Telephone Tips
Read these 15 Telephone Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Office tips and hundreds of other topics.
Return Calls Promptly
If you routinely have calls held or screened, be sure to schedule time in your day to return phone calls you have missed.
Speakerphones
A speakerphone is a great convenience when several people need to participate in a conference call. But in a two-person conversation, it often annoys or offends the person whose voice is being broadcast, particularly, if he hasn't been told the speaker is being used. Use speakerphones sparingly, and try to avoid using them with clients.
Keep Your Outgoing Message Current
If you're going to be out of the office for an extended period of time, include that in your outgoing voicemail message. State the date you'll be back and whether or not you'll be calling in for messages, or whom to contact in your absence.
Call-Waiting
Unless you're expecting an urgent call and say so, it's impolite to continually put the person to whom you're speaking on hold while you take another call. Say, "I have another call, can you hold just a second?" Take the other call, explain you're on another line and will call back shortly. Then quickly return to your first caller.
Handling the Difficult Caller
When a persistent caller insists on speaking only with the boss, try this tact "Ms. Rogers is not available at the moment. I'll be happy to take a message." Or, more directly, "I'm sorry, but Ms. Rogers doesn't speak with people she doesn't know until she knows the purpose of their call."
Vacation Voice Mail
When you go on vacation (or will be out of the office for any extended time), be sure to record a new greeting stating that you are out of the office and when you'll be back. It is also a good practice to leave an alternate contact's name and phone number so callers can reach someone in your absence.
Courteous Cell Phone Use
Keep your cell phone on vibrate or silent mode in public places such as theatres, concerts, libraries or quiet restaurants. And though they are not public places, meetings, presentations and appointments are also good places for shutting off your cell phone.
If you must make a phone call, it is courteous to step outside.
Take Phone Messages in Duplicate
If you are responsible for taking handwritten phone messages, consider using 2-part message forms. This type of form is found in most office supply stores and is a handy way to archive important phone numbers and names in the event that the original message is lost.
Elements of a Phone Message
We all take phone messages for someone else at one time or another. Here are the basic details you should take note of:
Cell Phone Calls That Don't Disrupt
When you must make or receive a call in a public place, such as a restaurant, politely excuse yourself to anyone you may be with. Then, if possible, remove yourself to a quiet corner of the room so as not to bother others. If you're on a train or bus and must make or take a call, keep it as short and discreet as possible.
Company Cell Phones
If your employer has not outlined guidelines for the use of your company provided cell phone, ask for clarification. When your employer owns the phone and pays for airtime, they have the right to monitor your usage.
Answering the Phone
If your job requires you to answer someone else's phone, ask them how they prefer you to answer it. Conversely, if someone answers for you, instruct him or her as to how to answer. For example: "Good afternoon, Suzanne Johnson's office."
Screening Your Calls
Busy managers can usually benefit from uninterrupted blocks of time for strategizing or attending to important adminsistrative or project tasks. Having calls screened by a secretary, voice mail or answering machine during these times will help eliminate disruptions.
Interoffice Phone Manners
Many offices use an open workspace design incorporating cubicles and other shared and easy-access work areas. Be sure to respect the space of your co-workers when it comes to their telephone use. Don't listen in on coworkers' phone conversations. If you share office space with someone, this may be unavoidable, but try to keep busy while the person is talking —and never comment on what you've just overheard!
Cell Phone Etiquette
Give associates in person, priority over callers by phone, except in emergency situations. It is inconsiderate to hold long, extended cell phone conversations while you keep an associate idly waiting.
