How to Answer the Phone
Keep it professional., Focus on the conversation., Always identify yourself., Answer with an appropriate level of decorum., Be prepared to take a message., Be wary of information-gathering calls.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep it professional.
When you're answering the phone at your office, you don't always know who's on the other end of the conversation.
Answering the phone professionally will start whatever conversation you are about to have get off on the right foot.
When in doubt, answer with a simple "Hello, this is Carl." Even if you have caller ID, it could be your boss calling from a colleague's phone! Answering the phone with "Yeah, what?" may give people a negative or overly-casual impression of you. -
Step 2: Focus on the conversation.
Be absolutely present.
Stop whatever you might be doing and take a brief moment to prepare.
Wear the face that you want to project before picking up the phone.
It makes a difference: whether you're smiling, frowning, or bored to tears, your caller will hear that in your tone.
Refrain from clicking around on the Internet or distracting yourself during the call.
If you aren't engaged, the caller will be able to tell. , In business situations, it is appropriate to answer the phone with your name and company: "Good morning, thank you for calling XYZ.
This is Carl.
How may I help you?" If it's an internal call, and you know it, you can answer with your department and name: "Hello, this is WebDev, Carl speaking.
How can I help you today?" This will let your caller know they've reached the right person, and that you are ready to assist them.
Keeping a friendly, personable tone will make the call much more pleasant for everybody.
In many office situations, there are guidelines for answering the phone that all employees must follow.
Always project sincerity, no matter how silly the canned lines might seem—the customer will be able to tell the difference if you are enthusiastic, versus just reading the cue card: "Welcome to Good Burger, Home of the Good Burger!" will sound totally ridiculous if you don't say it with conviction. , Be patient, respectful, and upbeat.
Do your best to be helpful.
Try not to speak too informally until you know who the caller is.If the speaker does not introduce themselves, say, "May I ask who's calling?" It's important to know who's calling in case you need to contact them again or transfer them to another line.
This gesture also lets the caller know that he or she is being treated personally, and by extension that he or she matters.
It's important to build positive working relationships with people that contact you more than once.
Try not to be rude, even if you're frustrated.
Remember that in a work setting, your words and actions reflect directly upon your company.
If you reflect poorly upon your company, you may drive away business--and your supervisors may not take kindly to the trend. , If someone is calling to speak to your supervisor or co-worker, but you're the only person available to take the call, politely ask who's calling and ask them to state their purpose.
Listen carefully and record as much relevant information as you can:
If the person they are trying to reach is not available to speak, tell the caller, "I'm sorry, but Mr.
O'Halloran is not available right now.
May I take a message?" Be sure to record the person's name, phone number, and reason for calling.
Gauge how urgent the call seems--does the caller seem like they need something taken care of within the next two hours, or just within the next week? If it is an important business call, you'll want to deal with the issue as quickly and efficiently as possible--so be sure to pass the message along as soon as you can. , If you don't recognize a caller, and he or she requests details about you or others, be careful not to give away too much about the inner function of your company.
Even if the caller gives a name and identifies his or her company, you should be wary unless they are a trusted contact.
If you aren't sure, put the caller on hold for a minute and ask a co-worker for advice: "Have we done business with someone named Dave Neal before? He's asking a lot of questions about our processes and capacity, and I want to make sure that I can trust him." In a business situation, state "I'm sorry, sir/madam.
Company policy is that I am not permitted to give out that information.
May I have more details on why it is required?" and make your assessment from there. -
Step 3: Always identify yourself.
-
Step 4: Answer with an appropriate level of decorum.
-
Step 5: Be prepared to take a message.
-
Step 6: Be wary of information-gathering calls.
Detailed Guide
When you're answering the phone at your office, you don't always know who's on the other end of the conversation.
Answering the phone professionally will start whatever conversation you are about to have get off on the right foot.
When in doubt, answer with a simple "Hello, this is Carl." Even if you have caller ID, it could be your boss calling from a colleague's phone! Answering the phone with "Yeah, what?" may give people a negative or overly-casual impression of you.
Be absolutely present.
Stop whatever you might be doing and take a brief moment to prepare.
Wear the face that you want to project before picking up the phone.
It makes a difference: whether you're smiling, frowning, or bored to tears, your caller will hear that in your tone.
Refrain from clicking around on the Internet or distracting yourself during the call.
If you aren't engaged, the caller will be able to tell. , In business situations, it is appropriate to answer the phone with your name and company: "Good morning, thank you for calling XYZ.
This is Carl.
How may I help you?" If it's an internal call, and you know it, you can answer with your department and name: "Hello, this is WebDev, Carl speaking.
How can I help you today?" This will let your caller know they've reached the right person, and that you are ready to assist them.
Keeping a friendly, personable tone will make the call much more pleasant for everybody.
In many office situations, there are guidelines for answering the phone that all employees must follow.
Always project sincerity, no matter how silly the canned lines might seem—the customer will be able to tell the difference if you are enthusiastic, versus just reading the cue card: "Welcome to Good Burger, Home of the Good Burger!" will sound totally ridiculous if you don't say it with conviction. , Be patient, respectful, and upbeat.
Do your best to be helpful.
Try not to speak too informally until you know who the caller is.If the speaker does not introduce themselves, say, "May I ask who's calling?" It's important to know who's calling in case you need to contact them again or transfer them to another line.
This gesture also lets the caller know that he or she is being treated personally, and by extension that he or she matters.
It's important to build positive working relationships with people that contact you more than once.
Try not to be rude, even if you're frustrated.
Remember that in a work setting, your words and actions reflect directly upon your company.
If you reflect poorly upon your company, you may drive away business--and your supervisors may not take kindly to the trend. , If someone is calling to speak to your supervisor or co-worker, but you're the only person available to take the call, politely ask who's calling and ask them to state their purpose.
Listen carefully and record as much relevant information as you can:
If the person they are trying to reach is not available to speak, tell the caller, "I'm sorry, but Mr.
O'Halloran is not available right now.
May I take a message?" Be sure to record the person's name, phone number, and reason for calling.
Gauge how urgent the call seems--does the caller seem like they need something taken care of within the next two hours, or just within the next week? If it is an important business call, you'll want to deal with the issue as quickly and efficiently as possible--so be sure to pass the message along as soon as you can. , If you don't recognize a caller, and he or she requests details about you or others, be careful not to give away too much about the inner function of your company.
Even if the caller gives a name and identifies his or her company, you should be wary unless they are a trusted contact.
If you aren't sure, put the caller on hold for a minute and ask a co-worker for advice: "Have we done business with someone named Dave Neal before? He's asking a lot of questions about our processes and capacity, and I want to make sure that I can trust him." In a business situation, state "I'm sorry, sir/madam.
Company policy is that I am not permitted to give out that information.
May I have more details on why it is required?" and make your assessment from there.
About the Author
Marie Sullivan
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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