for many. 

I have written about video call etiquette in previous blogs – how to interact, what to wear, backgrounds and interruptions, etc – but, just as much consideration needs to go into actually making the call. 

When you send an email or message, you probably don’t give too much thought to what the person receiving it is doing. You hope for a quick reply and as long as they get back to you with what you need, it doesn’t matter whether they are in the office, on their commute, between appointments, or even at home.

But video calls bring something different to the table. 

A bit like dead air on radio, no one wants to look at your empty chair while you try to find the information you need for the call. Similarly, there is no point in sitting in front of the camera, umm-ing and aah-ing if you are not prepared. 

So, the question is, do you video call someone out of the blue or do you make an appointment?

Apart from not being prepared to discuss the task at hand, the person you are calling might be in their car, queueing to get into the supermarket, getting dressed, etc. Is that the best environment to discuss whatever you need to? Can they be fully focused?

Before lockdown, I was in a shop where an elderly woman and her daughter were trying to get to grips with a video call on her smart phone. I needed something for my next appointment and wasn’t hanging around, but even in those few seconds, it became clear it was the woman’s GP and they were discussing her bowel trouble and the possibility of a colonoscopy.

I don’t know if it was an arranged call or who called who, but it was embarrassing for the woman and, whatever the issue, her health and medical conditions should only be discussed in private.

No one wants their personal information discussed in public like this and it would be extremely unprofessional for those in the queue to get into a shop to hear about changes or cuts you might be planning to make, or feelings about a particular member of staff.

I have had a few unexpected video calls during lockdown. I might get a few more on the back of this blog, but more than likely, they will be the red button. I wouldn’t walk into a meeting with a client without being prepared and wouldn’t do it on a conference call.

The person calling doesn’t want to see me move through the house to somewhere suitable to continue the conversation. Also, it’s unfair to share even glimpses of my family who expect privacy in their own home.

I have been on video calls in which people have answered doors or let pets out or receive a delivery. I know we all have to make allowances at the moment, but it doesn’t convey professionalism - seeing people’s ceilings and looking up their nostrils doesn’t make for pleasant viewing.

Technology has changed the world before and it will again. It was a big factor behind the demise of Concord – businesspeople didn’t need to spend £8,500 on a flight to New York because they could do global deals from their office, using conference and video calls at a fraction of the cost and the time needed.

No doubt similar considerations will be made as companies re-evaluate the need for office space in a future that will have video calls at the heart of it. 

Technology will make things easier, and almost like having a face-to-face meeting with someone, but you shouldn’t just call out of the blue. If you were back at work, you couldn’t just walk up to a colleague or into the boss’s office and start telling them what you wanted. They are busy doing other things. 

In the same way, don’t be surprised or put out if people get hung up over your unexpected video call.