Telephoning can be stressful because we have to rely solely on our listening skills without the benefit of visual information such as facial expressions and gestures. How often do you do business over the phone? How confident are you when telephoning?
"Hello, ECS Scotland, how can I help you?"
What to say on the phone.
Useful phrases for the telephone
- - "Hello, this is ECS. Anna speaking, how can I help?"
- - "I'm really sorry, they aren't available at the moment."
- - "Can I take a message?"
- - "I think you have the wrong number."
- - "Who's calling, please?"
- - " Please hold for just a minute. I have another call.'
- - "Would you mind calling back in an hour? I'm in a meeting just now."
- - "Thank you for calling ECS. Goodbye."
Practice the above phrases with a friend or colleague using a roleplay
Pretend you are:
- Answering the phone in your workplace
- Phoning a doctor's office to make an appointment
- Phoning a company to make a complaint
- Working as a receptionist in a hotel
Our work and business English classes can help you improve your business communication, as well as gain general confidence in English.
