Coworker Vent: personal calls and cubeland

[explorer2001]

I work in cube land. Normally this isn't an issue. However one coworker is driving me batty.

Admittedly we have no cell phone policy and I understand that certain calls must be made during business hours. However there is at least one empty unassigned office where people can make/take calls or they can go out into the hallway, etc.

Her incoming text alert current is a loud "Boo-yah" not a beep or ring that is easily filtered out. It used to be a crying baby. It goes off at least 15 times an hour. When her phone rings it is always a song with lyrics turned up loud and vibration. So it is disruptive.

She is also a loud talker on the phone. She will make multiple calls back to back to her kids, her husband, the services (after school program, therapy, doctors, etc.) for her kids, their school, her sisters, her kids friends and friends' parents, etc. This will go on for upwards of half an hour in a row somedays.

I have tried asking nicely. I have tried headphones. I have turned up the music so loud trying to drown out which ADHD meds her kids are on that it gives me headaches. There was also a generic reminder sent by HR that people need to remember cube courtesy.

Work related calls don't bother me. Quick calls don't bother me. I get it sometimes things need to be addressed. Generic tones or music sans lyrics don't bother me because I can filter it out. Loud human vocal noises/words get my attention. Knowing all of the details of her kids various issues, trick or treating schedules, friends coming over, sister's boyfriend's birthday, etc without ever talking to her about it gets annoying.

FWIW, I have excused myself to the empty office frequently in the last month so everyone didn't have to over hear my medical issues. It's an easy valid option. She just doesn't seem to believe in it.

Any suggestions? Similar vents?

[SuziSaysDa]

We have one of those, well two really.

Number one - I get to hear all the detail and gossip about how dysfunctional her son's boyscout troop is and how the leader is not stepping up. Number two - her ringer is her two daughters yelling at her to pick up her phone, over and over again for about 30 seconds - she is often away from her desk so I get to hear the whole ringer.

Both of these people are two cube rows away, one is in an office, and I can still hear everything - I work with numbers and trying to tie them out, while under a lot of pressure, with this going on in the background makes me want to hurt someone.

[UnderProtest]

If she went to the empty office every time she was on the phone, she would never work!

On a more serious note, I had a coworker like that. She was always yelling at her husband or her kids or the dog over the phone. She was loud to begin with so it was even worse when it was personal calls. No suggestions, just commiseration.