Telephone Manners

െടലേഫാൺ മര ാദകൾ-ഓഫീസിൽ*

How to Practice Telephone Etiquette and Manners Few examples from daily life. Al Jaber motors good morning, how may I assist you( how can I help you ?) or Good morning Al Jaber motors, how may I assist you( how can I help you ?)

A:Good afternoon, Omars Inn, may I help you? B:Extension 237 please. A:I'm sorry, the line's busy, will you hold? B:Yes, I'll hold. A. Could I speak to Mr.Basheer please? B. I'm sorry, he's in a meeting at the moment. A. Do you know when he'll be back? B. He should be back around four. Can I take a message? A. Yes, please ask him to call Kumar on 629 3478 B. 629 3478, right? A. That's right. B. OK, I'll see he gets your message.

1. Hello. This is Thomas. May I speak to Ms Sunitha, please? 2. Hold the line a moment, I'll check if she is in her office. 1. Thank you. 2. (after a moment) Yes, Ms Sunitha is in. I'll put you through. 1. Hello, this is Ms Sunitha. How can I help you? 2. Hello, my name is Thomas and I'm calling to enquire about the position advertised in Times of India. 1. Yes, the position is still open. Could I have your name and number please? 2. Certainly, My name is Thomas K.John and my mobile no. is 2244365 On the telephone, use 'this is...' instead of 'I am'. A. Hello, Could I speak to Muneer, please? B. Who's calling, please? A. This is Rasheed. I'm a friend of Muneer. B. Hold the line, please. I'll put your call through. (after a moment) - I'm afraid he's out at the moment. Can I take a message? A. Yes. Can you ask him to give me a call? My number is 345-8965 B. Could you repeat that, please?

A. Certainly. That's 345-8965 B. OK. I'll make sure Mr.Muneer gets your message. Thank you. Goodbye. A. Goodbye.

Ending a call ‘The last thing you hear is the first thing you remember’ (you will need to politely conclude the conversation without offending the individual. Use positive statements to politely signal the end of the conversation. Remember to always treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself, and you can't go wrong!) Is there anything else I can help you with? ( Is there anything else I can do for you?) ………………………………………………. Thank you for calling and have a nice time. OK. Thanks for calling. Wonderful talking with you. I enjoyed talking with you. Thanks for your time and goodbye.

Key Vocabulary pls hold on can u please hold on + for a moment may I know who is speaking?(pronounce as ''menoospeeking?") who is on the line please? who is speaking please? may I know your good name please? This is ... May (Can, Could) I speak to...? I'm calling ... Hold the line a moment... put someone through... Who's calling...? take a message. Is there anything else I can do for you? Thanks for calling.

Good Practice If possible, answer promptly - a prompt reply helps get the call of to a good start. Smile when you pick up the phone - the caller can hear it in your voice. Be aware of the pace of your speech - speak at a reading pace, use punctuation and

speak clearly Use courteous words and phrases: “may I ask you to write and confirm?” sounds much better than “you’ll have to put that in writing”. Be positive! Say what you can do, not what you can’t. Avoid using jargon . Accept responsibility for dealing with the call and carry it through. Use closed questions (questions which can be answered simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’) to slow a caller down or check your understanding of information given.

Opening the Call ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression’ Pause before you pick up the receiver, to give yourself time to adopt a positive attitudeUse the right phrase: “Good Morning / Good Afternoon / Good evening +Company Name

The Conversation Take control of directing the call by: Identifying the caller’s needs by using questioning skills - open questions to speed up the flow and closed questions to slow it down - don’t leave the caller to do all the work. Actively listening - giving ‘verbal nods’ (e.g. ‘I see / I understand) and repeating information back to the caller to test your understanding and gain their agreement. Avoid making assumptions. Take responsibility for the call and any action - say ‘I can’ and ‘I will’ and do it! If you have to go and get some information, do not leave your caller in the dark. Let him/her know why you are going away from the phone and for how long. Don’t leave an “open” telephone lying on a desk where the conversations of yourself or your colleagues may be overhead. Do your best to ignore colleagues who try to attract your attention or to interrupt you while you are in conversation with a caller. If you are unable to ignore them, excuse yourself to the caller and put them on hold while you deal very quickly with the interruption….and try not to interrupt your colleagues during their calls.

Transferring calls and putting the caller on hold. Explain why you need to do this. Ask permission from the caller. On returning to the call THANK the caller for waiting. If there is any chance that the call will be ‘lost’ make sure you have the caller’s name and telephone number. Only transfer a call when you are certain you know the right person to deal with it. If you cannot answer an enquiry quickly, give the caller the option of your calling back. Tell him/her when you will call back and then stick to that promise. If you have

not got all the information you need by then, phone anyway to say what progress you have made and when you will call again with a full answer.

Taking messages - full message every time. Always note the caller’s name and number, the date and time of the call, the important points of the conversation, what action is required and when you have promised to take that action. If you have to take a message for an absent colleague, repeat the message back to make sure you have got it right; make a note of the message including the caller’s name, date and time of the call.

Challenging Calls When dealing with difficult and distressing calls: Allow the caller to vent their emotions - don’t interrupt . Actively listen . Make sure you know what the problem really is - don’t assume . Show empathy - let the caller know that you recognise their feelings . Stay calm and don’t take it personally . Have a sense of urgency as you speak to the caller . Take responsibility for the call, and effecting a solution (where you can).

Terminating an abusive call. If you are dealing with a caller who becomes abusive whilst on the telephone you may do the following: Inform the caller that you are going to terminate the call now as they are being abusive.You must ensure you record this action and report it to your line manager.