Telephone Etiquettes

Smile, while talking on the phone trust me it shows! You are the voice of the organization. Always get it “RIGHT’. R – Respond promptly I – Identify yourself clearly G – Go out of your way to help. H – Hear & hear carefully T – Terminate politely Some situations: 1). If you are placing a call on hold, always say, “allow me to place your call on hold”. 2). If the person whom the caller had called up is not available always – a) Inform that the person called is not around. b) Take down the message. c) Take down his name, contact no. d) Ask the caller if he / she would like to speak with anyone else. e) Always sign off with wishing according to time. Some polite phrases: 1) No problem – This will be taken care of. 2) Please wait / just a minute / hold on – Let me check it for you, Sir / Ma’am. 3) You misunderstood me – I am sorry, I wasn’t clear. 4) Yeah / ya – yes Sir / Madam 5) See you – Have a nice day. 6) Bye bye – Thank you for calling 7) Hello – good morning, admin office. 8) Just a second – kindly hold the line sir / ma’am 9) Can I – may I? 10) Who is on the line – who shall I say is calling? 11) Do you have a problem – How may I help you? 12) OK / right – very well Sir / Ma’am 13) Sure – Certainly / most certainly, Sir / Ma’am 14) I don’t know – I will be glad to find out and let you know. 15) Who is speaking – May I know, with whom I am speaking to?

Wonder words: PLEASE THANK YOU KINDLY I AM GLAD TO BE OF SERVICE Tips on Telephone Etiquettes for FRONT OFFICE: 1. When you make a phone call, tell the person whom you wish to speak and while asking for the person use polite words such as "May I please speak to so and so" don't use phrase "Who's that"? 2. Greet and introduce yourself and the organization / department. 3. If the desired person is not available leave the message. Do not forget to note down the person's name that took the message. 4. In case, the called person fails to introduce himself, ask politely, who is speaking on the other end? 5. Avoid assuming that you are aware of the person speaking. 6. Listen carefully, do not interrupt unless necessary. 7. Convey all the telephonic messages received, without fail to persons concerned. 8. Always keep the receiver in its cradle. 9. Keep the conversation brief. 10. Always give the appropriate answer. 11. Do not demonstrate your annoyance on interruption while you are talking over the phone. 12. Do not keep the phone engaged unnecessarily, because someone may be trying to contact in an emergency. 13. Be sensitive to the circumstances of your caller. 14. Do not carry your attitude in your voice, e.g. if you are angry or are laughing, don't carry this tone on the phone. 15. Always have all the telephone numbers of the related departments / organizations, and keep a writing pad and pen near the telephone.

16. Jot points to be asked before you call lest you forget and keep pondering what information you wanted. 17. No personal calls should be entertained in duty time . 18. Avoid gossiping with colleagues within the organization over the phone. 19. Do not listen to the conversation on the parallel line. 20. Treat the call as if it were a meeting - have a purpose, and an agenda. 21. Learn the names of the people who answer the phones at the numbers you call most frequently. Speak pleasantly to them, and if you talk to them very frequently, send them a card or gift on their birthday or over the holidays Dos and don'ts  Do not type or shuffle paper while you are on the phone - it suggests that you are not listening to the caller.  If you have to put the phone down, do it gently to spare your caller's ear.  Rid your mouth of food, gum, cough drops, or candy before talking on the phone the receiver amplifies your noshing.  If you have to sneeze or cough, turn your head and cover your mouth - and the receiver.  Speak directly into the receiver - don't bury it in your shoulder or neck.  If you dial the wrong number, explain yourself and verify the phone number so you don't repeat the call. Don't hang up; that's just rude.  Cut down on the background noise when taking or making a call. Radios, televisions, and even computer bings and bleeps can be distracting over the phone. While young, we were- taught certain values and etiquettes, fostered by our elders and teachers. By the time we grew, had our own set of values and etiquettes, but rarely take seriously. Therefore, telephone etiquettes should be emphasised from the beginning of learning till one becomes a hospitality professional.

We’ve all heard about them from the time we were very young- manners, manners, manners. Mothers all over the globe do what they can to instill some kind of proper etiquette in their children and many succeed. However when many people use the telephone, etiquette seems to disappear. Not only that, but it isn’t uncommon for someone to experience poor business telephone etiquette. When a person contacts a business and they don’t use proper telephone etiquette, the business will most likely loose customers. Talking on the telephone is no different than speaking with someone in person, but for some reason a piece of electronic equipment between the mouth and the ear tends to make people forget that there is such a thing as phone etiquette. One of the most common situations where we immediately forget any kind of telephone etiquette is when a salesperson calls on the phone. Our initial reaction is that the telephone call is unsolicited and unwanted. Why should we be polite to a businessperson that is interrupting our personal time with an uninvited phone call? Well we wouldn’t verbally assault the perfume sample dispenser in a department store, but they are doing the same thing the person on the phone is doing- selling a product. The person on the phone is just as human and deserves to be treated with courtesy. Not to mention it is far easier to simply say “No, thank you” and “Good-bye” than getting worked up and feeling guilty later on. Since many of us seem to have forgotten telephone etiquettes, here are a few telephone etiquette tips as an update to skills that are quite natural in many of us. Always answer the phone by saying, “Hello” and not any other greeting. If the person who has been requested is not available, simply state that he or she “is not available at this time. May I take a message?” Not only does the person on the other end of the phone have a good impression about you, that feeling will apply to the person they are calling for as well. Always be quick and to the point while remaining pleasant during a phone call. Friends and family will continue with a telephone conversation if they have time, otherwise they are not likely to rush you off of the phone no matter how busy they are. No one is perfect, so if you dial a wrong phone number state your mistake, apologize and hang up the phone. Businesses are beginning to realize that without providing telephone etiquette training, many employees are offending or even angering customers on the phone. New hires are often presented with a guide for telephone etiquette and some may even have to go to professional telephone etiquette training. Proper phone etiquette is important at both a personal and professional level. Being polite on the telephone is just as important as when speaking with someone in person. You might be surprised at how good you feel about yourself if you use proper telephone etiquette and the positive responses received while talking on the phone.