Telephone manners need to be taught. You say that you have spoken to your step-son about this but "there is no improvement." If you corrected his telephone manners several times (a.k.a. criticized him) I'm not surprised that there is no improvement - criticism and other forms of negative feedback have a very tiny success rate - close to zero. On the other hand, praise and other forms of positive feedback have a very high success rate in terms of producing positive change. The trick is to create the situation in which you can offer this young man some positive feedback. First of all, you really need to teach him what you want him to say on the phone. There are library books on the subject of good manners that cover this material - you could bring such a book home and read the telephone manners section at the dinner table and have a discussion about it. The book strategy keeps the information less personal, more objective. Then, you can explain that you'd like him to say "hello" instead of "ya" and "one moment please" if the call is not for him. Next, when the phone rings, ask him to get it and remind him to say "hello" and "one moment please." If he succeeds, let him know (as soon as you are off the phone!) that he sounded really professional - you LOVED the way he handled the call. If you can touch him affectionately (i.e. a high five, or a friendly pat on the shoulder), do this as you thank him for making that extra effort. The next few times he answers the phone so nicely, give him more acknowledgment and appreciation. If you can pair that up on a couple of occasions with a seemingly coincidental offer of a new video you "happened" to pick up for him that day, or an extra slice of cake you "happen" to have left over - all the better. A couple of concrete rewards offered in close proximity to a desirable behavior clinch the deal in the brain, helping to form a strong new neural pathway for the new behavior. The CLeaR Method - comment, label and reward  (explained in detail in Raise Your Kids without Raising Your Voice) can be used for this and any other new behavior you want to teach your child. All the steps are positive and powerful - a refreshing, effective change from criticism.   Sarah Chana