Unit 3 On the phone Telephone techniques Listening You’ll hear part of a talk in which a training officer is giving advice to some trainees on telephone techniques. Listen to the recording and fill the gaps in this summary: Identify yourself by giving your name and your _______ in the company. Make sure you’re talking to the ______ _____. Say right away what you’re calling about. Be ____, and don’t waste time. If it’s a ____ ____, say that you’ll ____ ____ at once. Then start the call again. Speak slowly and clearly, but in a friendly voice. ____ while you’re speaking. Don’t use ____ terms or ____, because the other person may not understand these as well as you do. Give important information, like figures, ____, ____, dates and so on, slowly and carefully. Don’____ the other person even if you think you know what he or she is going to say. Don’t phone during the other person’s ____ ____ --find out what time it is in the other country before you call. ____ ____ all the important information you’re given by the other person. Using the phone Vocabulary Fill the gaps with suitable words form the list. To make a call: fist listen for the _____tone and dial the number. With any luck, you’ll hear a tone telling you that the number is ____. If the other phone is being used you’ll hear the ____ tone. To make an international call: first dial the international code, then the country code, then the ____ and finally the number you require. If you want the other person to pay for the call you can make a ____. If you want to talk to a particular person you can make a ____. If you don’t want to be interrupted, you can leave the phone ____. 3.3 What would you say? Speaking These exercises are all recorded on the Workbook recording. Before you play the recording, look at the examples –what you say is printed in bold type. Then do the recorded exercise. You should parse the recording if you need to think before you speak. What would you like me to get you? Colleague: I’m just going to the coffee machine. Would you like some coffee… or a cold drink? <beep> YOU: Oh, yes, please. Could you get me some coffee, please? Colleague: How would you like it: black or white? <beep> YOU: I’d like black, please. Colleague: Sure, OK. Can you help me? You’ll hear some people making requests, offering to help you or asking for your permission. Agree or refuse, according to the instructions given in the recording. Colleague: Um, I wonder if you could lend me an umbrella? I need to go out for a little while. <beep> YOU: Why certainly, I’d be glad to. Mine’s over there. Colleague: Would you mind telling me how to put it up? <beep> YOU: Sure, you just press this button here. Colleague: I’m expecting a call from Tokyo at 1.30. I’d like you to take a message for me, please. <beep> YOU: I’m sorry, but I’ll be having lunch at 1.30. Mr. Brown, is it all right if I …? Imagine that your boss’s name is Mr Brown, and your own name is Chris. You need to ask Mr Brown’s permission to do various things. Colleague: If you want to leave the office at 4.30 this afternoon, you should ask Mr Brown. Mr Brown: Yes, Chris? <beep> YOU: Excuse me, Mr Brown, is it all right if I leave the office at 4.30 this afternoon?. Mr Brown: 4:30? Oh, yes, that should be OK. <beep> YOU: Oh, thanks very much, Mr Brown. 3.4 Speaking and writing Functions Imagine that you’re writing a letter to a client. Write down the words you would write in place of these sentences which were spoken on the phone. “Oh, do you think you could call me about this next week?” Could you please telephone me about this next week? “Do you think you could confirm this by fax?” Would ___________________________________________________________________? “Sorry, but we can’t give you a special discount. “ I regret to say that _________________________________________________________. “If you like, we can send you a sample of this product.” Please let us know if ________________________________________________________. “will it be OK to ship the order in two separate consignments? With your permission, we propose _____________________________________________. “Thanks a lot for all your help. It was very kind of you.” Thank you ________________________________________________________________. “There may be some questions about our literature—if so, can I help at all ?” If you ____________________________________________________________________. “Terribly sorry, but you can’t amend an order over the phone.” Unfortunately, _____________________________________________________________. 3.5 Who’s speaking? Vocabulary Fill the gaps with suitable words form the list. speaking assistance hold directory outside line bad line receiver message extension phone cards ring  Hello. This is Louise Bonnard ____. Can I help you? Could you ____ the line for a moment, please? Hello, switchboard? Can I have an ____, please? What is Miss Fisher’s ____ number? Can I leave a ____ for Sarah Grey, please? To make a call from a public telephone, lift the ____ and insert a coin. I’m sorry, I can’t hear you very well, this is a ____. Could you give me a ____ tomorrow morning? The number for ____ enquiries in the UK is 192. She’s in a meeting, I’m afraid. Can I be of any ____? Some public phones take coins, others take____. 3.6 Three messages Listening & note-taking You’ll hear three messages which you are taking on behalf of your colleague, Mr. Collins. Listen to the recording and fill the gaps in these notes. 1. SUSAN GRANT of Richmond Studios called about order for 1xMQ 20, sent 3 weeks ago—on ____________________of this month. Sent you cheque for ￡_____________to get it at special offer price but no ___________ of order. Please confirm receipt of order and ___________. Any problems, phone Susan Grant on 0303 ________________ When can she expect _______________________? Address: __________________________High Street, Woodbridge, ____________________, IP12 4SJ   2. PETER _______________of Eastern Enterprises in _________________called: Can’t ____________________________on ____________________afternoon because of problem with hotel—no room because of __________________. All other hotels in town full because of _______________ Will come on Monday morning (______________________) if OK with you. Please tell him if this change of date is _____________________ Please call him if you have ideas for _______________ _______________on 617_______________   3． _______________ Called: Staying 2 extra days in ______________and trying to get flight back on __________ . Direct flight is full-they’ve put him on ______________ . May not be back till ______________ . If Not back, please take over at meeting on Tuesday with ______________ . All info in file on his desk with_______________’s name on. Please collect O.F.from _______________ Hotel first thing in the morning. Any problem: leave a message at his hotel (__________) or send fax (____________)   3.7 Call me back Vocabulary A. Decide which of these phrases fit best in the following sentences. be over call back cut off get through give up hang up hold on look up pick up put through  The phone’s ringing. Why don’t you ______ ______ the receiver? I’m afraid she isn’t available at the moment. Can you _____ ______ later? Can you ______ _______ their number in the directory, please? I’m afraid she’s with a client, shall I _____ you _____ to her secretary? Hello? Are you still there? I think we were _____ ______ for a moment. Mr. Green never seems to be in his office. I’ve been trying to _____ _____ to him all morning. Could you _____ ______ for a moment? I’ll just find out for you. If the telephonist says “Thank you so much for calling” and plays me that awful electronic music again, I’ll _____ _____ If you get a wrong number, it’s polite to say “I’m sorry, I’ve dialed the wrong number” before you _____ _____ If an American telephonist asks “Are you through?”, she wants to know if your call _____ _____. B. Now fill the gaps in A with these words and phrases: Be finished connect with disconnect find lift reach Replace the receiver return the call stop trying wait   References 3.1 Telephone techniques 1. position 2. right person 3. brief 4. bad line call back 5. smile 6. technical abbreviations 7. names quantities 8. interrupt 9. lunch hour 10. Note down Transcript Training officer: Right. I think the best thing is if I give you some rules. If you make notes now, you can ask questions and we can discuss what I’ve said afterwards. Is that OK?... All right. Right, first off: give your name slowly and clearly. Identify yourself and your position in the company, all right? Just make sure you’re talking to the correct person. Right, after that, say right away what you’re calling about, don’t expect the other person to guess this or work it ou. Plenty of mistakes are make that way! Be brief, remember that the other person may have other things to do than to talk to you on the phone. Right, also if it’s a bad line, say that you’ll call back at once. Then ring back and start the call again. OK? Speak slowly and clearly, but in a friendly voice and smile! All right? The other person can hear if you smile. Don’t let the other person misunderstand your attitude as being, you know, unfriendly. Ah, right, don’t use technical terms or abbreviations, because the other person may not understand these as well as you do. Also give important information, like figures, names, quantities, dates and so on, slowly and carefully. Repeat all the important information. Make sure that the other person has noted it down correctly—especially numbers, which are often the most difficult thing to understand over the phone. Also let the other person finish speaking—don’t interrupt him or her even if you think you know what he wants to say. That’s … they’ll take it as very rude. Ah… if possible, don’t phone during the other person’s lunch hour or just before they’re about to stop work for the day, right? Find out what time it is in the other country before you call. I mean, think about it from your own point of view, I mean if you’re heading off for a sandwich you don’t want to have to be on the phone for an hour or so before… Also note down all the important information you’re given by the other person. OK? You don’t want to have to waste the phone bill calling up again. Now if you do all this, you can prevent misunderstandings occurring. OK, well, if you have any questions, anybody? Using the phone 1. dialing /dialling ringing busy / engaged 2. area cade 3. collect call / transferred charge call 4. person-to-person call / personal call 5. off the hook 3.4 Speaking and writing Suggested answers – many variations are possible 2. Would you mind confirming this by fax? 3. I regret to say that we are unable to offer you a special discount. 4. Please let us know if you would like us to send you a sample of this product. 5. With your permission, we propose to ship the order in two separate consignments. 6. Thank you very much for your kind assistance. 7. If you have any questions about our literature, do please let me know. 8. Unfortunately, we are unable to make amendments to an order by telephone. 3.5 Who’s speaking 1. speaking 2. hold 3. outside line 4. extension 5. message 6. receiver 7.. bad line 8. ring 9. directory 10. assistance 11. phone cards 3.6 Three messages 1. SUSAN GRANT of Richmond Studios called about order for 1xMQ20, sent 3 weeks ago—on 5th of this month. Sent you cheque for ￡425 to get it as special offer price but no acknowledgement of order. Please conoirm receipt of order and special price. Any problems, phone Susan Grant on 0303 518136. When can she expect delivery? Address: 14 High Street, woodbridge, Ipswich, IP 12 4SJ 2. PETER REDFORD of Eastern enterprises in Boston called: Can’t make it to meeting on Friday afternoon because of problem with hotel- no room because of fire. All other hotels in town full because of convention. Will come on Monday morning (23rd)if OK with you. Please tell him if this change of date is not OK. Please call him if you have ideas for solving accommodation problem on 617 032 0876. 3. ALEX BROWN called: Staying 2 extra days in Los Angeles and trying to get flight back on 14th. Direct flight is full-they’ve put him on the waiting list. May not be back till Wednesday 17th If mot backs, please take over at meeting on Tuesday with Orion International. All info in file on his desk with Olivia Flouter’s name on. Please collect O.F. from Talbot hotel first thing in the morning. Any problem: leave a message at his hotel (213 666 4529) or send fax (213 875 4114). Transcript 1. This is Susan grant. I’m calling about my order for one MQ 20, which I sent you by post about three weeks ago on behalf of my company, Richmond Studios, I sent MR Collins a coequal for ￡425 with my order , so that I could get it at the special offer rice you advertised till the end of the month . the problem is that I haven’t received any acknowledgement of the order . could you please confirm that you have received my order and that you can ship me the goods at the special price . if there’s likely to be any delay or any other problem, could you please phone me, Susan grant, 0303 518136. The order was sent on the 5th of this month. I’d like to know when I can exact delivery, please. The company address is 14 high street, Walbridge, Ipswich (IPSWICH),I12 4SJ. Thanks very much. 2. Hello, this is peter Redford, calling from eastern enterprises in Boston. I’ve got a meeting with Mr. Collins on Friday afternoon. I’d like you to till him that I’ll be unable to make in, I’m afraid. The reason is that there’s problem with the hotel accommodation I booked over the telephone: they’ve had a fire and now they can’t let me have a room. I’ve tried other hotels in the town, but they’re all full because of the convention. The only thing I can do is to come up to see Mr. Collins on Monday morning, that’s the 23rd, if that’s OK. I’ll, if MR Collins has any good ideas for solving the accommodation problem, please call me at this number: 617 032 0876. OK? My name again is Peter Redford-that’s REDFORD.OK. Thank you very much. Goodbye. 3. This is Alex Brown. I’d like …… I’d like you to give Mr. Collins a message when he gets back. Here’s the messing: I’ve got to stay an extra two days here inlets angels and I’m trying to get a flight back on the 14th. The problem is that the direct flight is full, so they’ve put me on the waiting list. This means I may not be back in the office till Wednesday, that’s the 17th. If this is the case, I’d like Mr. Collins to be ready to take over if I can’t make it to the meeting on Tuesday with Orion international (that’s ORION. he’ll need to pick her up from her hotel first thing in the morning, she’ll be staying at the Talbot hotel (hat’s TALBOT). If there’s any problem you can leave a message for me at my hotel (on um…213 666 4529) or send a fax to the hotel for my attention (on 213 875 4114). Call me back A: 1. pick up 2. call back 3. look up 4. put through 5. cut off 6. get through 7. hold on 8. give up 9. hang up 10. is over B: 1. lift 2. return the call 3. find 4. connect with 5. disconnected 6. reach 7. wait 8. stop trying 9. replace the receiver 10. has finished