Work in groups. Discuss these questions.
a. What impression would you like your clients to have of you?
b. What impression should they receive of your firm?
How can you give this impression over the telephone?
Below there are some statements about telephoning in English. Study them and, on the basis of your knowledge and experience, decide if you agree with them.
a. The first impression given on the phone is very important.
b. You should know how to say the English alphabet.
You can keep waiting the person you are talking to as long as it is necessary while you are finding out about what he/she needs.
d. If the number is constantly engaged, you should stop trying to get through, at least for some time.
e. If you are very busy at the moment and cannot answer any calls, you may turn on the answerphone.
f. You should be the first to start and finish the telephone conversation, not the person that called you.
g. While speaking on the telephone you should not use any contractions (like I'll, you've, can't etc.).
h. If the person you need is not available at present, you should insist on leaving a
message for him/her.
i. It is more polite to ask questions indirectly (e.g. Could you tell me how far it is? Instead of
How far is it?).
j. If your voice is flat and has little expression in it. you may sound uninterested and
bored.
k. You should hang up at once when you have dialed the wrong number.
Reading: Telephoning
Read the text-scheme below. Say which of the eleven points (a-k) in exercise 2 are mentioned here.
TALKING ON THE PHONE
There is a number of telephoning rules you should always follow to make the phone conversation as efficient as possible. It is very difficult to talk when you do not see the person you are speaking to. Still the impression you give on the phone - either of yourself or your company - may be of great importance for further co-operation.
I. When you are making the call.
It is important to know that the person who answers the phone always starts the conversation! In formal situations it is more polite to ask questions indirectly, especially at the beginning of a conversation. For example, when asking a customer for information, it can be better to use an indirect form such as
Could you tell me when you were born? rather than
When were you born? To ask for the person you want to speak to you can use either the informal way:
Hello, is Monica there, please? or the formal way:
Can / May I speak to with Dr. Jones, please? When you think you are speaking to the right person but you are not sure, use:
Hi, is that Sue? To introduce yourself or just say who you are use either informal:
It's his sister. or formal:
This is Mr. Da\is.
II. When you are answering the call.
In formal or business situations you usually give your name or the name of your company. At home you just say Hello?
}. R.W. Motors.
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Hl . Richard Stern speaking. When someone is asking for the person who is in, before you invite him / her, you should say:
One moment, please, (formal)
Hold on / Hang on. I '11 just get him / her. (informal) When you are the person they have asked for, say:
Speaking. When the right person is not there at the moment, you should say:
Sorry, he's out.
Sorry, she's away on a holiday.
Can I take a message?
Would you like to leave a message? When someone is already on the phone in the office, but you can wait for them to finish the conversation you may say:
Her line 's busy at the moment. Do you want to hold?
III. Useful tips.
If your voice is flat and has little expression in it, you may sound bored and uninterested. This often provokes a negative response in the listener. So, when you want to ask a question beginning with a verb raise your pitch on the last stressed word. This helps to make you sound more polite and interested:
Could you give me your passport \ number? When the person you are speaking to cannot hear something you are telling him / her, he / she can ask you to spell it. That is why you should know how to say the English alphabet. While giving a phone/passport number you should pronounce each figure separately. If in the number there are two same neighboring figures, in Britain they sometimes use the word "double". Besides, they say "oh"' for the figure "0".
205443 - t o oh five double four three If the information someone needs from you is not available at the moment, do not look for it long holding on the listener and keeping them waiting. Ask for their phone number and promise to call back a bit later rather than ask the listener to get back to you. Do not forget to keep your promise!
Many companies use answer phones (in the USA answering machines) to give some necessary information outside their office hours. Do not overuse this helpful device! There is no need to switch it on when you just do not want to speak to anyone.
At the end of the conversation, it sounds impolite if you suddenly say Bye or Goodbye, and put the phone down. People usually say something else first.
A: Well, we'll keep in touch with you, Mrs. Davis.
B: OK, thank you. Goodbye.
A: I'd better go. I have to pick up the kids.
B: OK, see you soon then.
And one more thing - if you have dialed the wrong number, do not put down the receiver at once - apologise, please.
Notes
If you are writing to a stranger or you don't know the person's name, use the phrases on the right.
[f you know the person, use Mr. Mrs. Miss, Ms. Dr. etc. and their surname.
If you know them quite well, you can use their first name.
For an informal letter to a good friend or family member, use the first name. Note: Love ('from) is not normally used by a man writing to another man.
Further to our telephone conversation of last- Friday, I enclose a cheque for £50 as a deposit for the rental of Rainbow Cottage for one week, commencing 21 August. I would be grateful if you could send me further information about the property, in
particular, whether there is parking nearby.
We are planning to bring our dog. If this is a problem, please don't hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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Yours sincerely
stranger
enclose sth
deposit
commence
I would be grateful if you could...
in particular
whether
nearby
don't hesitate to do sth
look forward to sth
hearing from you
a person thai \ nu do not know
put sth in an envelope or ke with sth else,
a sum of money which is your first payment for sth (you will pay the rest later). (You pay a deposit on or for sth.)
fMl begin.
used when you request sth.
sy,I would appreciate it
if you could...
svi\s especially, particularly
if.
not far away, syn close by, don't feel worried about doing
think with pleasure about sth that is going to happen, receiving your letter.
