English for business calls, 박경원

May I tell him what this is in reference?

May I ask what this is regarding?

I'll check to see whether Mr. Edwards is in his office.

Could you hold please?

   

I'll save the box just in case I need to return anything.

   

I'm returning Mr. Edward's call.

He's responding to the e-mail you sent him.

   

I'm calling to set up an appointment.

   

I'll transfer (put you through) you to Mr. Edwards.

I'll connect you with Mr. Edwards.

   

When I first saw the footage of the attack on the

World Trade Center, I couldn't believe my eyes.

   

You promised him that you would help him, and you're

going to make good on that promise.

   

Can you tell him that I'll call him back in five minutes?

   

He is calling long distance.

   

Then I'm going to make sure that they send it

to you by express mail.

   

Let me give you my direct number in case you need

to reach me.

   

I'm calling to see whether Mr. David might have time

to meet with me next month.

   

Any luck with the rod and reel?

So, you remember that I'm an angler?

   

Well, as a matter of fact, I'm planning a little getaway

for Labor Day weekend.

   

Any chance that you could squeeze me into your

schedule?

   

We have several new items I think you'd be interested in,

so about an hour if you have it.

   

Actually, that's my busiest day that week - I have

three other appointments.

But I'll kept all of Thursday open for you.

   

Any day other than Wednesday, and any time that's

convenient for you.

   

We'll have to work 24 hours a day to get this project

finished by the deadline.

Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration. It's certainly a tight

schedule, but it's doable.

   

Can I schedule an appointment with you to discuss it?

   

I have you penciled in for meeting room until noon Monday.

   

I didn't realize that I had another appointment

scheduled for that time.

   

Would it be too much trouble to reschedule our appointment?

   

I hope you'll make it clear to the boss that you're not speaking

On my account I don't want to get involved in your dispute.

   

I'm stuck in a traffic jam on the expressway.

   

I just never thought it would take this long to drive six blocks.

   

I'm behind schedule because my previous appointment ran late.

   

I should be there in less than ten minutes.

   

I don't want to make you wait on my account.

   

Would you like to hold for him or would you like to

leave a message?

   

When a customer gives you a credit-card number, it's important

repeat it back so that you know have it correct.

   

I'll be sure to give him your message.

   

Could you please repeat it back to me?

   

I apologize for not having your item in stock,

and please call or e-mail me at your convenience

if you want to back order it or find a substitute.

   

After you call the main number, just punch in

Extension 213 to reach me.

   

We're out of stock on that item, and we can't

back order it for you because it's been discontinued.

   

My teacher is going on maternity leave,

so we're going to have a substitute for the next 3 months.

   

Please return my call as soon as you get this

message.

   

Voice-mail messages should be kept as brief as possible.

If your message is going to require more than 30 seconds

of speaking , you should consider sending it by e-mail instead.

   

Before you make a business call, plan a questioning strategy

based on the type of information you are trying to

obtain. If you are seeking specific information, for example

you will need to ask a series of direct questions.

   

E-mail is sometimes more efficient than a phone call,

but calls have certain advantages as well. For example,

business calls can allow you to conduct negotiations,

get immediate answers to your questions, and develop

a friendly personal relationship with a business associate.

   

What is the fastest delivery time you can give me.

   

We'll just have to deal with it as best as we can.

For the time being, we'll be conducting most of our business

over the phone. That means no online transactions of any kind

   

We're working on it 24/7 (twenty four seven), but I can't give

you an exact time until we figure out the problem.

   

Excuse me. There's lot of static on the line.

   

I'm having some trouble understanding you.

   

There's lot of background noise.

   

It's a very bad line (a terrible connection)

   

Is there any way you can go indoors for a moment?

   

I'll try calling you back from my land line.

   

I have another call coming in.

   

Can I put you on hold for a second?

   

Sorry about that. Now, where were we?

   

I apologize for the interruption.

   

If you can't get through on my home number,

try calling my cell phone.

   

Sorry, I had to take that call.

My boss was calling long distance.

   

May I say who's calling please?

   

Would you please remove us from your call list?

   

Why don't you take it back to the store and get a refund?

   

I have a beef with this company's promotion policy. Complaint…

   

I can understand why you're upset.

   

I'm sorry that you weren't satisfied.

   

You should direct that to our customer-service department, sir.

   

I'm afraid we wouldn't be interested in that.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Tip

   

It is more appropriate to say the name of the company or business, followed by a polite expression like "May I help you?"

   

It is secretary's responsibility to screen calls before transferring them.

   

If a caller asks whether a person is in the office, it is best not to give a yes-or-no answer before you check to see whether that person wants to speak with the caller. Instead, ask for the caller's name and then say that you will check to see whether the person is available.

   

If you are transferring a call, always tell the caller the name of the person to whom he or she is being transferred.

   

A good habit to develop is to smile at the beginning of a phone conversation. Smiling will raise your voice and make it sound warm and friendly.

   

Remember that there is a risk you will disconnect the caller when you attempt to make the transfer. For this reason, it is a good idea to give the calller the direct phone number or extension number of the person to whom you will be transferring him or her.

   

If a caller has reached you by mistake and needs to speak with someone else, it is polite the caller's permission before you transfer the call. In this situation you can say something like. " You actually need to speak with the customer-service department. May I transfer you to that number?"

   

If you need to conclude a phone conversation, you can signal this by using

A polite phrase like "Perhaps we can discuss this further next time" or by stating that you have another appointment or a meeting for which you need to prepare.

   

If your call is relating to an appointment, it is a good idea to confirm the date and time of the appointment at the end of the call. You can also confirm phone numbers and other important information in this same manner.

   

Always remember to than the person with whom you are speaking at the end of a business call.

   

You may want to try scheduling a specific period of time in your workday just for your phone calls. To do this, first make a list of all the calls you need to complete, and be sure to prepare for them as you would for a meeting. This means that you should create a brief agenda for each call that includes the points you wish to make and the questions you need to ask during the conversation.

   

If you are making an overseas appointment, try to do it well in advance at least a month ahead of time, if possible. This is because the earlier you schedule an appointment, the more time you will have to reschedule it if it becomes necessary to do so.

   

Being flexible about the date and time of an appointment will make a good impression on the person with whom you are meeting.

   

It is always necessary to provide an honest reason for needing to reschedule an appointment. It is not enough just to say "Something suddenly came up."

   

It is a mark of professionalism to remain calm during crises. Never allow yourself to lose your composure or raise your voice, especially in front of your colleagues.

   

The ideal time to arrive for a business meeting is 10-15 minutes before it is scheduled to begin. If you arrive earlier than that, you may create an awkward situation for your associate.

   

If you are calling a business associate to inform him that you will be late for an appointment, make sure to apologize and provide him with the approximate time of your arrival.

   

When you do arrive for your meeting, be sure to thank your associate for waiting.

   

Before you put a caller on hold, be sure to tell him or her that you are doing so. Don not just press the "Hold" button without first saying "Please hold" or "May I place you on hold?"

   

If you are leaving a long or very important message, it is a good idea to ask politely that it be read back to you. In addition, if your message is urgent, stress this to the person who is taking the message, and request that it be delivered as soon as possible.

   

Respond to your phone messages in order of priority, but try to return all of your messages within 24 hours.

   

If your message is of a personal or confidential nature, you should never leave it with a person. In this case, you will probably want to leave it on voice mail or send it directly by e-mail. Whatever method you choose, however, you should try to make all of your messages as short and as simple as possible. As a general rule, it is best to keep messages to a few sentences. Be sure to start your message by providing your name, phone number, and the time of your call, and end it by repeating your name and phone number.

   

If you need to spell out a difficult word or name, it is a good idea to use the "t as in Tom" method, in which you identify a letter by providing a short word or name that begins with that letter. Thus, if you wanted to spell out the name "Bak", you could do it by saying "B as in boy, a, k" this method is useful because many English letters can sound alike, especially when they are being spoken by a non-native speaker. Some pairs of English letters that are frequently confused are "b" and "p", "t" and "d", and "n" and "m". Therefore, in order to ensure that a listener does not mistake one of these letters for another, you can say, for example, "b as in boy," "p as in Peter", "t as in Tom", "d as in dog" "n as in Nancy", and "m as in Mary."

   

Unless it is an urgent situation, do not make a business call from an area where there is considerable background noise.

   

If background noise is disrupting your conversation with a business associate, you should politely request that he or she move to a quieter spot.

   

If you make a business call and get a bad connection, ask your associate or permission to try calling again. You will probably get a better line when you call him back.

   

Land Lines almost always provide better transmission quality than do cell phones. Therefore, you should make important business calls from land lines if possible.

   

Staying involved in the conversation means that your brain must be active even when you are not speaking. During a business call you should be constantly summarizing in your mind what you associate is saying, and also keeping notes using a pen and pad. If you are unsure about a particular point, you should repeat or rephrase what you think you heard, and then ask your associate to verify the accuracy of your understanding.

   

Remember to listen objectively. Don't prejudge your associate, and keep an open mind during the conversation. Don't try to guess what your associate will say next, but allow him to express himself without interruption. If your associate says something that offends you or something with which you strongly disagree, you must still maintain a calm, professional demeanor. Do not react in haste and respond in a way that you may later regret.

   

If you are interrupted by a second call when you are speaking with a caller excuse yourself before placing the first caller on hold and tell him that your will be right back. Do not leave the first caller on hold for more than thirty seconds.

   

If your second call is not urgent, always give priority to your first caller. However, if you had been wrapping up the first call anyway and the second call is important, it is permissible to put the second caller on hold, return to the first caller to end that call, and then continue with the second caller.

   

Detailed script for calling to customers

   

• Greeting the customer and identifying yourself.
• Stating the reason your call.
• Presenting your message or asking your questions.
• Confirming an understanding or gaining an agreement.
• Concluding the call.

     

  Remember to retain your scripts even after the call is over. You may need to make similar calls to customers in the future, and you will probably be able to use the same scripts for many of these calls.

     

  The key to dealing with complaint calls from angry customers is to remain polite and professional, no matter how upset the caller becomes. If you can show the customer that you are sincerely interested in his complaint and want to help him resolve it, he will probably calm down.

     

  If a caller becomes verbally abusive, thank him for calling and hang up immediately. In addition, it is a good idea to notify your supervisor and keep a record of the call.

     

  If you are not authorized to resolve complaints yourself, transfer complaint calls to your company's customer-service department.

     

  Caller ID is an invaluable tool for business because it enables you to know the name and phone number of all incoming callers. Many Caller ID systems also allow you to block calls from unwelcome callers.

     

  Telemarketing companies are legally obligated to stop calling you once you have asked to be removed from their call list.