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Telephone Etiquette Notes

Using Your Communication Skills Speaking clearly, listening actively, and using correct grammar are essential skills in

communicating successfully and in projecting a professional image, and this is especially true in

telephone communications.

Speak Clearly You must at all times, speak clearly and in a positive tone. If you do not speak clearly, the

customer can become frustrated with the conversation and be left with an unprofessional image

of your company. Because we cannot rely on non-verbal expressions when we are speaking on

the telephone, our tone and words must be especially clear to communicate effectively.

Your voice in now an asset for you at all times and under all circumstances. The better you

sound, the better you and your company are perceived. The voice you project is determined by

how well you can demonstrate the following elements:

Volume

Speak as though you were talking to someone across the desk from you. Of course, if the

caller is having difficulty hearing you, you may have to adjust your speech volume to

accommodate the caller.

Rate of Speed

When you speak too quickly, you end up running your words together. Speak distinctly at

a rate that is neither too fast nor too slow. Speaking at the proper rate will enable you to

appear confident and poised; professional. Plus, the caller will not be able to understand

you if you talk too rapidly and may ask you to repeat the information. You want to avoid

speaking at a fast pace when greeting your caller. Because, you end up having to repeat

the introduction several times before they understand you.

Inflection

The term inflection means to vary the tone of your voice to bring out the meaning in what

you say and add emphasis to what is being said.

Quality

Let your voice show that you have a smile on your face, that you are courteous and

enthusiastic, and that you are ready and willing to help the caller. If you need help with

adding a smile while talking on the telephone, add a small mirror to your desk area or stick

a smiley face on your telephone. A voice that conveys a smile will project an image of a

courteous and enthusiastic worker who is ready and willing to help – a professional image.

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Pronunciation

Correct pronunciation of words is critical for understanding. Proper enunciation is also

important. When you enunciate effectively you pronounce words clearly and distinctly.

For example:

You should use the following;

“would you” instead of “wouldja”

“give me” instead of “gimme”

“want to” instead of “wanna”

“interview” instead of “innerview”

“what do you” instead of “whaddaya”

“going to” instead of “gonna”

In today’s global economy, you will find that many people speak with a regional accent.

An accent involves a certain rhythm, speed, and pronunciation of vowels that is native to

an area. You may even have an accent and may not even be aware of it.

Always remember:

Pronounce words correctly and enunciate clearly

Speak slowly, but not so slowly that you insult or annoy the caller

Avoid long words, complicated phrases, or long sentences

If you are unsure of any word’s pronunciation, look it up in a dictionary or an

online dictionary.

Distort Sounds

In particular dialects of English, some people will transpose letters in certain words to

distort sounds. For example, someone may say, “May I ax ya a question?” Of course, the

correct word is ask, not ax.

Omit Sounds

For instance, the r in February has been dropped so the month is almost always

pronounced as Febuary.

Listen Actively Effective listening is active rather than passive. In passive listening, you absorb the information

given. If the caller provides a clear message and makes it interesting enough to keep you attention,

you will probably get most of what the caller intended to communicate. Active listening requires

you to understand the message from the caller’s point of view. Hearing is easy; but active listening

is hard work. To be an active listener, you must focus on the following elements; concentration,

empathy, acceptance, and responsibility.

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Concentration

You must be engaged in active listening – that is, really concentrating and asking questions

of the caller. If you are not engaged in the listening process, the mind tends to wander

because it does not have enough to keep it engaged.

Ask open ended questions that cannot be answered with “yes” or “no’

Concentrate on what the caller is saying, not what your next response will be

Eliminate distractions while talking with the caller

Empathy

To demonstrate empathy, one must try to understand what the caller wants to

communicate rather than what you want to understand. In other words, you put yourself

in the caller’s shoes.

Hold your thoughts and feelings while the caller is explaining

Validate the caller’s feelings and share their feelings about the issue at hand

o Í understand how you feel right now; you are frustrated and angry. I

would be too if I were in your situation.”

o “Gee, that is confusing; please let me help you with that…”

o “Of course, I would be upset too if that happened to me. As soon as we

end this call, I will…”

o “That is really disappointing. I can understand how you feel. When my

supervisor returns, I will…”

Acceptance

You must listen objectively without judging content until the caller is finished. When you

hear something you don’t agree with, you have a tendency to begin formulating mental

arguments to counter what is being said. In doing so, you often miss the rest of the message.

Listening objectively is a challenge; be alert to demonstrating acceptance.

Responsibility

As an active listener, take responsibility for completeness. That is, ask questions to gather

information to determine the intended meaning from the caller. Take notes to help you with

details of the conversation.

Use of Correct Grammar Along with speaking clearly and listening actively, using correct grammar helps project a

professional image. When you use incorrect grammar, you image, and that of your organization,

is at stake. That is, your use of poor grammar reflects negatively on your professionalism. You

must strengthen your grammar skills, including subject and verb agreement and sentence structure.

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Grammar

Grammar errors occur in many ways. For example, when the subject in a sentence does

not agree with the verb. For instance, “Our projections have steadily declined, “ not”…has

steadily declined.” In sentence structure, the following example would be written as “My

manager and his assistant are flying to both Seattle and San Francisco, “ not “…both to

Seattle and San Francisco.”

Jargon, Technical Terms, or Local Sayings

Use caution in choosing words to convey your meaning. People outside your company,

culture, and geographic location may not have the same level of understanding that you

have regarding the following phrases:

Phrases Translation

“Last week he was up a creek without a

paddle.”

He is in deep trouble.

“Run of the mill.” Common or ordinary

“As you know, it takes two to tango.” It takes at least two people to create the

situation.

“Oh, that happens once in a blue moon.” It rarely happens.

“They fouled up.” They made a mistake.

Making Productive Telephone Calls Your organization skills are evident when you can handle telephone calls in the most efficient

manner. Be mindful of the receiver of your call, who is busy and probably on “information

overload” as well. Being prepared send s the message that you are time conscious.

Be Prepared Before you place a call, assemble the materials you may need to refer to during the conversation.

Write down the questions you want to ask and comments you want to make. Be sure you have the

correct number and name of the person with whom you wish to speak.

Introduce Yourself A telephone conversation cannot begin until the caller knows that the correct number, department,

or persona has been reached.

If the first person you reach by telephone is the receptionist, give the extension number of

the person your are calling;

If you do not know the extension number, give the receptionist the person’s name and

department. Receptionist will often say the person’s extension number as they look it up;

others will give you a number if you request it. Write down extension numbers and add

them to your telephone card file or computer address book.

Give the person ample time to answer. Let the telephone ring at least four or five times. If

the person who answers is not the one with whom you wish to speak, ask for the person

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and identify yourself: “May I speak to Miss Rogers? This is Robin Carver of Sun City

Electric.”

When you do not need to speak to a particular person, make your request of the person who

answers. Although some people prefer to add a “good morning” or “good afternoon” to

their identification, others feel it is time consuming.

Conclude Calls Efficiently

Be mindful of the receiver of your call by concluding calls efficiently. To maintain your

professional image, end the call on a positive note. Here are a few tips to use when concluding

calls:

Use the receiver’s name.

Summarize comments, agreements, actions, and responsibilities.

Get agreement on the summary.

Thank the person for his/her time.

For example:

“Mr. Ortega, I understand the report will be completed by Monday, August 8, and you will send

to me by e-mail. I will review it and add my supervisor’s attachments and return the report to you

by this Friday. Is that correct?”

Leave Messages So many times people leave messages with only their name and telephone number. Sometimes, a

person leaves a message with just his or her first name, believing he or she is the only Roberto,

Maria, or Dante. If you cannot reach the person called, leave a complete message that includes the

following:

your first and last name;

company name;

reason or call;

telephone number including area code;

best time to return the call.

Receiving Telephone Calls Every time you answer the telephone, you are projecting the image of your organization. To the

caller, you are the organization. You must depend on your voice to project a pleasant, businesslike

attitude and to give the caller your full attention.

Handling income telephone calls requires skill in using proper telephone techniques and effective

procedures. When answering the telephone, you usually do not know who is calling or what the

caller wants. Your work may be interrupted, or you may have a visitor in your office. You should

know how to handle a variety of situations and take care of caller requests, needs and problems.

You have learned that your voice, your speaking skills, and your attitude all affect a caller’s

impression of you and your company. Your call may be an initial customer contact – the first time

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the customer has spoken with someone at your company. How well you handle the call may

determine, at least in part, whether the customer will do business with your company. Using proper

telephone techniques will help you make a positive impression.

Answer Promptly Answer all calls promptly and pleasantly. If possible, answer the telephone after the first ring, but

no later than the third or fourth ring. An unanswered telephone conveys an image of inefficiency.

However, do not lift the receiver and let the caller wait while you finish a conversation with

someone in the office – this is rude! When you reach for the receiver, have ready a pen and a

notepad or message form, also.

To be clearly understood, ensure that the mouthpiece or microphone is close to your lips, no more

than one inch away, and speak directly into it in a normal, conversational tone; use just enough

volume for your voice to be pleasant to the listener.

Identify Yourself Let the caller know that the right office has been reached. Your supervisor may tell you specifically

how the telephone should be answered. If your supervisor does not tell you, ask. It is courteous to

let the caller know who you are. To identify yourself, use both your first and last names.

Improper Responses Proper Responses

“Hello,” or “Yes?”

“Human Resources, Cheryl Sanchez.”

“Good morning. International Business

Electronics. Our company is number one in the

field of international electronic, product sales,

and service. Jane Goodall speaking. May I be

of help to you?”

“Good morning International Business

Electronics, Jane Goodall.”

“Hello, hold please? “Hello, this is International Business

Electronics. Can you hold, please?”

“Heh. This is Betty.” Ms. Sanchez’s office, Betty Koch speaking.”

Take Complete Messages There are seven essential elements in a complete telephone message:

1. The date and time of call. The time of the call is important; for instance, if your manager

talked with the caller at lunch, the manager needs to know if the call was made before or

after lunch.

2. The complete name of the caller, spelled correctly. Remember that your manager does not

know every Robert or Dana who calls. If you do not know how to spell the caller’s name,

ask him or her to spell it for you.

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3. The telephone number with area code. Some callers will say your manager or the person

for whom this call is intended has the number. You can simply explain you would like to

save your manager the time it would take to look it up the number. Larger cities may have

more than on area code. For example, the Dallas/Ft. Worth metropolitan area has 214, 972,

817, and 469.

4. The business name of the caller.

5. All pertinent information to help the person for whom the call was intended know what to

expect when returning the call.

6. Your initials. If you are the only person taking messages, initialing the form is not

necessary. It is necessary when there are several people in the office taking messages.

7. Always restate the message to ensure both you and the caller have recorded it accurately

and entirely.

Be Careful When Answering Calls for Others Be careful how you explain your supervisor’s and other coworkers’ absence from the office.

Simply say, “He is away from his/her desk at the moment. May I ask him/her to call you?”

or “He is not here at the moment. How may I help you?”

Avoid statements such as:

o “He is in Denver.”

o “He’s still at lunch.”

o “He is in the hospital.”

o “He hasn’t come in yet.”

o “He is in a conference.”

If your supervisor is out of town for a week or so, you might say,

o “Mr. Trejo is not in the office this week. How may I help you?”

o “Mr. Trejo is not in the office this week. Ms. Becky Brandon is assisting while Mr.

Trejo is away. May I transfer your call?”

Wait for a response. Give the caller the extension should there be other questions while

your supervisor is away from the office.

Know exactly whose telephones your are responsible for answering and when.

Determine how you are to interrupt your manager with a telephone message when he or

she is in a meeting.

Tell the caller that your manager is not available to answer a telephone call before you ask

who is calling. If you ask who is calling before you let the caller know your manager is not

available, the caller may think he/she personally is being screened.

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Transfer Calls Properly

Nothing is more frustrating than to be transferred from one department to another or two to three

times within a department. Transferring calls properly not only involves knowing how to use the

transfer feature on your telephone but also knowing who performs various functions within your

company. Your reputation is enhanced as an office professional if you can demonstrate your

proficiency in using the transfer feature.

Explain to the caller that you are going to transfer the call to someone else who will handle

the call. For example, you might say, “Mr. Jones in our purchasing department will be

able to help you rather than Ms. Rubio in our department. May I transfer your call to him?”

Be sure you transfer the call to the right person. Knowing who does what can provide you

with the information as to the appropriate person to handle a transfer call. Never transfer a

call on the speculation that the person to whom you are transferring the call might be

helpful.

Before you transfer the call, invite the caller to call you back if you have not referred him

or her to the right person. If the caller does call back, offer to locate the right person and

refer the request to that person.

Never say, “I will transfer you; if I you get disconnected, Mr. Trejo’s number is 555-5555.

I will transfer you now.” Give the caller the name and the telephone number of the person

to whom he/she is being transferred, so the caller can place the call again if he/she is

disconnected as you transfer the call.

If your department cannot handle the request and you do not know who should handle it,

tell the caller so. For example, you might say, “I don’t know the answer to your question;

I will be happy to make some inquiries. May I call you back in half an hour?” or “I need

to find out who has that information. May I call you back in half an hour?” Be sure to

follow through on your promise.

Limit transfers as much as possible. Callers often find themselves being transferred three

or four times. Imagine how frustrating this must be for them each time they must repeat

their story. In addition, three or four people will have been interrupted by calls they cannot

handle. When these callers reach you, stop the runaround. Offer to locate someone who

can help.

Answer a Second Line If two telephone lines are ringing at the same time, answer one and ask the caller if you may be excused

to answer the other line. For example:

“JM Hanks High School. This is Bernice. I have another call coming in. May I put you on

hold?”

Do not place the call on hold until the caller has given consents. Press the hold button and answer the

second call.

“JM Hanks High School. This is Bernice. I am on the other line. May I put you on hold?”

Then you place the call on hold and go back to the first call.

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“Thank you for holding, How may I direct your call?” or

“Thank you for holding. How may I help you?”

Distribute Messages Promptly

Delaying the delivery of messages to the appropriate people can cause costly and perhaps

embarrassing situations for your supervisor and coworkers.

Messages should be placed in a designated spot so they cannot be overlooked.

Avoid entering your supervisor’s work area to deliver messages when he/she is trying to

work without interruptions.

When receiving calls from individuals who have previously called and left messages with your

supervisor or coworkers, and they have not been returned, simply reply, “I will be sure your

message is delivered.”

Don’t just take the message, take the initiative. Most telephone messages can be handled by you

or your coworkers.

Screen Calls When screening calls, you are attempting to find out who is calling and what the caller wants.

“May I tell Ms. Rodriguez who is calling, please?”

“May I tell Ms. Rodriguez what you are calling about, please?”

There will be situations that come up where the caller will not want to give his/her name for one reason or

another. Remember that when screening calls, you want to determine what the caller wants. The reason

for this is:

Your supervisor is better prepared to help the caller if he/she knows the nature of the call;

Saves your supervisor time;

Assists the caller.

You never want to tell a caller “You don’t know.” This leaves the caller wondering what to do next.

Instead you can say:

“I don’t know the answer to your question, but I will ask Ms. Duran.” Or

“I will need to find out that information. May I call you back in about ten minutes?” Be sure to

get a number to call them back with and follow up.

Remember, if you really don’t know, it is your responsibility to find out or to ask for assistance from

some who does know.

Developing Effective Telephone Techniques You have probably at one point in time experienced poor etiquette on the telephone and you know this can

be a very frustrating experience for both parties. The following information should assist you in serving

your callers in a professional and positive manner.

Be Courteous Always remember how you have felt when someone was rude, short or indifferent to you on the telephone.

How did you feel? What kind of impact did that experience have on you? What impression did you have

about the person and that particular company?

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A company’s leaders expect their employees to be courteous so they will not irritate or worse, lose

customers.

What does it mean to be courteous? It means demonstrating…

good manners

politeness

diplomacy

Ways to demonstrate courteousness:

Greetings

o A greeting is a courtesy and how you answer the phone can make all the difference to a

customer.

o “Good morning/afternoon, ABC Pesticide, this is Bonnie. How may I assist you?”

Listen Actively

o Listening is an essential element in effective telephone use.

o If the caller interrupts you, allow the caller to talk.

o Do not permit the caller to complete a long explanation if he/she has reached the wrong

office. You should politely interrupt by saying…

“Excuse me, I believe you should speak to someone in the _______________

Department. The number for that department is ___________________. Would

you like me to transfer you?”

Obtaining Information

o When you have to place the caller on hold to obtain information, explain why and how

long it will take.

o Give the caller a choice:

Ask whether the caller would prefer

To wait

To be called back

If the caller chooses to wait, avoid a wait of more than two minutes.

When you return to the caller who is on hold, always thank them or waiting.

If it looks like it will take longer, return to the caller and let them know it is going

to a little bit longer and ask them if you can call them back.

Manners

o During telephone conversations, use “please,” “thank you,” and other courteous phrases.

o At appropriate times, use the caller’s name

Wrong Numbers

o If the caller has dialed the wrong number, be especially courteous.

Ask them if you can help locate the correct number.

o Remember, they could be a potential customer or an already existing customer.

Ending a Call

o The person who initiates the call, should end the call.

o Bring the call to an end by thanking the person for calling

o Suggest that you will give the message to your supervisor

o Do not end abruptly

o Close with “Good-bye” or “Bye.”

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Be Considerate When Using Speakerphones When using the speakerphone in an office environment there are a few things to keep in mind.

Never use the speakerphone mode in noisy environments.

Never use the speakerphone for confidential information being discussed.

Always let the other person or group of people know you are using the speakerphone.

Ask the person if the reception is clear before you begin any conversation.

Let the person know who is in the room.

Avoid shuffling papers or moving items on your desk because the speakerphone is sensitive to

noise.

Handle Angry Callers When handling angry callers, you have to remember that anger is a secondary emotion. By this I mean,

that the caller is angry, he/she usually is not mad at, only at the situation. Don’t ever take it personally.

Some other emotion, called a primary emotion, always precedes anger, even though you may not be

aware of it. Specifically, before the caller feels angry, he/she perceives a threat of loss or an actual loss of

something that is important.

People often cover up primary emotions in order to defend or protect themselves. The negative primary

emotions, such as, disappointment, confusion, pressure, do not feel so good. So in order to relieve the

discomfort, people use secondary emotions (irritation and anger) to shift the focus from themselves to

others, usually blaming or criticizing them.

As an office professional you must respond in a professional manner regardless of the caller’s behavior.

No matter what happens, avoid the following:

Hastily and/or unnecessarily transferring an angry caller to an unsuspecting coworker;

Ignoring an angry customer while he/she while he/she “talks it out and calms down”

Telling an angry caller, “Calm down” or “Don’t be upset”

Promising to call back and ten either failing to do so or allowing three or four days to pass

without returning the call.

Here are some tips to use when handling an angry caller:

1. Deal with the feelings first.

a. Show understanding.

b. Provide feedback.

c. Summarize the situation.

2. Deal with the situation.

a. Find out what the caller wants.

b. If it is not possible to do what the person wants, suggest alternatives.

c. Share information.

d. Agree on a solution.

e. Follow up.

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Return Telephone Calls Promptly You want the reputation of someone who returns calls in a timely manner. Establish a procedure for

returning calls.

Group and return calls before lunch

Group and return calls after lunch

Group and return calls before you leave for work

Become aware of routines with frequent callers, so you can determine the best times in which to return

calls. Be sure to check your messages frequently.

Check Message Frequently Individuals may be trying to contact you or your supervisor to provide information or ask questions so they

can resolve a situation. If you are away from your desk on a regular basis, develop a routine for checking

your messages frequently.

Always check messages when you first arrive at work

Check messages after returning from meetings

Check messages prior to lunch and after returning from lunch.

Check them before you leave work in the evening

Avoid Telephone Tag Although the use of email has increased, people still prefer to use the telephone and should do so, depending

on the situation. However, people play telephone tag, phoning back and forth trying to reach each other

without success. To avoid this try using these suggestions:

1. If possible, gain enough information from your supervisor to learn of his/her availability.

a. Example: If you and your supervisor can view each other’s electronic calendar, you can

check his/her availability.

2. Consider other options: Sending an email or fax.

3. Determine if you can locate the information for another person or from another source rather than

waiting on the person you have been trying to call for the past two or three days.

Cellular Service Cellular (cell) telephones are everywhere. They offer convenient and flexible communication. As the

technology has provided this convenience, it has also created issues. With all the technology available at

the touch of a button, it is important to address cell telephone etiquette. Here are a few guidelines to

follow:

Never talk in public places, such as elevators, restaurants, churches, and libraries.

Don’t use loud and annoying tones.

Never accept calls while you are in a meeting, in an interview, or in a doctor’s office.

Unless you are waiting on an emergency call, do not place your cell phone on your desk. You

want your supervisor to see you concentrate on your job tasks, not on your incoming personal

telephone calls.