Making Phone Calls
Introducing yourself
- Good morning/afternoon/evening. This is Mike at (company name)/Mike from (department name). Could I speak to (person you’re calling for)? [If you are calling to speak to a specific person]
- Good morning/afternoon/evening. This is Mike at (company name)/Mike from (department name). I’m calling about/because…. [If you are calling for a specific reason but not to talk to a specific person]
When the person you want to speak to is unavailable
- Can I leave a message for him/her?
- Could you tell him/her that I called, please?
- Could you ask him/her to call me back, please?
- Okay, thanks. I’ll call back later.
Dealing with bad connections
- I think we have a bad connection. Can I call you back?
- I’m sorry, we have a bad connection. Could you speak a little louder, please?
- I’m sorry, could you repeat that please?
Ending the call
- Thank you very much. Have a good day.
- Thanks for your help. Have a good day.
Receiving Phone Calls
Answering the phone
- Company ABC, this is Mike. How may I help you?
- Good morning/afternoon, Company ABC. How may I help you?
- Purchasing department, Frank speaking.
Note: If we are taking an external call and talking to a customer, “How may I help you?” is common. If we are taking an internal call, we normally do not say “How may I help you?” For internal calls, saying your name and your department is usually sufficient.
Getting the name of the caller if he/she doesn’t give it to you
- May I have your name please?
- Who am I speaking with?
- May I ask who’s calling?
Responding to a caller’s request
- Sure, let me check on that.
- Let me see if she’s available.
- Sure, one moment please.
Asking someone to wait on the line
- Can I put you on hold for a minute?
- Do you mind holding while I check on that (or “handle that for you,” “check to see if he’s available,” etc)
Taking a message
- He’s/she’s not available at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?
- He’s/she’s out of the office right now. Can I take a message?
Dealing with bad connections/wrong numbers
- I’m sorry, we have a bad connection. Could you give me your number and I’ll call you right back?
- I think we have a bad connection. Could you speak a little louder, please?
- I’m sorry, could you repeat that?
- I’m sorry, you have the wrong number.
Ending the call
- Is there anything else I can help you with?……Okay, thanks for calling. Have a great day. [used during external calls with customers]
- Is there anything else I can do for you? …..Okay, have a good day. [more casual, used more for internal phone calls or phone calls that are not customer service calls]
