PHONE ETIQUETTE

1. What are phone etiquette and manners?

2. Essential rules of business phone etiquette?
3. Why is phone etiquette important in the workplace?
1. Is it a formal/professional phone call? Why/why not?
2. How would you improve the quality of this phone call?
3. What would you say if you were A/B?
A. Getting through

2 gets through to – from – calling

3
– afraid – not available – speak
4
5 6 7 to – leave a message – with –
available - office
8
9
10
A. Getting through

2 gets through to – from – calling

3
– afraid – not available – speak
4
5 6 7 to – leave a message – with –
available - office
8
9
10
TELEPHONING 3
GETTING THROUGH
B. Giving and taking messages

1
2
give - gets back – may(x2) –
3
could – can – wonder – would -
4
5 which
6
7
8

9
B. Giving and taking messages

1
2
3 confirm - could (x3) –
4 want – about
5
6
B. Giving and taking messages
Practice 1. Look at A and B opposite. Change the underlined expressions in these conversations so that they are
correct and more polite.

A: I’d like to speak to Ms Sangster, please.

B: I’m afraid she’s not available.
A: It’s Sven Nyman here.
B: May I ask what it’s about?
A: I’m calling about her order.
B: I’ll ask her to call you when she’s free.
Practice 1. Look at A and B opposite. Change the underlined expressions in these conversations so that they are
correct and more polite.

A: Hello. Is Jack Bronson available?

B: No, I’m afraid he’s not available. May I ask who’s calling? Which
company are you calling from?
A: This is Rosario Gonzalez calling from Excelsior Media Services.
Could I leave a message for him? I’m calling to confirm that I’ve
received his cheque.
B: I’ll give him your message.
C. Spelling names
C. Spelling names
Practice 2. Spell the following as you would spell them on the phone. Use the table in C opposite to help you.
The first one has been done as an example.
Practice 2. Spell the following as you would spell them on the phone. Use the table in C opposite to help you.
The first one has been done as an example.

2. V for Victor, A for Alpha, L for Lima, L for Lima, A for Alpha, D for Delta, O for Oscar, L for Lima, I for
India, D for Delta.
3. W for Whisky, E for Echo, B for Bravo, E for Echo, R for Romeo.
4. h t t p colon slash slash www dot, britishcouncil all as one word dot org slash courses.
5. P for Papa, E for Echo, T for Tango, E for Echo, R for Romeo, new word, H for Hotel, O for Oscar, U for
Uniform, S for Sierra, E for Echo.
6. M for Mike, A for Alpha, C for Charlie, P for Papa, H for Hotel, E for Echo, R for Romeo, S for Sierra, O
for Oscar, N for November.
7 . john hyphen smith at cambridge dot ac dot UK.
D. Taking messages: checking information
Practice 3. Match the responses (1–8) with the questions (a–h) in D opposite.
D. Taking messages: checking information

g
d
b
f
c
e
a
h