Module 2 TELEPHONING

TELEPHONING LEARNING OUTCOMES

TELEPHONE ENGLISH

You are probably used to making informal calls to your family and friends. However, learning how to communicate well on the telephone is one of the priorities for students who will need to use English at work. Your job will involve telephone calls for various purposes that may include:confirming names, spelling, arranging meetings or asking for further information.When making calls to companies some special rules need to be followed. So,learning the common phrases that are used on the telephone will help you know what to expect. Telephoning requires special skills and there are a number of difficulties that arise when telephoning .The first and the most important difficulty is not being able to see the person you are communicating with. However, what students often really need is practice. Here you will learn how to call someone in a company that you do not know personally (the most common kind of formal calls) since you will be given some models and language that you can use like specific telephoning phrases, techniques and practice exercises .

EXERCISE

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS :

1. What do we mean by making informal calls?

2. What can a business call include?

3. What can be helpful to learn in order to make a good business phone call?

4. What kind of call is a formal one?

PHONE CALL VOCABULARYIn order to make a good phone call in English first you must know something about the basic words we use to talk about telephoning.Here are some:

answer the phone- to pick up the phone when it rings

busy signal -a sound telling the other person is speaking to someone else

to call back/phone back -to call someone who called you first

to dial- to press the buttons on the phone

dial tone -the sound the phone makes when you pick it up

receiver- the part of the phone that you speak into and listen from

to hang up / ring off -to put the receiver down and end a call

answering machine you can record a message on it if the person you are calling is not at home

call display- a screen that shows you who is calling

cell phone/mobile phone - a telephone you can use wherever you are

cordless phone - a phone not attached to the wall (you can walk short distances with it )

directory/phone book - a book that alphabetically lists phone numbers and addresses of people or companies

phone booth/pay phone -a public place where you can pay to use a telephone

extensions - internal numbers at a companyput through - phrasal verb meaning 'connect'

busy /engaged line-when the number requested is being useddialing / area code-the number you use when you call some other town or country

directory enquiries-the service you can call if you need to know a persons telephone number

hold the line / hold on-to wait on the line

telephone exchange-a place where phone calls are connected

dead line-when the line is not working at allcut off-when you suddenly cannot hear the other person

EXERCISE

TELEPHONE QUIZ

Choose between the following words and fill in the blanks

call display call back dial tone cordless answering ringer pay phone dial busy signal cell phone

1. When you pick up the phone to call you hear a ________________.

2. If shes not at home leave a message on her_________________machine.

3. Sally must be talking to her mom because I have been getting a _______________for two hours.

4. Pete never answers his _________________ while hes driving.

5. Mark always turns his________________ off when he is studying.

6. I'm busy at the moment. Can you __________________ later.

7. You have to __________________ "911" in case of emergency.

8. I have a ________________ so I can do the dishes and chat at the same time.

9. He will need a phone card if he wants to use the ______________.

10. Jane knows it was Tom who called because she has a _________________. EXERCISE

Use the words below to complete the sentences

department back time extension repeating calling fax say 1. Can you give me your ______________,please?

2. Sales _______________.Can I help you?

3. Who shall I say is _______________?

4. I am sorry. Did you ________________ Whitman?

5. Alright .I will phone you__________________ later.

6. Would you mind _______________that ?

7. What _______________ does Mr Jankins usually come to work?

8. Could you possibly connect me with the _________________278 , please?

RULES FOR MAKING PHONE CALLS

A great deal of business is done over the phone. Below you are given some techniques that will help you make your phone conversations more effective. t is very important to use the proper etiquette no matter whether you answer the phone or you are calling someone. This will keep the level of professionalism and leave a good impression of you and your company.Making Calls

1. When you call someone always first identify yourself: "This is Peter Jenkins. To whom am I speaking?"2. Always state the purpose of your call.

3. When you reach a wrong number say: "I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number. Please excuse the interruption." And then hang up.

If you told someone you would call at a certain time, call them as you promised. If you need to delay the conversation you should call to postpone it. Do not make the person wait for your call.

Answering the Calls

The First Impression

Answer the phone with a friendly greeting and a smile ("Good Afternoon, CBS Customer Service, Sharon speaking, how can I help you?"). Ask the caller for their name. This shows you have taken an interest in them. Speak clearly and slowly. Putting Callers on Hold

When you need to put a caller on hold always ask for permission first and thank them for holding.

Examples:

"Can you hold on a moment while I get your file?"

"Would you mind holding while I see if Mr Jones is available?"Transferring a Caller

When you transfer a caller to another line always tell them who you are transferring them to .

Taking Messages

When you take a phone message always include the following information:

Caller's name and company name Time and date of the call What the call is about If it is needed to make a return phone call you should get the callers phone number Ending the Call

Always end a call with a polite phrase : "Have a nice day" or "It was nice speaking to you"Let the caller hang up first. This shows the caller that you weren't in a hurry to finish the phone call with them.

EXERCISE

Discuss :Here are four statements about making phone calls. Do you think they are correct or incorrect and why?

A) always fax ahead to allow the other person time to prepare for the callB) don't write things down - it's better to remember themC) speak quickly, you sound more natural that wayD) don't pretend to have understood if you haven'tEXERCISE

Rules for making phone calls

1.Write down the 3 most important rules you need to know when you are calling someone:a)__________________________________________________________

b)__________________________________________________________

c)__________________________________________________________

2. Write down the 3 most important rules you need to know when you are answering the phone :

a)__________________________________________________________

b)__________________________________________________________

c)__________________________________________________________

3. Write down the 3 most important rules you need to know when you are taking a message:a)__________________________________________________________

b)__________________________________________________________

c)__________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE ENGLISH PHRASES

There are many phrases which are only used when telephoning.Some of them are mentioned in a dialogue below.

Operator: Hello, Com Corp , How can I help you?

Tom: This is Tom Evans. Can I have extension 5472?

Operator: Certainly, hold on a minute, I'll put you through...

Jack: William Green's office, Jack speaking.

Tom: This is Tom Evans calling, is William in?

Jack: I'm afraid he's out at the moment. Can I take a message?

Tom: Yes, Could you ask him to call me at 8754903346. I need to talk to

him about the CDF Co. , it's urgent.

Jack: Could you repeat the number please?

Tom: Yes, that's 8754903346, and this is Tom Evans .

Jack: Alright Mr Evans, I'll make sure Mr Green calls you.

Tom: Thanks, bye.

Jack: Bye.

EXERCISE

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

Look at the table below.Here you can find some key phrases used in telephone English.

1.Answering the phone*Good morning/afternoon/evening, National Enterprises, Aimee Davies speaking. *Who's calling, please?

2.Introducing yourself*This is Paul Smith speaking. *Hello, this is Paul Smith from Cooper International.

3.Asking for Someone *I'd like to speak to Charles Russell, please.*Could you put me through to John Martin, please?

*Can I have extension 321?

*Is John in? (informal)

4. Connecting *Just a moment, please. *I'll put you through

*Can you hold the line?

*Can you hold on a moment?

5.How to reply when someone is not available *I'm afraid Mr Russell is not available at the moment

* *I'm afraid Mr Martin isn't in at the moment. *Mr Jackson is out at the moment...

*I'm sorry, he's in a meeting at the moment.

6.Taking a Message *Can I take a message? *Would you like to leave a message?

*I'll tell Mr Jones that you called.

*I'll ask him to call you.

7.Possible Problems *I'm sorry, I don't understand. Could you repeat that, please? *I'm sorry, I can't hear you very well. Could you speak up a little, please?

*I'm afraid you've got the wrong number.

*Could you spell that, please?

8.How to End a Conversation *Alright. It was nice talking to you. *Is there anything else I can do for you? *Thank you for calling.

EXERCISE

Correct the mistakesThe sentences below are wrong.In each sentence there is one mistake.Find these mistakes and then correct them.The first one has been done as an example.

A)wrong: Hello Jane.Its Tom in CLM plc.

right: Hello Jane . Its Tom from CLM plc.___________________________

B) wrong:I am John Davidson speaking.

right: ________________________________________________________

C) wrong:Hello. Nice to hear at you.

right: ________________________________________________________

D) wrong:Can I speak with Mr Brown on extension 532,please.

right: ________________________________________________________

E) wrong:Would be Friday alright?

right: ________________________________________________________

F) wrong:See you in Monday.

right: ________________________________________________________

G) wrong:Im afraid Mr Davis is on another line in the moment.

right: ________________________________________________________

EXERCISE

Put the sentences in the correct order and make a conversation1. Thank you for calling.Goodbye._____

2. CDI Corp.Can I help you?_____

3. Goodbye._____

4. Im afraid he is out at the moment._____

5. Geofrey Miles from BMA Technical._____

6. Can I speak to Mr Stewart , please?_____

7. Alright .I will call back later then._____

8. Whos calling?_____

EXERCISE

Who Says What?Can you guess who says what in the table below?Mark the answers with A,B or C.

The caller ( A )

The operator ( B )

The person receiving the call ( C )

Who is this, please?

This is Jane Richards from ANP Industries

Tricia Mellor speaking.

I'll phone back later.

I've got the wrong number.

Please leave a message after the beep.

Can I take a message?

Can I speak to Mrs Blake, please?

Just a moment, please.

I'll ring you at about ...

Thank you for ringing.

I must ring off now.

I can't get through. The line's busy.

There is no reply.

This is a bad connection.

Do you know when Mr Smith will be back?

Can I help you?

I'm afraid she's out of the office today.I'm replacing her. Can I help you?

Could you put me through to extension 405, please ?

All lines are engaged. Please, try later.

Could you spell that, please?

I'm afraid, Mr Green is not available at the moment

If you give me your phone number, Mr Jenkins will call you back

Sorry?/Pardon?

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

EXERCISE

Taking a message

MESSAGE

Time: 9:10 am

Date: 15 May

Message for: Kate

Caller: Raymond Wright

Message:Raymond phoned you early this morning.There are some important things he wants to discuss with you about the forthcoming project .Can you call him back around 3pm?There is some problem with the Japanese firm .It seems they want to withdraw from the project .

Message taken by: James

EXERCISE

Read the dialogue below and then fill in the phone memo

Receptionist (Alice Wright): Good Afternoon, Harris Brothers Company, how can I help you?

Mrs Anderson: Yes, I would like to speak to Joseph Murray, please.

Receptionist: I'm sorry, Mr Murray is out of the office at the moment.

Mrs Anderson: Do you know when to expect him?

Receptionist:He should be back in an hour.Would you like to leave a message?

Mrs Anderson: Yes.My name is Nicole-Michelle Anderson.

Receptionist: Is that N-I-C-C-O-L-E?

Mrs Anderson: It's with one C.

Receptionist: Alright.

Mrs Anderson : I am calling about the business meeting that will be held in Tokyo in 3 weeks.

Receptionist: Okay, I've got it all down.How can he reach you, Mrs Anderson?

Mrs Anderson: At 347-542-300.

Receptionist: 347-542-300 Fine. I will give him the message as soon as he returns.

Mrs Anderson: Thank you very much.

Receptionist: Youre welcome.Goodbye.

PHONEMEMOTODATETIME

FROMAREA CODE PHONE NUMBEREXTENSION

MESSAGE:

SIGNED BY

CALL BACK WANTS TO SEE YOU

WILL CALL AGAIN URGENT

Leaving a Message on

an answering machine

There are situations when there may not be anyone to answer the phone and then you will need to leave a message on the answering machine. Read through the stages below that make sure the person you are calling gets all the information he/she needs like your name, the time of call, the reason for calling and your telephone number.

Introduction - *Hello, this is Roger. *Hello, My name is Roger Thomson. ( more formal)

State the time and the reason for calling *It's eleven in the morning. I'm phoning to let you know that ...

Make a request - *Could you call me back?

Leave your phone number *My number is 334598732.

*You can reach me at 222489904.

Finish - *Thanks a lot, bye.

Heres an example...

Exchanging information

Giving numbers

Here's a phone number: 0271 333 2299.And this is the way how to say it:

"Oh-two-seven-one, triple three, double two, double nine."OR"Zero-two-seven-one, triple three, double two, double nine."

PausingWhen you have to say a seven digit number you can separate the number into two blocks (of three and four numbers) but pausing after each block.

Each digit is spoken separately, unless it's a double or triple. If the number is combined of '8888', you'll probably find it easier to say 'double eight - double eight'.

Saying email addresses

@ is pronounced 'at'. For example, marshall@clark.co.uk is "marshall, at, clark, dot, co,dot,uk".

/is " slash".

is called a "hyphen" or a "dash".

xis an "underscore".

Making an appointment

Receptionist: Thank you for phoning Cropmton Clinic. Tina_________. How can I help you?

Valerie: Hi Tina. Valerie Woods calling. How are you today?

Receptionist: I'm fine Mrs Woods. How are you? Valerie: Well, to tell the truth, I have not been feeling well lately. I was hoping Dr Morgan would have some time to see me this week.

Receptionist: Im_____________ he's booked this week. I can put you in for 2 pm next Monday.

Valerie: That sounds good.

Receptionist: I'll have to give you the address of our new office.

Valerie: Oh, that's right, you moved.

Receptionist: Yes.Do you have a _______________ to write it down? Valerie: Could you hold on a __________________ please. ...Okay, go ahead Tina.

Receptionist:We are at 481 Atlantic Avenue.

Valerie: Okay, great. I'll see you on Monday then.

Receptionist: Okay. _______________calling. See you then.

Valerie: Thanks. Bye.

Telephone Calls Role Play Practice

Read the following dialogues for yourself and after that read them in pairs.You can then try to act them out.

1.

A: Hello? This is Daniel.B: Hi Daniel, this is Jane from SNP Company. Im returning your call.A: Oh,yes of course.I have been trying to reach you but you were not available.B: Yes,I was at a meeting.A: Thanks for returning my call. I wanted to ask you if you can help me clear a doubt.I was wondering why my monthly balance for June didnt match the one you have made for the same period.B: How is it possible?A: I dont know really.The total amount is $11,415.B: Ah,now I know what could be the problem but I need to check something first. I might not have included the last few days in the month

A: All right.See to it.We will talk later.Thanks for your help.I am glad that now it has been cleared.B: OK.Ill call you in an hour.A: No problem.B: Thank you.A: Thank you. Bye.

2.

A: Hello, NPS Company.B: Hi, this is Sarah from Ferguson Inc. May I speak to Luca please?A: Hes in a meeting right now. Would you like to leave a message?B: Yes. Can you tell him to call me back when he is available? My name again is Sarah Lewis, and he can reach me at 534-662-5462.A: Its Sarah at 534-662-5462 . Can I tell him what is it about?B: We received a letter from him. I would like to talk to him about his offer.A: Ill let him know.B: Thank you.A: Thank you for calling .B: Good bye.A: Bye.

Here is a role play you can use to practise your telephone English. read it carefully and then act it out LEAVING A MESSAGE

Student A:

You would like to speak to Mr Hopkins about your bank account.State the below information in the call

Your name

Bank telephone number: 518-435-7677.You ask for Mr Hopkins

You call to inquire about the problem concerning your bank account.

They can reach you at 423-543-5466 after 6 pm

Student B:

You work for the bank.Your name is Fiona and you are Mr Hopkins secretary.You will take down the message and ask the caller the following things:

His name and telephone number

A message he would like to leave

When and where can he be reached

getting acquainted with the basic telephone conversation

vocabulary and key phrases

getting acquainted with the rules for making phone calls

being able to participate in a simple business telephone conversation

being able to leave and take a message in a phone call conversation

being able to leave a message on an answering machine

Who are the two callers?

What is the purpose of the phone call?

How does this phone call end?

Which useful telephone expressions can you identify?

Kate, the worker in the BNI company,found this message on her desk .Read what was written there and then answer the questions.

Answer the questions:

1.What did Raymond do early that morning?_____________________________________________________

2.Who was in the office when he called?_______________________________________________________

3.Why did he call Kate?________________________________________________________

4.What is the Japanese firm planning to do?

____________________________________________________________

5.When will Kate call him back?_______________________________________________________

Caller :

Hello, this is Ricardo Mendez calling from Crane Co. Could you please return my call as soon as possible. Our office number is 3345699902. Thank you

Heres an example...

Heres an example...

Heres an example...

Caller :

Hello, this is Ricardo Mendez calling from Crane Co. Could you please return my call as soon as possible. Our office number is 3345699902. Thank you

Telephone Message:

Hi, this is Elizabeth. I'm sorry I'm not available to take your call at this time. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.