Comments on: Conference Call Etiquette?

By: Caroline

Caroline — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:47:33 +0000

Does anyone have experience of mobile broadband coverage in Cornwall? I travel down their regularly and am thinking about signing up with a mobile broadband provider but have heard coverage can be poor in some rural areas. I’ve been looking at various different mobile broadband providers here: http://www.broadband-expert.co.uk/broadband/mobile and am leaning towards Vodafone.

Any advice would be great. I don’t want to sign up and find I’m paying for a product that doesn’t work!

By: Caroline

Caroline — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:47:33 +0000

By: Another Nortel Watcher

Another Nortel Watcher — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:56:06 +0000

Laid-off NT Beancounter – the technical guy is lucky she didn't grab his face.

People with an inflated sense of self-importance such as you describe usually stall and fail at some point because they lose support from those they need it from. It's too bad for those they work with that it often takes a long time for this to play out.

By: Andrew Schmitt

Andrew Schmitt — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:59:22 +0000

Can't agree more on the conf call length issue. Why not run it an extra hour and take more questions. As you say, it's one hour out of the quarter and it isn't like there are any other outlets for shareholders to talk.

There at least should be a way to submit questions and allow participants to see them, and observe which are picked by mgmt to answer.

By: Laid-off NT Beancounter

Laid-off NT Beancounter — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:43:56 +0000

I worked in Finance with Janet at NT and she is a generally a bully and likes to put the supporting staff in their place. In preping for an employee staff conference call, the technical guy asked to to talk for 15 seconds so he could set her levels, etc. She proceeded to ream him out (with about 30 people listening in) saying that by chatting to him for a few seconds when she called in that that should have been sufficient and that she is a busy person. That the former CFO, Controller and other Finance VPs took the time to do it didn't seem to matter. O, and she had been on the job for about a month at that point. Nice.

By: ex-nt2

ex-nt2 — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:22:22 +0000

True analysts need to follow the rules of one question. I have been on conference calls for many companies. Analysts ask a few questions and usually the CEO or CFO delicately handles that politely.

Being rude is not acceptable as it only turns investors off the company, especialy from PR, media relations people. Obviously these people cannot handle it either the pressure, hostility towards the media for Nortel bashing or just attitude. She could have done better handling this as its a very poor snub.

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:19:08 +0000

Notelhand, then your preference would be to allow a few people to ask questions until they are done? Which of course would leave out all the other folks with questions. Janet makes a simple clear statement at the beginning of the call that only one question is allowed per person. Next thing you know an analyst starts asking a series of questions. They are ignoring the rules and its Janet's job to not allow that. Although interrupting Mike was rather amusing!

By: Notelhand

Notelhand — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:00:18 +0000

Nortel needs to do something to get the stock price up. I have never found it helpfull to push people around that I need on my side. And Nortel needs some help, the stock price stinks, and has been stinky for a long time.

By: Analyst

Analyst — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:32:09 +0000

I have to agree with Duncan on this one. Janet is the best Investor Relations person I have ever worked with. She has a difficult job managing a room full of analysts and I think she does it better than most. Your comment about “screwing” is offensive and mean.

By: Apple

Apple — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:46:27 +0000

Duncan, I was so upset with your sell side analysis in the past and I was wrong.
It was about other tech company, and you were just right.
It is so difficult to accept the truth when you are just a believer...
I agree with you on NT. I've been bearish on NT in last 5 years.
I still don't see any positives about that stock for the future...
I've said sell NT and buy aapl /in last 5 years.
AAPL is high priced and deserves all the money investors pay for it.
Duncan Stewart , you are an icon of the stock market.
Thank you for sharing with us on this blog.