Whether at work, at home, or on your mobile phone, here are 8 solid telephone etiquette tips everyone should be displaying at all times.
1. Always identify yourself at the beginning of all calls.
A) When in the office, always answer a telephone by saying: “Hello/Good Morning, Accounting Department, Syndi Seid speaking.”
B) From a cell phone, either simply say Hello, or state your name, Hello, Syndi Seid here. Do not answer by using words such as “yeah” or “yes.”
C) When placing a call, always state your name along with the name of the person you are calling. Example: “Hello, my name is John Doe from XYZ Corporation. May I please speak with Ms. Jane Smith?”
2. Be sensitive to the tone of your voice. Do not sound overly anxious, aggressive or pushy. It is important your tone conveys authority and confidence. Do not lean back in your chair when speaking on the telephone.
Tip: Sit up in your chair or stand during the conversation. When at home, use a personal tape recorder to privately record your own conversations. You will then hear how your sound to others.
3. Think through exactly what you plan to say and discuss BEFORE you place a call.
Tip: Jot down the items you want to discuss and questions you want answered. In other words, anticipate and expect you will be placed into a voicemail system; plan your message to be as direct and specific as possible, asking the person to respond to specific alternatives or questions. Do not say, “Hello, it’s Syndi, call me back.” At least state the subject about which you want the person to call you back about.
4. Do not allow interruptions to occur during conversations. Do not carry on side conversations with other people around you. The person on the telephone takes precedence over someone who happens to walk in your office or passes by while you are on the phone.
Tip: If you must interrupt the conversation, say to the person, “Please excuse me for a moment I’ll be right back.” And when you return, say, “Thank you for holding.”
5. Especially when leaving messages, speak clearly and slowly. Do not use broken phrases, slang or idioms. Always, always leave your return telephone number as part of your message, including the area code . . . and S-L-O-W-L-Y, including REPEATING your telephone number at the end of your message.
Tip: Practice leaving your number, by saying it aloud to yourself as slow as you have heard an informational operator say it.
6. Build the habit of always turning off your cell phone ringer when entering a meeting, restaurant, theater, training class, or other place where the purpose of your visit would be interrupted or others would be disturbed by hearing your cell phone ring.
Tip: If you are expecting an important call, inform the caller you will be in a meeting during certain times and state you will monitor your message indicator for when it illuminates you will excuse yourself to leave the meeting and return the call.
7. Always speak into the telephone receiver with an even and low tone of voice. Especially when speaking on a cell phone out in public, be sure to monitor how loud you may be.
Tip: Move the phone ear piece just slightly away from your ear and listen to yourself speaking. Discover whether you are speaking too loudly or too quietly for the other person to hear you.
8. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by other activities while speaking on the telephone, such as rustling papers, chewing and eating, working on the computer, or speaking with someone else. Most importantly, do not use a hand held cell phone while driving. Get a headset or speaker phone for the car.
Tip: Always treat every caller with the utmost courtesy and respect by giving him/her your undivided attention.
Question: What other items do you have to add to this list? Do let us hear from you by locating this article at www.AdvancedEtiquette.com/blog. You may also reach us at www.AdvancedEtiquette.com. If you enjoyed this article and want more, subscribe to our “Etiquette Tip of the Month” newsletter—at no charge—filled with great monthly tips on all sorts of topics from international business and social etiquette and protocol to everyday life subjects. It will be great to have you as a member of our happy family of subscribers at www.AdvancedEtiquette.com/subscribe.
Happy Practicing!
When ending a call, who is responsible for saying “goodbye”? The caller? The person trying to end the call? Is there a rule?
Dear Rahlyns: There is not rule as to who is responsible to say Good-bye first. It’s from whomever wants to end the call first. The important matter is you do say good-bye, versus simply hanging up on the person. Thanks for the question.
Saying good bye is offensive for a customer service representative.So please try to avoid using it.
(!) when one’s phone ring and the person picked up the
phone who should be the first to break the silence, the
caller or the receiver?
(2) When you unintentional miss your call, is it polite to
return the call mostly when its one missed call?
(3) Is it polite being desperate to answer a call, regardless
of who is calling?
(4) what is the best way to build self confidence on phone?
Franchesca:
1) The person who answers a call should be the first person to speak with a cordial greeting, typically Hello, or in business by announcing of their name and department.
2) When a person misses a call, it is fine to return the call or let it go to voicemail, or not return it at all when no voicemail is received. It’s your choice.
3) It is less common a person is “desperate to answer a call, regardless of who is calling.” This is not an issue of being polite you “must” answer every call. I suggest getting a voicemail system to not feel you will miss a call. Most people do leave voicemail messages.
4) Building self-confidence on the telephone takes time. It’s a combination of focusing on what and how you say things; perhaps writing set “conversationally sounding” scripts to memorize and use; listening to how others speak and jotting down and remembering specific phrases and words you heard you think would be good to adopt as part of your speech patterns. Also, there are books are articles on the web to address your specific questions to gain confidence on the telephone. Send me your specific questions and I’ll be happy to see if they are questions I can address or refer you to other resources. Good luck!
Always identify yourself when you join the call.
Limit or eliminate background noise as a caller.
Speak loudly and clearly.
If you don’t have anything to add, don’t add anything.
Be succinct and precise.
Close with clear next steps.
Refrain from argument or talking in a rude way.
Refrain from usage of vernacular languages.
Use the mute button when not talking.
Address the person(s) by name when asking the questions.
I was messaging with someone who constantly “leaves” the conversation without saying anything. I sent her a copy of these 8 practices and was told to “grow up” and that she “didn’t need to be lectured”. We no longer message each other.
when receiving a call at home or at work, and it is for someone else, is it not rude to ask who is calling if that person has not specifically told you to ask who is calling.
Margaret: First of all, a caller should identify him/herself when calling. It is not rude to ask who is calling if you say it in a nice way. To ask “Who’s calling, please” does sound like you are screening the call. The way I’ve memorized is to say, “May I tell him/her who’s calling? It’s only natural a person will want to know who is calling them.
I’ve found that the best wayt o end a call is to ask, “Is there anything else I can do for you today?” or “I’m so glad I could help, is there anything else?” or “Thanks so much for calling us today, is there anything else?” When they say No, you say, “Terrific, have a great day”. i wait for about 3 seconds for them to respond then I disconnect the call if they don’t. I find most callers know that I’m wrapping up the conversation and they either quickly identify other business or they say goodbye.
when the caller’s attitude is not friendly, what should we do?
Thinh: When a caller’s attitude is not friendly, you should politely, yet firming tell the caller you will be hang up if this attitude and tone persists. There is no need to prolong the agony.
If anyone talks rudely or angrily on the phone, how to answer him or her? Can you please guide me??
Dear Shweta: Whenever speaks rudely or angrily on the phone, simply say: “John (their name), would you please tone down the tone of your voice. It’s bothering me that you are sounding most rude and/or angry. If this tone persists I will have to hang up. I understand you may be upset (etc.), yet I would prefer if we can discuss this matter more calmly as friends (if this is the case… or whatever, as colleagues, etc.). If this persists and this is in the workplace, report it to your supervisor. If this is a personal friend, then be firm in saying this is not how you prefer having friends who speak in this tone and manner. If you want to be more specific for help, contact us directly at info@AdvancedEtiquette.com. Good luck!
Hello,
I have a questiona about taking a phone call. I’m not a native English speaker and I have never actually lived in an English-speaking country, so I have probably a silly question, but it has been bothering me for a long time.
I have this Englsih textbook that teaches to answer phone calls with reciting your phone number. I’ve never actually even seen it in films. Are there any instances that it is actually done? Or is it simply a very old-fashioned way? Though the textbook is not that old, I think it was published somewhere around the turn of the century.
I would very much appreciate if you could clarify it a bit.
Thank you.
Dear Marika: It is rare anyone would answer a personal telephone by reciting their phone number. However, I have heard it used by companies/businesses who do not prefer using a business name, yet wish to have the caller know they have reached the number intended.
In today’s uncertainties, for personal phones it is recommended to simply say, Hello!, or whatever the appropriate equivalent is in various languages.
There was also another old-fashioned style of saying “Hello, Smith residence.” Even this in today’s times is not preferred.
You are correct, the textbook you were reading is most curious. Hope this helps. Syndi.
Saying, “You’ve reached ########, please leave a message.” is a standard voicemail answering phrase. This can be especially used for personal use to prevent a stranger or company using your name to show fake familiarity. Long voicemail answering messages are annoying.
It is rare to answer a phone call this way and also makes it easier for a caller to determine that they’ve reached your voicemail and not you directly.
When handing the phone to another person should you tell than who is calling ?
Dear David: Yes, it is always nice when answering the telephone for someone else to ask: “May I say who’s calling?” “Who may I say is calling?”
Happy Practicing!
I must have been mis-informed on this subject. I always considered asking a caller for their name when the call was for another colleague was taboo, and I always seemed to get a negative vibe from callers when asking this question.
As if I was invading their privacy or something. Any ideas on why this phenomena occurs ?
In business and depending on the type of business it is, it is totally appropriate to ask who is calling for a colleague. It helps the colleague zero in on the who’s calling and perhaps the subject of the call. For instance, I used to be a receptionist in a law office. I was instructed to always ask: “May I tell Mr. Smith who’s calling and the case or subject of this call?” If anything, I would find it more invasive when quizzing someone who calls a family member at home. In this instance, it is truly less of your “business” to know.
Normally I don’t read post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to check out and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thank you, quite nice article.
People tend to leave long messages on my answering service at home. What is the etiquette regarding the length of messages left on an answering machine?
With thanks, Marie
Dear Marie: I know how you feel about this. I don’t like long messages either. Perhaps in your greeting you can state something to the effect: “At the sound of the tone, please leave a quick 30 second message simply stating your name, telephone number and the subject of your call and I will return your call as soon as possible.” The other alternative is to just accept that certain people will always ramble on and on and be grateful for having callers. Good luck!
Hi Syndi, I love how you reply to the questions individually. thank you for your assistance
Hi Syndi, I love how you respond to every query individually. Thank you for your assistance.
In a work environment are janitors/cleaners allowed to pick company calls when no one is around?
Ralph: I am assuming you are speaking about janitors answering calls belonging to the client’s office, perhaps late at night when no one else is around. The answer is absolutely not. A janitor/cleaner is typically not part of the daily workforce of that business. Therefore, the janitor has no business answering another person’s telephone.
1. At times i have to answer the customer calls pertaining to the complaints they have; being in a haste they occasionally behave immature & tend to speak sarcastically. There had been 1 instance when i lost my cool & back fired @ the annoying fellow. How will you suggest to handle such lot of people who are reluctant to hear you & disrespect the receiver?
2. Is it okay to use short messages in a formal text exchange?
Akki: Thanks for your post. Being a person who must listen to customer complaints is probably one of the worst jobs a person can have. It requires a person to hear lots of negativity on a regular basis. I can’t think of anyone who “enjoys” this, yet for those in this position, appropriate skills must be learned to handle not only the callers, but also yourself in terms of your own well-being.
Best suggestions: a) Seek out online articles, books, and courses on customer service and handling customer complaints. There is a skill required to remain calm on your end and to defuse rude callers. b) Email me at Info@AdvancedEtiquette.com and I will send you two articles I have on handling customer relations and complaints. Regrettably blogs do not allow for PDF attachments.
Regarding the 2nd question, my thinking is there is little difference between a formal and informal text, except for choosing to spell out all words and phrases. The nature of texts are to be quick message exchanges, unlike emails which I suppose could be be considered more formal. In business, texts are only to be used for quick conversations about something requiring immediate attention… such as being late to a meeting, confirming a location. It is not the place to send a contract. Good luck!
This topic its really help for me as a customer service representative. I need to know everything what is Proper Phone Etiquette all about.
I need to have a self study for me to gain more knowledge and to learn more about telephone etiquette from home call,mobile and office/company work.
Thank you much.
Chloe
As a long time telephone operator in a hotel, I would answer the phone to many irate clients per day.
In my experience, an irate client usually lets you know with in the first 15 to 30 seconds what is wrong. LISTEN carefully at this point…. when he pauses to take a breath(they always need to pa use for air). Repeat what he has said, acknowledging that he has been heard. “I am so sorry your room is cold.” Normally this will deflate an angry person.
Then, Ask the caller what he wants, negotiate a solution. “Would you mind if I sent someone to check the thermostat? ”
I learned not to take what an angry person says personally. He is upset with a situation that is not your fault, but I could turn around an ugly situation.
I would never hang up on a caller who is angry or rude…. UNLESS, he attacks me personally (name calling). Then he gets one warning, otherwise he gets disconnected.
Great Article ! Good Study For My Company’s Implementation Of Proper Phone Etiquette
Andy: Thank you… it is a hot topic everywhere! Let me know what other items should be included if we were to expand the article???
what is the allowable / maximum ring before someone has to answer / pick up the phone? is there a rule for that?
Evelyn: There is a slight difference between home and business. A general rule for both is to best answer calls within the first three rings. Most systems go into voicemail by the 4th ring which depending on our voicemail system may not allow you to interrupt the answer system to take the call. Case in point I have a friend who owns a large mansion. He tells everyone to never hang up until after the 8th ring and to please always leave a message, because it may be he just couldn’t get to the phone any sooner.
My mother receives multiple calls from her friends and family. I speak with her every day, sometimes more than once – sometimes she calls me (most often) and sometimes I call her. Sometimes, when I am speaking with her, she gets another call, and then tells me that it’s so-and-so and she will call me back. I don’t mind if we’ve been on the phone for a while, or if the other caller is calling from a cell phone on the go. But today, for example, a few minutes after I called my mother, she got another call, from her brother. And she said to me: Pat, it’s so and so. I’ll call you back. I felt angry. We hadn’t spoken for more than three minutes. Her brother is calling from another state, but so am I. Please let me know what the correct phone etiquette is for her situation. By the way, my mother’s brother is retired, can talk on the phone at any time, and he speaks with my mother fairly frequently (it’s not like she never hears from him). Thank you.
Dear Pat: Thank you for the inquiry. After reading your submission a couple of times, my best response is: A) You are blessed to be able to speak with your Mom on a daily basis and sometimes several times in a day, even when she has to call you back. B) Reality is your Mom has full choice to speak with whomever she wants, when she wants, and it has no reflection on her not caring about you in any way. C) Regardless of being retired a person can be most busy in their life. As I see this, for whatever reason, that day your Mom did choose to speak with her brother first, in lieu of having to call him back instead of you. If you are still upset over this matter, you should “nicely” ask your Mom why she took his call first instead of calling him back, over you. This should not be an issue that continues to fester. However, whatever her response, you should accept it and let this matter go. There may be reasons or situations with which you are unaware that caused her to take his call first… or maybe nothing… beyond a spare-of-the-moment choice with no reason. In the greater scheme of things, what’s important is not to let this be something that harms your good relationship with your Mom. Good luck!
I know just what Pat is talking about, My own mother does this to everyone. She always expects the person she is talking to to wait while she take another call irregardless of who it is. Friends & relatives have asked me if she is trying to tell them she does not want to talk to them—yet she has initiated the call and is always chastising others for not calling her. She has been doing this since call waiting became available. I think your response to Pat missed the mark. My mother’s behavior is rude and controlling. For myself, I ask when she calls or when I return a call to her, if she is expecting and important call. This does not curtail her taking all interrupting calls. When she tells me to hold , if she gives me a chance, I tell her I need to go, if she doesn’t, I just hang up.
Bonnie: Thanks for your comment. You are correct the bottom-line when someone keeps anyone hanging on hold the line is rude. The guideline should always be to: a) take the 2nd call to see who it is and tell the 2nd caller you will call them back; or b) Take the 2nd call and inform the 1st caller you will call them back. But to keep either party on hold for long periods of time is rude. As to hanging up on someone, it should only be done when you announce what you are about to do, versus simply hanging up, otherwise it becomes rude unto itself. I usually say, “Jane, sorry to interrupt and please forgive me, but I must hang up now, good-bye” and then do it.
I have a few rules which include phone calls. Visiting is ok before 5 PM, after 5 call before visiting, and do not call after 8pm unless it is an emergency. Is this unreasonable? Some people look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them this.
I have another question that is not addressed in the discussions. I get lot of telemarketing calls. I am not at all interested in most of those calls. Many of them will not identify themselves; they will not stop to listen. I am not happy to reveal my name to many. What will be the proper way of answering those calls.
Jacob Johns: I understand how you feel. I dislike most telemarketers as well. For me, I am adamant about learning who is calling before revealing any information about myself. When they do not listen or reply properly, I will firmly ask to be placed on their “do not call” list and tell them I will be hanging up. I further keep a log of spam calls (thanks to caller I.D.). If they repeatedly call, I advise them the next call will be reported for disciplinary action, as provided by law. I try hard to respect what they do, yet when they do not treat me with respect in return, I have been forced to hang up on someone. Lately I have been receiving fewer and fewer “spam” calls. Hope this helps.
I was taught in school that the person who calls is the one to end the conversation. That was before voicemail. Now MY question is if someone calls you and leaves a message for you to call them back, NOW who ends the call first?
Max: To go by your standards, I think the original caller still has precedence to end the “return” call, because all you did was call back to connect about the original matter.
Beyond this, I believe either person has the right to end a telephone conversation. It’s more a matter of “how you do it” versus what you do. The main consideration is when you are the person being called and want to end the conversation, you say it in a cordial way, perhaps saying: Please forgive me, but I must end this call now. Do we need to schedule another call to continue this conversation further? By doing this you acknowledge the other person initiating the call and must end it perhaps before the caller is finished.
What do you do if a person often says “i will have to phone you back” and you know he means that he will not phone you back but will only “have to”, and that is his way of politely telling you to start looking for him all over again?
And there are others who actually say “I’ll call you back”, and never do, unless they feel they are being tested. Is there an immeadiate and effective way of saying that since you don’t believe them, you don’t wish to let them off right now?
Also, if a person regularly says during a phone call, please wait a minute, then takes another call sometimes for even 3 minutes or longer, and when he comes back says “ok so I’ll say good bye for now”, how can you bring it to his attention that you are very hurt and injured by this practice, if you never get the opportunity to do so? Or how can you stop him doing it in the future, if you need him more than he needs you, and you are meant to be friends.
Shimon: The two situations are regrettably most common. The best way to handle the first situation is when the person says “I will have to phone you back” or “I’ll call you back” is to first say: Thanks!(meaning you are accepting his statement about calling you back). Then ask: Will you please tell me approximately when I might expect your call back? Obviously when the person doesn’t call you back within a reasonable period thereafter, you will have reason to mention the lack of return call. Never accuse someone without knowing what factually may have happened. Instead, ask: Gosh, was there as reason I didn’t hear back from you when you said you would be called back?
Regarding being put on a long hold, remember the date and time you were placed on the long hold so when you are on another call with the person, you can say: Oh, by the way, if during this call you must put me on a long hold… like on X date for about 3 minutes, I thought I would let you know if you must continue the other call more than a minutes or so, I will hang up you can call me back when you are finished with the other call. I understand important calls may come up, yet I trust you also understand it is unproductive for me to remain on hold for such a long time. NOTE: The key is never to use an angry or accusatory tone of voice. Rather, remain neutral in your comments as though it were just a matter of being cordial and factual. I hope this helps. Good luck and let me know if these tips helps.
Appreciation to my father who shared with me about this web site, this web site is actually amazing.
” hey could you please not disturb me ”
is it the correct sentence
Kunal: This is not exactly a correct sentence. When using the word “could” leaves it open for the response to be, “Yes, I could, but I won’t.” it’s similar to Can I do something, versus May I do whatever. The better phrase might be, especially when stating it to a telephone solicitor: “Would you please place my number on your do not call list? I do not want to be disturbed further. Thank you!”
Re: MOTHER’S PHONE CALLS. I am a 76 year old retired woman with grown children. Rude is rude no matter what your age. I suggest that instead of confronting her mother head on that whenever the mother pulls this, “I’ll call you back” that the daughter says to her, “I’m on my way out, we’ll touch bases tomorrow.” Mother doesn’t have to respond immediately to anyone who is calling in while daughter is on the phone unless it’s the doctor’s office or something equally important. Let the caller leave a voice message or call back later. Mother will get the message that daughter isn’t going to be at her beck and call. It’s only common courtesy to complete the conversation with the original caller.
I’m impressed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both equally educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head.
The issue is something not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy I came across this during my search for something regarding this.
I have just started a new job and the phones are a very important factor of the job. I took computer classes in high school and I am very good with them but I was never really taught correctly on how to handle phone calls or let alone answer phones. I have been here for almost a month and I am still very nervous on answering the phones. I have no choice but to do so if I want to keep my job and I would love to do so because I love my job. But like I said it is a very important part of the job. But my question to you is how do I get over my nervousness of answering the phones and handling the calls. I don’t really even answer my own cell phone or talk on them. I’m more of a texter. So if you could please give me a few pointers that would be wonderful. thanks
Janelle: One of the best ways I know to get over being nervous on the telephone is to write out specific scripts to memorize and use for all calls. Standard phrases such as: Hello/Good Morning/Afternoon, XYZ Company, Janelle (last name) speaking; How may I direct your call?; May I tell him who is calling? John Doe isn’t in right now, May I take a message for him? May I tell him what this call is about? The more you understand handling incoming calls is generally most repetitive. The more you create the scripts the more comfortable you will become in answering calls. Please call me by telephone if you want more help. I’d enjoy hearing from you.
Re: Telemarketing Calls. Don’t engage at all. Look at Caller ID as phone is ringing and don’t pick up if you don’t recognize the number. Most telemarketers don’t leave messages on your voice mail. If a message from a caller begins to record, you can decide whether or not to answer at that point. In a recent article it was advised NOT to press the response key for DO NOT CALL because it shows that you picked up and listened to part of the message.
Just because your phone rings doesn’t mean you have to answer it.
Very descriptive article, I enjoyed that bit. Will
there be a part 2?
Wonderful article! We are linking to this great content on our website.
Keep up the great writing.
I am a telemarketer (OUT BOUND), I’ve encountered a lot strangers over the phone, and I admit, I heard many rejections and that pulls me down to earth, coz what’s on my mind was only making a sale but not making friends at the same time, but because I love my job and its part of my job, so I just don’t put all of my attention specially while calling, may question is how can I develop friendship over the phone (COLD CALL), before making a sale or while making sale?
kindly suggest me what to say during the introduction.
I’m really thankful that you have created this site,
SYNDI THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Dear Jammie: The best way to make friends with someone during a cold call is to be genuinely friendly and respectful of their position in being called. Do not say, Hello! is this so and so… then I say: “This is she”; Then you ask: “How are you today?” It’s such a dumb question to ask a stranger with whom you have no relationship. It’s always a dead giveaway you are a salesman, do a cold call. Rather, be honest and candid, by saying: “Hello! My name is Jammie X and I would appreciate one minute of your time to X, because XX.” Then ask a good question to gain a positive response. Is yes, you are in the door to continue to the next step in sharing your information. If the person says yes, great. If the person says no, develop just one more question to gain their trust and positive response and if not, thank them for their time and move onto the next call. Telemarketing to my knowledge is all a numbers game… make a certain number of calls and you will be bound to gain a certain number of positive responses. To me spending time to “talk someone into listening,” etc., only aggravates me and hates telemarketers all the more. The ones I have been nicest to are those who respect me and my lack of interest and hangs up.
After going over a number of the blog posts on your website, I seriously appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I saved it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future.
HI! Syndi thanks for the comment. I really have to learn with these job I have now, all I’m doing is make some cold calls, selling but of course I also want to have a connection (friend) between me and my costumers.
thanks Syndi
If your call is that important leave a message, Don’t hang up and then call back repeatedly. If you don’t leave a message your call wasn’t important. If you do leave a message don’t keep calling. It is rude and your calling could be considered as harassment and against the FCC laws. The telephone is a tool and not a toy for your anger, frustration, or amusement.
I disagree about who should say Goodbye. Back in the day, when this was taught in school, it was that the caller ended the call by saying goodbye.
sir if someone is calling me whom i do’nt know ,what is proper manner to talk him.
Rahul: First, callers should always identify him/herself at the onset of all calls. Beyond this by old fashioned etiquette rules, you would address a person whom you don’t know as Mr. or Ms and their last name. When a caller is a salesperson who only identifies him/herself by their first name, then I just use that single name given to personalize my interest in hanging up quickly.
Having read this I thought it was rather enlightening.
I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this short article together.
I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and
commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
good advice
Hi I just wanna ask because I work in SwitchBoard, what are the alternative word that I can use instead of “Hanging up the call” when you transfer them through other line?
Jaatel: I used to be a receptionist. When transferring calls the acceptable phrases include: “Thank you, I’ll transfer your call now.” “One moment, please, while your call is transferred.” I’m sure there are other reasonable phrases to use. If anyone reading this post knows of any, do share them on this blog. It will be helpful to us all.
Thank you for you helpful reply 🙂
Hello, thanks for the advice, I appreciate it alot. My question is….when answering calls on a Cell phone from a saved name and number….do I still have to introduce myself as Emma Kamala XXX dept?? I usually just call out the caller’s name..is this wrong too?
Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.
Emma: With the advent of caller ID, it is fine to answer a call by saying hello to the person calling, as in “Hello Emma.” However, my style is to simply say, Hello. As much as the ID gives me an indication of who’s calling, I had it happen a couple of times where the person calling was using another person’s phone. So, when I said Hello Jane, it caused the person to take useless time to explain. I find just saying Hello, no different than we typically would answer a home land line to be my best approach. Help this helps.
i want to ask a question whenever i call to the internet complaint office they tell me to hold on as they are checking my internet but after long tome also they dont respond i sit for hrs waiting for a reply is it good
Rishit: You are not alone in this situation. It’s happened to me and I it infuriates me to no end. It is never good to be kept a person on hold indefinitely. I generally hang up after about 15 minutes and I call back stating what happened in hopes I will get better service??? Great customer service guidelines state the attendant should come back on the line every couple of minutes to give the customer an update.
i want to ask a question whenever i call to the internet complaint office they tell me to hold on as they are checking my internet but after long time also they dont respond i sit for hrs waiting for a reply is it good
After reading the article, I could not help reading the comments till the end. They are as helpful as the article is. Syndi, I truly appreciate you answering everyone with such care and precision.
I work in S. Korea and speak Korean fluently enough. However, on the phone they speak so fast as if they are reading from the script, at least it seems to me so. Although my duty is to answer only international calls, when my colleagues are not in their place I answer local calls too. Sometimes when I do not understand them I ask them to speak slowly but I think it is not good for the image of the company. My question is what to do when you do not understand the person who is calling you due to language barriers (but can understand if they slow down). 80% cases I do not use my native language, and have to somehow find a way to deal with it. I’d appreciate your suggestion.
Laziz: Language barriers are difficult. My best suggestion is to inform the person at the onset of the call you “sometimes” have difficulty hearing people on the telephone. As a result, “please forgive me, would you please do me a big favor by speaking just a bit slower? This way I think I will be able to hear everything you say much better.” This will also give you “a little latitude” to ask them to repeat something important. In the meantime, it is important to continue honing your language skills to be faster in your comprehension of the language. It’s all about practice that will help you become more at ease. Good luck!
Hello. I was wondering when it is too late or too early to receive a business phone call? Like everyone else, my personal cell phone (as well as our office line) is how my co workers and clients reach me. But, they have stared to call my Cell with non-urgent business questions well into the night. I won’t turn my phone off because I want it in case friends or family wish to reach me. In my opinion, 8pm and beyond is fine for friends but rude for business. Shouldn’t we all try to stick as closely to 9 – 5 hours as possible? What are your thoughts? Thank you.
Meredith: Nowadays electronic devices allows us to communicate 24/7. Yet you are correct people are using them 24/7 which can interfere with our personal life. We each have the right to set our own guidelines for its use. For me, I tell people exactly how I prefer to be contacted. I tell people I accept telephone calls between the hours of 8am to 7pm M-F and Saturdays until around 3pm. Sundays I rarely take calls from anyone. If someone calls outside these hours, I will “not answer” and let it go to VM. I also give my family members distinctive rings which helps me to know who it is when they call. For non-urgent matters, I advise people to please send me an email and I promise to make every effort to respond by the next morning. I am generally up by 6:30 a.m. and at my desk by 7am for an hour to do my daily planning and hit emails, etc. For more personal tips… give me a call by telephone and happy to share a few more tips… especially for the transition period. Good luck!
Very nice post Syndi.
What should one do when one is an outbound telemarketer and one is doing all one can to sound courteous and friendly, but the other is either acting really hostile or taking you for granted.
How do you keep your calm in situations as this?
Psalmy: All telemarketers should be trained in how to handle all scenarios that arise. First I would ask your employer for assistance and training. Ask to do some role playing with you to reenact the kinds of people you’ve encountered and to hear how your supervisor handles the call (hopefully properly). Keeping your cool is not always easy, I understand. To the point, you must also consider, not all people are cut out to be telemarketers. Telemarketers must remain calm and “never” show they are bothered by other people’s rude behavior. They acquire personable skills to overcome hostility and rude behavior, yet also know it is not worth the time or energy to “make” certain people listen. The best way to keep your calm in situations like this is to: A) Never let people you call “get to you.” in such a way it changes your good behavior. You must remain courteous and friendly at all times, no matter what. B) Recognize some people are best left alone without spending any time to change their mindset about listening to you. C) “Never” “ever” sound like you are reading a script (even if you are). Practice in such a way you’ve practically memorized it and no matter what takes place during the call you will recover with ease. D) Always be personable, genuine, and professional with each call you make. “Kill’m with kindness.” E) Know your product/service well in such a way you can begin the call with two snappy, attention grabbing questions that will determine whether you will continue with the call or hang up and move on. Good luck!
Hello ~ Yesterday, I placed a call to the office of a company (out of state) I have been representing for some time. When I asked to be connected to an individual in the office, I was put on hold, but the receptionist got back to me with what he said was the responsie (verbatim): “I can’t talk to her today!” This is a first for me and I have had my business for 20 years. I found it to be very unprofessional and personally insulting. It seems to me that someone (anyone) should have the courtesy to pick up their line and explain that they are maxed and that they would appreciate it if they could get back to you the next day, etc. Am I just being old school here? It seems to me that she could use a course in telephone etiquette.
Paula: It doesn’t matter whether the company was out of state or down the street. From what little you have shared about the situation in your post, I agree it was a blunt and without positive remedy. What was missing in the response from the receptionist was a statement—as you said—about when it would be a more appropriate time to call back or that the person you were attempting to reach would call you back around a specified time.
Good customer/client relations requires diplomacy and tact with what and how information is conveyed. What should have transpired was the person you were calling should have said: “I can’t talk to her today because I am working under a deadline due by 5pm. However, I will call her back tomorrow morning… or please ask her to call back tomorrow morning anytime.”
No dialing frenzies – do not call a person repeatedly without waiting a reasonable length of time for a return call. Before the era of cell phones, a next-day return was acceptable. Now it seems many panic if they do not receive instant gratification by assuming that your device is ON and in your hand at all times.
Hello,
I am very much interested in finding new and professional phares in speaking professionally on the phone. I really don’t have a problem with answering the phone, just a problem in ending my calls. I would like to get some pharses from you so I can end my calls professionally.
I also email you,
Thank you for having this websit. It is so helpful to help people have a better way of speaking.
Colleen: To answer a telephone professionally it is all about learning specific phrases that will be repeated over and over again to get to the point and gain the information you want as quickly and in as few words as possible. To answer with a cordial greeting such as “Good Morning, XYZ Company” and perhaps “how may I direct your call” is a fine opening. To always say thank you just before connecting the caller is a cordial ending. To ask, “May I say who’s calling” or May I tell Ms Smith (him/her) who’s calling” is so much nicer than even:”Who’s calling?” There are so many other phrases you could use depending on the situation, I would suggest looking online for further articles or go to the library or a bookstore for additional support on this subject. In the meantime, if you have specific situations you want assistance knowing how best to respond, please do email me again directly. Thank you!
Hi Colleen, you could always end your call with “Thank you for calling _______ have a nice day!” Or if you are strictly more in a customer service roll, you can ask them if there is anything else they need help with? If they say no, you can finish with Thank you for calling _____ have a nice day!
Hi! is it not proper to say ” for a while” to the person calling if i still need to forward the call?
thanks. i was just confused since my boss told me not to use the word “for a while” in answering the phone.
Davie: I am unclear exactly “for a while” means when not part of a complete sentence. If you are meaning perhaps “please hold for a while,” then this is not as appropriate, because the word “while” either means “an uncertain period of time” or “at the same time.” When you say “for a while” it gives the caller the impression—and no confidence—how long they may be held on hold. Thus, the more appropriate “telephone language” to use is “one moment, please.” There are a number of easy sayings a person can memorize and use to be well-received at all times. Happy to provide a brief list for you upon request. Just email me directly. Thank you!
I work as the Administrative Assistant for Director of our Site and our Therapist. All calls come through to my main phone and I then transfer them to whom ever the caller ask for. If it for a specific individual, I ask whom is calling and then send then buzz the individual and tell them who is calling. If it is for a department and no one specific, I buzz that area and tell them there is a call on line “2” for “medic”. Most of the time, the department just waits to get the call until convenient for “them” and most of the time the call “rings” back to me. This is very frustrating for me because I have other calls coming in, other lines on hold and things get messy. The wrong person picks up a call, I can’t hear the people I’m on the phone with and so on. I feel the person I transfer the call to should take a few seconds to pick up the call and say “I will be with you shortly, can you please hold”. Is that to much to ask for? How would you respond to that situation? I have mentioned this to supervisors, but nothing has changed. Thank you for this article, It is most helpful.
Peggy: Thank you for the inquiry. There are some situations that must be established as company-wide telephone guidelines from the “top” executives. I know in the hospitality industry it is a policy that all calls must be answered within 3 or 4 rings and as best as possible there is always a designated person or at least two people on duty in a department to help take incoming calls. In your case, working with therapists, unless they are in a private session and no one else is in that department that day, perhaps it could be asked of them to interrupt (for a brief period) what they are doing to take calls and to take a message quickly. Also as the main operator it is also important for this person to be as well versed about the entire operations of the company as possible in order to best direct someone with questions to the right department. You are doing well in always trying to engage the right department before fully connecting the call. Beyond this there are several other possibilities to try to better remedy this situation if you want to contact me directly by telephone at 415-346-3665. Hope this helps.
Nice, comprehensive article.
I just started working as Administrative Assistant, so Im constantly transferring calls. My question is, what is the polite way to tell the caller that im going to put him on hold while I reach for the person they’re looking for?
Ariadna: The best way to place a caller on hold is to simply say: “One moment please, while I transfer the/your call.” “One moment please, while I locate the person you are calling.” Never say “Hang on” or even “one minute.” A minute is a specified period the caller may think is too long.
When I place a person on hold I have always said, “Give me one brief moment, while I transfer your call.” Is this appropriate?
Lourdes: I cannot find fault in the phrase you wrote; however, I do find it a bit wordy. Why not simply say, “One moment please as I transfer your call.” It’s at least two fewer words.
nice and to the point
I am training on my communication skills. My English is very weak,and people make fun of me.. But recently I read your article. Your tips are really helpful.
I may not face my seniors and converse with them, but at least I now have the confidence to converse with them on telephone.. Thankyou.
Dear Syndi.. I am an Engineering student. My personal contact number got leaked in my college and now i get lots of wrong numbers. some people also irritate me by calling me at night. I don’t even know them. I cannot react rudely as they might be my batch seniors who we cannot mess up with. So how should I deal with them?
Dear Neha: This is indeed a difficult situation. I can only imagine how annoying it must be. What’s important is to see if you can get to the source of the incorrect listing to get them to delete your incorrect number. Ask callers how they got the number and who they are trying to reach? Among other suggestions might be to keep your phone on silent mode, especially at night and for close friends to text you whenever they want to speak and you can call them back. This is no way to live, I understand. Beyond this, I truly don’t have much more to say, beyond change your number… which none of us would enjoy doing, for sure.
i am a tellcaller in an educational services there how i should conveyd the student to came down to the office.nd how i should speak with them so the student is not interested also they should say k i will try.plz help me.
Ayesha: I am told the best way to get someone to be interested in the products or services you want to sell is to share how you can help them overcome “pains” they may have and share the benefits they will gain from having your service. What you must not do is “tell or sell” them how good your service is; rather you can only “compel” them to want what they will “gain” from the investment. Good luck!
Hi Ayesha ,,,
Here its Shakthi ,
I Dont Know Whether My idea can Change the Way ,
Anyway , U First Tell them Where Are You Calling From ,
Then U have to Pour the Importance of the call Or the Reason For Your Call .
Then You Distinguish the Things to them .
May be it will Work Out For You …..
I think Soo .
Please Revert Through the Mail . if ther any further Clarification .
sakthi.mano@rediffmial.com
Syndi,
Hello. I have noticed more and more folks answering incoming calls by letting their speaker pick it up. Am I the only one that finds this annoying and rude? I feel you should answer the phone via hand receiver, then if there is a need to move to speaker do so after you let the caller know what action you are doing. Am I totally off key here? It just seems very unprofessional.
Thanks in advance for your guidance on this issue.
Shelly: Yes, times they are a changin’. Bad me… I admit I used to work for a company where I often answered my phone using the speaker phone. The difference is once I heard who it was I would pick up the receiver to continue the conversation. If it was a solicitation call, I would say I am busy in a meeting and would get them off quickly. When an internal call from a co-working, it often helped to be hands free to get a file, etc. to answer their questions. Lastly when easily hitting the speaker phone button, the phone answered much more quickly than letting it continue to ring extra times when finishing that last email sentence, etc. Absent of my past explanations, I do agree with you a person should always as best as they can answer calls by picking up the receiver, versus using the speakerphone.
What if a person prospective customer calls your office phone and after introducing your company the person seem timid. Should you call back to find out what the person needs,?
Wayne: I am unclear what you meant by “timid.” Did the person hang up before you were able to hold any conversation? Or, did the person become timid during a conversation and hung up? If the person totally hung up before any conversation took place and you have the interest and time to call back, that’s fine. I’ve done it by saying: “Hello, Did you just call Syndi Seid and Advanced Etiquette? The call was disconnected before we could speak so I thought I would call back.” However, if the caller hung up after any conversation, not matter the reason, you must leave it alone and not call back. If you do, it could be considered as hounding for business???
I want to know is it right to use the word “Am I disturbing you or Can I disturb you?” if you really wanted to speak to the person for a business call. What is the right usage? I have heard some asking permission like ” Is it a good time to speak to you”, which is a closed ended question and most likely the answer may be NO…Call me later……Can I have a clarity on this especially when it is a business call.
Mahesh: It’s OK to ask “Am I disturbing you?” However, in my mind a person should not answer the phone if they are going to be disturbed. Almost everyone has voicemail these days. To say “Can I disturb you” should not be asked. “Is this a good time to speak with you?” is acceptable. However, the phrase I use most regularly is “Have I caught you at a good time to talk?” Then I also sometimes tell them why I am calling. “I just have one quick question to ask.” Good luck!
Hi there ,
This is Sakthi , i just want to know that, if there any rules or to take call from the Caller within a Certain Rings .. if we don’t have a phone with us means, we cant take that, is it a manner???
Sakthi: There is no hard “rule” as to the number of rings a person must answer a call; however, because of standard answering machine settings from way back in time, most machine setting are within 4 rings. Therefore to me it has become somewhat standardized that calls should be answered within 3 to maximum 4 rings. For businesses calls should be answered within 2-3 rings.
Some of these telephone etiquette tips like not allowing yourself to be distracted by other activities while speaking on the phone, reminded me of the time I worked at a call center and random things would happen. By the end of my time there, I learned the art of focusing on my work. It also made me wonder who was their telephone service provider and how did it cost.
What is the suggested manner for excusing yourself from one call to pick up another and place it on hold?
Kaelie: A typical phrase is begin by saying: One moment please… and end with what is about to take place.
CS: A agree customers love consistency; however, keep in mind uniformity should never sound like “canned speeches.” Calls should also be consistently personable and genuine. Delivering great telephone service will bring about trust and appreciation in your quality of service.
I just read your article about phone etiquette. A woman asked how
to answer a call the correct way, especially when answering a call from a angry
person. Can you please send me the 2 articles you referred to? I just got a new job that will be starting this week. It is with a company that handles repossessions. I will in deed be taking calls from unhappy customers, so I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me do a good job, to know how to handle them better. I’ve never done this kind of job before. Thank you.
LB: I commend you for wanting to seek out resources to help you do what’s best for your job. There are many great resources on the Internet that can help you learn good phrases to use when conversing with someone by telephone or in person. Regrettably, unless I have specific examples of what you want to have resolved, it is impossible for me to suggest any remedies. Best wishes to you in your work.
This is very helpful!!!!! I will use this during all my student/teacher calls!!!!!!1
Thank you for sharing this. You can have X number of years of experience dealing with clients on the phone but it is always great to review a few tips. I have a few clients in Ghana, so when I make my phone calls to them, I make sure to speak clearly so they can understand me. Planning what you are going to say and talk about before the phone call is crucial. Loved this article, I will be sharing this article.
I do consider all the ideas you have introduced to your post.
They’re really convincing and will definitely work. Still, the posts are very short for starters.
May you please lengthen them a bit from subsequent time?
Thank you for the post.
Dina: It is never easy to please everyone all the time. I’ve had comments our posts are too long and you are saying they are too short. We attempt to provide just enough to get folks going. If you have additional questions you want addressed, let me know. Perhaps we’ll publish a Part 2???
very good.. I’m going to use this tips… thanks for this…
If I didn’t hear the name of the caller for the second time. can I ask it again or is there anything can I ask to know his/ Her name. sometimes when we asked for their names for the second time they got angry. Please tell me a solution???
Tutu: One way I ask a caller for their name a second time (because I didn’t hear it correctly the first time) is to ask, “Would you please spell your name for me? I want to learn how to pronounce it correctly when announcing your call?”
How to give demo intro with a client via skype. I had demo with client, actually It was my first demo but it was not upto the level.. before starting the demo how to interact with the client…
Priyanka: You should always introduce yourself on all calls, whether on Skype or otherwise. For me, I simply say, Hello, my name is Syndi Seid from Advanced Etiquette and I’m most pleased we are able to connect on Skype. As you know… continue from there. Sometimes I also share I’m calling from San Francisco, California in the U.S. Hope this helps… Please let me know if you have other specific questions you want addressed. Good luck!
how do i response to caller when my boss insist to answer their call?
Bigcat: One way to handle a call that’s intended for one person and another person will be taking the call: “Ms. Jones, I know you asked to speak with X; however, I am transferring you to Mr. Smith, our supervisor who will take your call. One moment please.”
What is the best way to greet someone on the phone? We usually say “how are you today?” before we start talking about the reason for the call. What are the other questions we can ask to encourage rapport or to set off the right mood for the conversation?
Liz: Personally I dislike being asked How are you, knowing very well it’s only a “filler” question and the person truly isn’t interested in knowing how my day is going. I highly recommend not using it. Instead, what’s important is to sound professional. One idea is to confirm the correct name of the person you are calling… “Hello, is this Jane Doe?” Answer: Yes. “Great. My name is Liz Jones and I’m calling you today to…” This shows you are not wasting a person’s time and are getting to the point of the call. Any time I hear “how are you today” I know it’s a sales call and I am totally turned off, thinking this person “is totally wasting my time.” Rather, if you get to the point professionally, with a clear speaking voice, I will listen better, even if I don’t want what is being sold. Good luck!
Recently have had conversations with friends who are using hands free home or cell phones and are performing tasks such as eating, shuffling papers, putting away items or having third party conversations. I know this is not correct phone etiquette but what is the best way to handle the situation. Should I say let me call you back when you aren’t busy? Most of these friends I no longer reach by phone but rather by email. Help.
Barbara: This is indeed a tough one. Yet, I have known myself to be most candid in informing the person I can hear them chewing food or shuffling papers in the background. I have also attempted to be more subtle about it, asking: Jane, from where are you calling? Answer: My office. “Oh, I wasn’t sure if you were in a large room somewhere, because I hear a lot of noise in the background.”
My niece empties the dishwasher while talking on the phone, banging dishes, then all kinds of kitchen noises – it's awful! I've told her to call me when she can sit still and just talk like a normal courteous person. She says, "Well, I'm always so busy – you'll never hear from me, if that's what you want." She can be really rude, but doesn't seem to realize it. I said it bothers me so much, because I hear the noise over her voice and have to ask her to repeat what she just said. Her answer: You're the ONLY person who minds this." I DREAD having to answer her calls.
Hello Jean: This is a prime example of being considerate of others, especially when a request is important to the other individual. In my view, there are many activities a perso can do while talking on the phone, i.e. folding laundry, or to reduce the noise by slowly and quietly moving noisy items from one place to the other. “It’s not what you do; but how you do it.” The choices are clear: A) The niece can ‘choose’ to be considerate by taking time to call when “not” performing noisy activities: B) The niece only calls when performing unnoisy activities out of consideration, i.e. folding laundry, watching a pot boil…, LOL!!!; C) Choose to be less adamant about everyone else having to maintain a one-way relationship of “my way or the highway, and regardless of the request not having been requested from anyone else. Conclusion: Life is all about compromise. We must all be flexible… “Where there is a will; there is a way.” Conversely, the Aunt can choose to tolerate the noise (albeit it has been made clear, it is a most sensitive issue to hearing well), or not take the niece’s calls. Both are not pleasant options in my view. Good luck!
Hi, how do i express following ideas properly to the caller
Who is this
Call back later
She is still out of the office
Hold on
Udika: No one should have to ask, Who is this? All callers should announce themselves at the onset of the call… “Hello, my name is Syndi Seid, may I please speak with…” When asked Call back later: You may ask: What time do you suggest will be best to call back? Would calling back at 1 or 2pm be good? When they say, she is still out of the office, the same question applies: Do you have an approximate time you think she will be back? Saying “hold on” is never appropriate. When it is said, all you can do is wait. The better phrase to have said is: One moment please.
When I am talking to a business person or a friend on the phone, my husband is on a phone in another room listening. I am not aware of this until he enters the conversation and then both the person I am talking to and myself are startled. I think it is rude and I fell embarrassed. I’ll say, “That’s John on the line” and then go on with the conversation. We then have a 3-way conversation going on.
He’s not spying on me – perhaps he has picked up the phone at the same time as me and decides to be on the line as the topic (usually business) involves both of us. But he doesn’t introduce himself or let me or the person I am talking to know that he is there. The spying is one issue, but I also get the feeling that he wants to be there to correct or embellish whatever I say – as if I am not competent to handle the subject.
I have talked to him about this and have told him I think this is rude and I don’t like it. What’s your opinion?
Susan: It is never “etiquette” to be on a call without announcing yourself as being on the line… period! Example: I was once on a business call with one person when suddenly another person started talking. It surprised me, yet I let it go, until yet another person started talking. I then interjected: “Gosh, I had no idea this was a conference call… how many of you are there on this call? The answer was four on their end. The primary caller never mentioned there were three other people on our call, which he should have mentioned from the start.
Syndi; If the customer using bad word on the call so how we handle this because we also human being?
Anurag: The way I’ve handled someone using bad words with me is: “Sir, please forgive me, I don’t prefer having to hear such language and promise not to speak to you in the same way. May we please proceed in a normal speaking voice?” Often people who use fowl language have a difficult time speaking normally, yet all you can do is try to calm them down. Good luck!
Hello,I need to know best way to paraphrase,what customer says??
Raj: Your question is a good one. There are many ways to re-convey what a customer has said. It often also depends on the situation, what exact style and words you might use. Here’s just a couple of ways… “So let me paraphrase what I think I heard or what I think you said…” So, here’s what I think you are trying to ask of me… is this correct? If you have a specific situation, please send it to me so I can be more specific in my response. Good luck!
When I am talking on the phone, I do not like others to walk into my space and stand there in some manner of anticipation. It creates a situation where my attention is divided and I feel that I am being hurried to finish. What do you suggest as the proper manners in a situation like this?
Hello Mike: My best suggestions are:
A. Pre-print some small 1/4-page sheets that say:
Thanks for stopping by. Since I may be a while on this call, please list info so I can get back to you right after this call:
Subject:
Name:
Date/Time:
Tel.:
Circle: Stop by your desk — Call you back
Thank you!
B. You have pre-printed sheets you will fill out and show the person…
Date/Time
Name
I will get back to you when I get off this call,”
C. Least favorite: Put the caller on a 30-sec hold to say to the person: “I may be a while, please let me either stop by your desk or I will call you when I’m finished with this call.” The person could chime in to ask you the “one quick question” they want answered, which is never quick.
Hope these ideas helps… I’ve done them all myself.
My friend has been having a hard time accepting all of the calls for his business. I'll make sure that he gets a professional to help out with that kind of thing! He could benefit from having someone who can answer calls professionally.
I appreciate you finding our post and taking time to post a comment on telephone etiquette. We have conducted seminars on this topic. If your friend want a couple more tips, happy to arrange a 30-minute free consultation call. Log onto our home page to book the appointment. http://Www.advanceedetiquette.com. Happy to help as possible.
Great tips ,speaking clearly and slowly is very important. Thank u.
Deshpande: Glad you enjoyed this post. We have others on telephone etiquette. Please email info@advancedetiquette.com with questions; I’ll be happy to share what I have. Yes, speaking slowly on voicemail is the key to being heard and understood. Happy Practicing!
I missed a call from a prospective employer, but they did not leave a message. I googled the number and found it was a place where I'd applied for a job.
Should I call them back, or would they have said so if they wanted me to?
An afternoon has gone by now, and they haven't called again.
Thank you,
Kate
Kate: First, please forgive me for not replying more timely. My system didn’t alert me a comment had arrived, only seeing it now.
My response, in general, is always to reply to calls you deem important. It’s not what you do, but how you do it that counts.
Although time has passed and your situation may be resolved, here’s a response, anyway: I would call the employer back (even now if you haven’t done yet communicated) and state you noticed via Caller ID a call came from their office number. Ask for confirmation this was the case. If the employer says yes, ask for what purpose the call was placed? If the employer says no, then proceed with saying you noticed the call show up and was calling back to learn what it was about… because you had once applied for a position there and still would very much like to work for the company, and if that position is still open, or if other positions are available. Last, request your resume be kept on file for any other future opportunities to be contacted to submit a new application. The key is always to do investigative questioning before showing jumping the gun in your comments. Keep all comments positive, and to spin all comments away from sounding negative. Good luck!
Thanks Sydi! I just found your reply. Will keep your advice for future reference. I did decide to call them back, and they asked me for an interview, which I attended, but did not ultimately get the job (not that they bothered to let me know!)
Kate:
It is regrettable most companies say they are too busy and had too many applicants to alert them all when they have made a decision to hire someone else.
Keep in mind the companies who do make the effort to send a message (even a generic e-blast) to all candidates who applied, and were not hired, are the winners in my mind. It shows they respect and understand how stressful job seeking is, especially when being on hold for long periods. All the best!
I totally agree when you said that there shouldn't be distractions when you have a phone call. As you said, there shouldn't be a side conversation while talking to someone over the phone. I will keep that in mind and tell my children about it since we plan to get a home phone this year so that we can be easily contacted due to having low signals in our cellphones at times.
Mia: I appreciated you taking a moment to submit a comment on this post. Please feel free to contact me any time you have further questions on this topic. I always enjoy hearing from folks who have read a post. Happy Practicing!
(1) Always identify yourself at the beginning of all calls.
(2) Be sensitive to the tone of your voice.
(3) Do not allow yourself to be distracted by other activities while speaking on the telephone.
Mary: You got it! Thank you! Happy Practicing!
nice and informative blog!!
Very information article.
Really exited article. Nice reading this and enjoyed a lot.
Thanks for this wonderful post
To acknowledge that he or she is on the line, the person receiving the call must speak first. The response should be brief and focused on determining who the caller is and who the caller wishes to speak with. If the calle is correct, it advances when the caller identifies who he or she is and who they wish to speak with.
Cliff: With the exception of grammatical errors, you are correct. Thank you!
The information you have shared in this blog is really helpful to many citizens like us . Learning what you should and shouldn't do when using the phone is really important to survive in this competitive world. Thank you so much for sharing such useful information. Looking forward to read more blogs of communication Etiquettes on your website.
Hello Jessica: Thank you for taking the time to write. Yes, we are in the process of resuming new monthly etiquette tips on various topics. No matter where you are in the world, and everyone seeing this post, please sign up to receive our Tips at http://www.AdvancedEtiquette.com/blog. We’d love to add new subscribers to our ever-growing global family of etiquette enthusiasts.
I'm preparing for a conference call with my boss and a half-dozen other colleagues. It's my first big presentation, and I'm a little nervous. What do I need to do to make sure the conference call goes well?
Hello! Please forgive the tardy response. The top three tips I provide everyone when about to attend an important meeting by telephone are
1) Take 10-15 minutes before the meeting to get into a calm place in your mind and body; assemble all the supplies you will need for the meeting, including a pen and paper for notes, a glass of water, or a beverage that is not overly cold (Iced drinks freeze up your vocal cords);
2) Sit up straight or be standing to allow your voice from the moment you enter the call to the end to be as full sounding, upbeat, positive, and friendly.
3) If it’s a telephone job interview or a meeting on a particular topic/subject, take ample time to anticipate and think through the questions and discussion points likely to be asked and be prepared with a reasonable response.
ultimately, Always take at least 8 minutes following the call to assess how you thought it went. Review the questions and topics you addressed well and poorly as a way to grow and hone your speaking skills.
Good luck!