Telephone Etiquette Tips
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.
