Telephone conversations on business on personal matter inquiring information

1.

Telephone conversations
on business
on personal
matter
inquiring
information

2.

Telephone conversations
a receiver
a telephone
number
an issue to
speak about

3.

Telephone etiquette
• Generally speaking, if you are talking to someone in
a business context, you should
use could, can, may or would when you make a
request: 'Could I speak to Jason Roberts,
please?' 'Can I take a message?' 'Would next
Wednesday be okay?'. You should also
use please and thank you or thanks very
much whenever you ask for, or receive, help or
information.
Phrases like I'm off to a
conference..., no problem,
bye! and hang on a moment and I'll
put you through are perfectly
acceptable, as long as the overall tone
of the conversation is polite.

4.

Telephone etiquette
Formal
Informal
‘Hello’
‘Good Morning’
‘Good Afternoon’
‘This is ___ speaking’
‘Could I speak to ___
please?’
• ‘I would like to speak to ___’
• ‘I’m trying to contact ___’
• ‘Hello’
• ‘Hi, it’s ___ here’
• ‘I am trying to get in touch
with ___’
• ‘Is ___ there please?’
• ‘Hello, John’s phone’
• ‘Who’s speaking?’
• ‘Who is it?’
• Whom am I speaking to?

5.

Telephone etiquette
• One last tip - it's better to ask for help or clarification
when you're having a telephone conversation, than
to pretend you understand something that you
didn't. It's perfectly acceptable to use phrases like
'Could you repeat that, please?' 'Could you
speak a little more slowly, please?' and ‘Would
you mind spelling that for me please?‘ Using
phrases like these will help make sure that you
have a successful phone call, and may save you
from lots of problems later on. You
could always say that the line's
very bad today if you can't hear
very well.

6.

7.

Multi-part telephone verbs
hold on
get through to
hang up
put the phone down
ring up
speak up
talk louder
pick up
answer a call
hang on
put through
call back
ring off
make a phone call
contact the person on the phone
connect to another telephone
wait
return a phone call

8.

Multi-part telephone verbs
ring up
make a phone call
pick up
answer a call
hang on
hold on
wait
get through to contact the person on the phone
put through
connect to another telephone
call back
return a phone call
hang up
ring off
put the phone down
speak up
talk louder

9.

Telephone conversations
Thanks for calling!
Who's calling, please?
Could I speak to Mr. Smith, please?
Speak to you later.
How may I help you?
Is Mary there, please?
Please call again in two hours.
May I have your name, please?
Could you ask him/her to call me back?
Could I leave a message, please?
Thanks for help! Bye!
I'll give her the message.
Please ask Mary to call me back.
I'm calling about...
I'm afraid I can't speak now.

10.

Telephone conversations
Could I speak to Mr. Smith, please?
Who's calling, please?
Is Mary there, please?
May I have your name, please?
I'm calling about...
How may I help you?
Could you ask him/her to call me back?
I'll give her the message.
Please call again in two hours.
Could I leave a message, please?
I'm afraid I can't speak now.
Please ask Mary to call me back.
Thanks for calling!
Thanks for help! Bye!
Speak to you later.
Useful
phrases

11.

Secretary: Good morning, ABC Company, how (1)__ I help you?
Mr. Thomas: Hello, this is Bill Thomas. May I speak with Ms.
Tanaka, please.
Secretary: I'm sorry, she is (2)____ of the office right now. May I
take a message?
Mr. Thomas: Yes please. This is Anthony Thomas.
Secretary: And how can he (3)____ you, Mr. Thomas?
Mr. Thomas: At 438-3498.
Secretary: Was that (4)______?
Mr. Thomas: Yes, that's right.
Secretary: And may I tell him what this in (5)_____ to?
Mr. Thomas: Well, it’s a rather (6)_____ matter.
Secretary: Okay. I will give him the message as soon as he (7)__.
438-3498
regards
may
out
returns
personal
reach

12.

Secretary: Good morning, ABC Company, how (1)__
may I help you?
Mr. Thomas: Hello, this is Bill Thomas. May I speak with Ms.
Tanaka, please.
out of the office right now. May I
Secretary: I'm sorry, she is (2)____
take a message?
Mr. Thomas: Yes please. This is Anthony Thomas.
Secretary: And how can he (3)____
reach you, Mr. Thomas?
Mr. Thomas: At 438-3498.
438-3498 ?
Secretary: Was that (4)______
Mr. Thomas: Yes, that's right.
Secretary: And may I tell him what this in (5)_____
regards to?
personal matter.
Mr. Thomas: Well, it’s a rather (6)_____
returns
Secretary: Okay. I’ll give him the message as soon as he (7)__.

13.

• Claire: Hello, finance department
• Jennifer : Hello, can I speak to Adrian Hopwood, please?
• Claire: I’m afraid he’s in a meeting at the
moment. Can I help?
• Jennifer : No I need to talk to Mr Hopwood, I think. What time
will he be out of the meeting?
• Claire: In about an hour. Can you call back later?
• Jennifer : Okay, I’ll do that.
• Claire: Or can I take a message?
• Jennifer : Actually, would you mind? Could you tell him
that Jennifer McAndrews called and that I’m in the office all
day if he could call me back.
• Claire: Can I take your number, please?
• Jennifer : Yes, it’s 5556872.
• Claire: 5556872. Okay, I’ll make sure he gets the message.
• Jennifer : Thanks very much for your help, bye!
• Claire: Goodbye!

14.

• Claire: Hello, finance department
• Jennifer : Hello, can I speak to Adrian Hopwood, please?
• Claire: I’m afraid he’s in a meeting at the
moment. Can I help?
• Jennifer : No I need to talk to Mr Hopwood, I think. What time
will he be out of the meeting?
• Claire: In about an hour. Can you call back later?
• Jennifer : Okay, I’ll do that.
• Claire: Or can I take a message?
• Jennifer : Actually, would you mind? Could you tell him
that Jennifer McAndrews called and that I’m in the office all
day if he could call me back.
• Claire: Can I take your number, please?
• Jennifer : Yes, it’s 5556872.
• Claire: 5556872. Okay, I’ll make sure he gets the message.
• Jennifer : Thanks very much for your help, bye!
• Claire: Goodbye!

15.

Taking a message

16.

Taking a message

17.

• Male: Hello, this is the press office.
• Michelle: Rachel Allsop please.
• Male: I’m sorry, you must have the
wrong number. There’s no one of that
name here.
• Michelle: Oh. Can I check the number I’ve
got…. is that not 5568790?
• Male: No, it’s 5558790.
• Michelle: Oh sorry about that. I must
have dialed the wrong number.
• Male: No problem! Bye!

18.

• Male: Hello, press office, can I help you?
• Ruth: Hello. Paul Richards, please.
• Male: I’m sorry, you (call) the wrong
number, but he does work here. I’ll try
and put you through. In future his direct
number is 5558770.
• Ruth: ____ I not (dial) that?
• Male: No, you (ring) 5558790.
• Ruth: Oh, sorry to (trouble) you.
• Male: No problem. Hang on a moment and
I’ll put you through to Paul’s extension.

19.

• Male: Hello, press office, can I help you?
• Ruth: Hello. Paul Richards, please.
• Male: I’m sorry, you’ve called the wrong
number, but he does work here. I’ll try
and put you through. In future his direct
number is 5558770.
• Ruth: Have I not dialed that?
• Male: No, you have rung 5558790.
• Ruth: Oh, sorry to have troubled you.
• Male: No problem. Hang on a moment and
I’ll put you through to Paul’s extension.

20.

Telephone conversations