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TELEPHONE
COURTESY (SOPAN SANTUN BERTELEPON)
Learn
About It!
In this series
you will practise your English skills a lot.
To make you
able to speak nature as a native speaker you have to use the variety of words
that you are speaking. Don’t forget to practice your sentence rhythm and
pronunciation of the words. By practicing a lot, you will be better. The more
you are practicing the better you are.
To study In this lesson you have to read a lot about the topic that you are studying. You
are searching for the information needed by googling will improve your knowledge
and make you be literate.
Listening to the telephone
conversation below.
then read the
tapescripts below to give you some information about the topic that you are
studying.
JANICE
|
:
|
Hello … Flagstone
|
JON
|
:
|
Oh hello; is that Flagstone Properties?
|
JANICE
|
:
|
Yes, that's right. Flagstone here. How can I help you?
|
JON
|
:
|
Hello. I'm ringing just to make inquiries about renting a house. My
name's Jon Anderson.
|
JANICE
|
:
|
Yes, Mr. Anderson. What sort of thing were you looking for?
|
JON
|
:
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Two-bedroomed house with garden.
|
JANICE
|
:
|
Well… yes, sir, that shouldn't be any problem … just to let you know
that our main areas, the main areas, we deal with, are the city center
itself…
|
JON
|
:
|
City center… uh-huh
|
JANICE
|
:
|
And the north suburbs.
|
JON
|
:
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Oh well … were most interested in the northern areas actually.
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JANICE
|
:
|
Right … yes … What sort of price were you thinking of?
|
JON
|
:
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Well … could you give some idea?
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JANICE
|
:
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Certainly. It really ranges from £250 per month.
|
JON
|
:
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Only £250?
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JANICE
|
:
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Yes, to about £500 depending on a number of different factors.
|
JON
|
:
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What does it depend on?
|
JANICE
|
:
|
Well, obviously the quality of the area. And then whether there's a garden.
|
JON
|
:
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Well. As I said, we'd want a garden.
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JANICE
|
:
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And a garage pushes up the price.
|
JON
|
:
|
Right … well, we wouldn't necessarily need one. I think about £350 a month would be our limit.
|
JANICE
|
:
|
OK well … would you like to have a look at a couple of properties,
sir?
|
JON
|
:
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Yes, that'd be great.
|
JANICE
|
:
|
Looking at our files … I think we've got two which might suit you …
|
JON
|
:
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Hang on. I 'll just get a pen. Right.
|
JANICE
|
:
|
OK. Well, there's one West Park Road which is £325 a month.
|
JON
|
:
|
Are the bills included?
|
JANICE
|
:
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Well, that one just includes the water bill.
|
JON
|
:
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OK, right
|
JANICE
|
:
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And the second house is in Tithe Road. I'll just spell that for you
…OK
|
JON
|
:
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Yep.
|
JANICE
|
:
|
T-I-T-H-E Road
|
JON
|
:
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Got that. And how much is that one?
|
JANICE
|
:
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That's £380
|
JON
|
:
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380. It that including water?
|
JANICE
|
:
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No, I'm afraid not, but it does include the telephone rental.
|
JON
|
:
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Oh well, that's not too bad then. So, …
|
JANICE
|
:
|
So, when would you be available to see them?
|
JON
|
:
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Well, I'll be in town next week …say …Thursday?
|
JANICE
|
:
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No, I'm sorry we don't have any availability for Thursday. How about
Wednesday afternoon?
|
JON
|
:
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OK. That's fine. Would 5.00 be OK?
|
JANICE
|
:
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Yes, fine. 5.00 it is. Just come to the Flagstone Offices.
|
JON
|
:
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Oh, before I forgot. What sort of things do I need to get done … to
rent with you?
|
JANICE
|
:
|
Well, the most important thing is a letter from your bank …
|
JON
|
:
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No problem …
|
JANICE
|
:
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And then a reference letter from your employer.
|
JON
|
:
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Yes, that's OK
|
JANICE
|
:
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Great, and then we would need you to give 2 weeks' notice of moving in
…
|
JON
|
:
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Right … 2 weeks' notice. And what about a deposit?
|
JANICE
|
:
|
That's one month's rent, whatever the amount is.
|
JON
|
:
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OK. One month, Is that it?
|
JANICE
|
:
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No, sorry, one more … you will have to pay for the contract.
|
JON
|
:
|
Oh yes. I'd forgotten about that. OK, fine. Do I'll start arranging
those, and I'll …
|
JANICE
|
:
|
… I'll see you next week.
|
JON
|
:
|
Yes. Thank very much. Bye
|
JANICE
|
:
|
Goodbye
|
When
you're working in customer support, you know that answering phone calls becomes
the bread and butter of your position. A frontline worker typically is hired
for their strong communication skills.
While
it may seem obvious — just pick up the phone and say "Hello?" —
answering professional calls is very different from answer personal calls.
It's easy to slip up and accidentally speak to your customers the way you would
to your best friend or mother. Thay why phone etiquette is very important to be
learned. The Phone etiquette will be presented in this order.
1.
Answer
the call within three rings.
2.
Immediately
introduce yourself.
3.
Speak
clearly.
4.
Only
use speakerphone when necessary.
5.
Actively
listen and take notes.
6.
Use
proper language.
7.
Remain
cheerful.
8.
Ask
before putting someone on hold or transferring a call.
9.
Be
honest if you don't know the answer.
10. Be mindful of your
volume.
11. Check for and respond
to voicemails.
Why
they are necessary would be explained below.
1. Answer a call within three
rings.
If
your position entails always being available to callers, you should actually be
available. That means staying focused and answering calls immediately. The last thing you want to do is keep a customer waiting after a string of endless ringing
or send them to voicemail when you should've been able and ready to reply.
As
long as you're alert and at your phone at all times — excluding breaks — this
rule should be fairly simple to follow. However, we recommend responding within
three rings in order to give yourself enough time to get in the zone and prepare
for the call. Picking up the phone right away might leave you flustered.
2. Immediately introduce yourself.
Upon
picking up the phone, you should confirm with the person whom they have called.
In personal calls, it's sufficient to begin with a "Hello?" and let
the caller introduce themselves first. However, you want to allow the caller to
know if they've hit a wrong number, as well as whom they are speaking with.
Practice
answer the phone with, "Hi, this is [Your first name] from [Your company].
How can I help you?" Your customer will be met with warmth, which will
encourage a positive start to your call. And, if it ends up being an
exasperated college student trying to order pizza, they'll at least appreciate
your friendliness.
3. Speak clearly.
Phone
calls, while a great option for those who detest in-person interaction, do
require very strong communication skills. For one, the person on the other end
of the line can only judge you based on your voice, since they don't get to
identify your body language and — hopefully — kind smile.
You
always want to speak as clearly as possible. Project your voice without shouting.
You want to be heard and avoid having to repeat yourself. A strong, confident
voice can make a customer trust you and your support more. In case of bad cell
service or any inability to hear or be heard, immediately ask to hang up and
call back.
4. Only use speakerphone when necessary.
We
all know the trials of the speakerphone. It's easier for you because you can use
your hands to multitask. However, for the other caller, it's like trying to
hear one voice through a honking crowd of taxis in Manhattan — impossible and
frustrating.
Give your customers
your full attention, and avoid speakerphone. This will make it easier for both
parties to be heard, and it will ensure that you're actually paying attention
to them. You may need to use speakerphone at rare occasions, such as when it's
a conference call or when you're trying to troubleshoot on the phone. While
speakerphone may be appropriate at these times, it's always better to use a
headset to remain hands-free.
5. Actively listen, and take notes.
Speaking
of paying attention to your customers, it's essential that you're actively
listening to them throughout the conversation. Actively listening means hearing
everything they have to say and basing your response off of their comments,
rather than using a prescribed script. This proves to your customers that
you're present and are empathetic to their inconveniences.
It's
helpful to take notes during support calls. You'll want to file a record
post-conversation, and notes will be immensely helpful. It also ensures that,
during long-winded explanations from customers, you can jot down the main
points and jump into problem-solving without requiring them to repeat.
6. Use proper language.
The key difference between professional and personal phone calls is obvious — the
language. It might be acceptable to use slang and swears when talking on the
phone with your friends, but this kind of language can cause you to lose a customer
for life.
Always
be mindful and respectful when on the phone. You never know what customers
might be offended by something you say, so it's best to use formal language.
It's okay to throw in humor if appropriate, but never crack a joke that could upset
a customer.
7. Remain cheerful.
You
never know when a customer is having a bad day. When someone is rude to you on
the phone, your immediate reaction may be to put them in your place. First,
though, take a moment to step into their shoes and recognize why they're so
upset.
The
point is to always remain positive and friendly, especially in the face of
negativity. Your optimistic outlook may be enough to turn a failing phone call
right around. Remind yourself that the last thing your customer probably wanted
was to spend their afternoon on the phone with customer support. So, make that
call the best it can be, and it may create a loyal, lifetime customer.
8. Ask before putting someone on hold or transferring a call.
There's
often nothing more infuriating than being put on hold. After waiting on hold
for ten or fifteen minutes to speak with a real-life human being, you finally
get to explain your problem. Then, you're immediately put back on hold and then
transferred to someone else to whom you must re-explain the whole problem. Talk
about exhausting.
However,
if you must put a customer on hold or transfer their call, always ask for their
permission first. Explain why it's necessary to do so, and reassure them that
you — or another employee — are going to get their problem solved swiftly. By
keeping your customer in the loop, they'll be less inclined to complain about a
long wait time.
9. Be honest if you don't know the answer.
You
might need to put a customer on hold or transfer their call if the dreaded occurs
— you don't know the solution. Perhaps you've tried everything you can or
simply have no idea what they're talking about. Don't panic; customer support
representatives are humans, too, and it's okay not to be the omniscient voice
of reason.
It's
best to admit when you don't know something, rather than making excuses or
giving false solutions. However, tell them that you're going to do everything
you can to find an answer and get back to them momentarily, or find a co-worker
who does know the answer. Customers don't typically expect you to have all the
solutions at hand, but they will expect you to be transparent.
10. Be mindful of your volume.
You
may be so focused on your phone call with a customer that you're barely paying
attention to your present setting. When working in a call center, things can
get pretty loud. You always want to be mindful of your volume and ensure that
you're not disrupting the ability of your co-workers to speak to customers and
get their work done.
If
you are on a call that requires you to speak louder due to a bad connection or
a hard-of-hearing customer, simply step out of the room and speak with them
separately. Your customers are always your main concern, but you don't want to
inhibit the work ethic of others in your workplace.
11. Check for and respond to voicemails.
It's
quite possible that a customer might reach out to you when you're on a break or
after you've left work for the day. If it's possible for you to receive
voicemails, make sure you're always checking for them. It's easy for a
voicemail to slip under the radar, but the customer won't easily forget.
Start
and end each day by checking your voicemail. It takes just a few minutes and
can avoid a lost customer support request. Your customers will appreciate your
prompt response, and you can get on to doing what you do best — providing
knowledgeable and friendly support.
These tips should
provide you and your team with basic guidelines for phone etiquette and, if
executed properly, your company should see significant improvement in costomer
experience.
However,
there will be some interactions where these actions may not be enough to defuse
the situation. Some customer interactions will require your team to take
special measures to ensure you're meeting the customer's immediate and
long-term needs. In the next section, we'll break down a few of these scenarios
and what you can do to resolve them.
Do You Understand?
As well as speaking clearly when talking on the phone, it is
vital to use the right level of formality. If you are too formal, people might
find it difficult to feel comfortable when talking to you. If you are too
informal, they might think you are being rude!
Generally speaking, when you are calling in a business context
(making calls related to employment, finances, law, health or applications of
any sort), you should show politeness by using words like:
·
could
·
would
·
can
·
may
when making a request. When you ask for something, or receive
help or information, you should use:
·
please
·
thank you
·
thank you very much.
It is also okay to use some of the informal features of the
English language such as short forms, phrasal verbs and words like okay and bye –
in other words, everyday English! So phrases like:
If it is more of an informal phone conversation (speaking to a
friend, family member, close work colleague or even a friend of a friend), then
a high level of formality is usually not required, but you should still speak
with a polite manner, as it is seen as respectful.
It’s fine to use less formal phrases in these conversations,
such as
·
‘thanks’
·
‘cheers’
·
‘bye’
·
‘okay’
·
‘no problem’
Another useful thing to remember is, it’s better to ask for help
or clarification when you’re having a telephone conversation, than to pretend
you understand something that you didn’t. It is absolutely fine to use phrases
like:
·
‘Could you repeat that
please?’
·
‘Could you speak a little
more slowly please?’
·
‘Would you mind spelling
that for me please?’
Using phrases like these will help you to have a more successful
phone call, and may save you from any problems later on. You could always say:
·
‘I’m afraid the line is
quite bad’,
if you can’t hear very well.
It also a good idea to practise words, phrases and vocabulary
that you might need to use, before the call! So to help you out a little, here
is a list of commonly used phrases:
Introduction / Making Contact
If answering a business call, start by introducing yourself or
if the caller fails to identify themselves, then you could ask them to state
who they are by using the following phrases:
Formal
·
‘Hello’
·
‘Good Morning’
·
‘Good
Afternoon’
·
‘This is ___
speaking’
·
‘Could I speak
to ___ please?’
·
‘I would like
to speak to ___’
·
‘I’m trying to
contact ___’
Informal
·
‘Hello’
·
‘Hi, it’s ___ here’
·
‘I am trying to get in
touch with ___’
·
‘Is ___ there please?’
Giving more information
This would probably be used in a business context mainly, but
could sometimes be helpful in an informal conversation too. It is good to
specify where you are calling from, if you feel it may be helpful to the person
you are calling.
Formal
·
‘I am calling
from ___
·
I’m calling on
behalf of ___’
Informal
‘I’m in the post office at the moment, and I
just needed ___’
Taking / Receiving a Call
You may need to use these if you are answering someone else’s
phone, because they are unable to answer it themselves, or if you are answering
an office phone.
Formal
·
‘Hello, this is
___ speaking’
·
‘___ speaking,
how may I help you?’
Informal
·
‘Hello, John’s
phone’
Asking for more information / Making a request
If you need to ask for a specific person, then phrase your
request as a polite question, if you only have an extension number and no name,
you can say so. If you’re calling for a specific reason, just explain briefly
what it is.
Formal
·
‘May I ask
who’s calling please?’
·
‘Can I ask whom
I’m speaking to please?’
·
‘Where are you
calling from?’
·
‘Is that
definitely the right name/number?’
·
‘Could I speak
to someone who ___?’
·
‘I would like
to make a reservation please’
·
‘Could you put
me through to extension number ___ please?’
Informal
·
‘Who’s calling please?’
·
‘Who’s speaking?’
·
‘Who is it?’
·
Whom am I speaking to?
Asking the caller to wait / Transferring a call
If you are transferring a caller to someone else, you should let
them know that you are doing so, just so they know what is happening, as the
silent tone could be mistaken for a disconnected line! If you are the one being
transferred, you will often hear the person use the following phrases:
Formal
·
‘Could you hold
on a moment please’
·
‘Just a moment
please’
·
‘Hold the line
please’
·
‘I’ll just put
you through’
·
‘I’ll just
transfer you now’
Informal
·
‘I’m off to a conference, okay, bye’,
- ‘Hang on a moment, I’ll put you through’
- ‘Hold on a minute’
·
‘Just a minute’
·
‘Okay,
wait a moment please’
are perfectly acceptable, as long as the overall tone of your
voice is polite and friendly.
Giving Negative Information
If you are the one answering a call, you might not be able to
help the caller. You can use some of the following phrases in these
circumstances:
Formal
·
‘I’m afraid the
line is busy at the moment’
·
‘That line is
engaged at the moment, could you call back later please?’
·
‘I’m afraid
___’s busy at the moment, can I take a message?’
·
‘I’m sorry,
he’s out of the office today’
·
‘You may have
dialled the wrong number’
·
‘I’m afraid
there’s no one here by that name’
Informal
·
‘Sorry, ___’s
not here’
·
‘___ is out at
the moment’
Telephone Problems
If you don’t understand everything the other person is saying,
be honest. Tell the other person immediately, otherwise you might miss some
important information! Most people will appreciate your honesty, and will be
happy to oblige.
Formal
·
‘I’m afraid I
can’t hear you very well’
·
‘Would you mind
speaking up a bit please?’
·
I’m afraid my
English isn’t very good, could you speak slowly please?’
·
‘Could you
repeat that please?’
Informal
·
Sorry,
I didn’t catch that’
·
‘Sorry,
this line is quite bad’
·
‘Say
that again please?’
·
‘I
can’t hear you very well’
Leaving / Taking a Message
If the person you’re calling is not available, be prepared to
leave a message. This could be a voicemail, (which
is a digital voice recording system), or an answering
machine (this records messages onto a tape). If you’re leaving a
message with another person, they’ll either ask if you want to leave a message,
or you could request to leave a message with them. Be sure to leave your
number, if you want the other person to call you back!
Formal
·
‘Can I take
your name and number please?’
·
‘Can I leave a
message please?’
·
‘Could you
please ask ___ to call me back?’
·
‘Could you
spell that for me please?’
·
‘Can I just
check the spelling of that please?’
Informal
·
‘I’ll ask him to ring you
when ___ gets back’
·
‘Could you tell ___ that
I called please?’
·
‘I’ll let ___ know that
you rang’
Saying Goodbye
The easiest part of the conversation! Simply be polite, and
speak with a friendly manner.
Formal
·
‘Thank you for
calling’
·
‘Have a good
day’
·
‘Goodbye’
Informal
·
‘Bye!’
·
‘Talk soon’
·
‘Speak to you again soon’
Common Phrasal Verbs
1. hold on
means wait
means wait
·
‘Could
you hold on a moment please?’
2. hang on
also means wait! (informal)
also means wait! (informal)
·
‘Could
you hang on a moment please?’
3. put (a call)
through
means to connect one caller to another
means to connect one caller to another
·
‘I’m
just going to put you through now.’
4. get through
to be connected to someone on the phone
to be connected to someone on the phone
·
‘I can’t get through to
his line at the moment, could you call back later please?’
5. hang up
means to put the receiver down
means to put the receiver down
·
‘I think the operator
hung up on me, the line just went dead!’
6. call up
is to make a telephone call (mainly used in American English or slang)
is to make a telephone call (mainly used in American English or slang)
·
‘I’ll call up the
theatre, and find out about tickets.’
7. call back
is to return someone’s call
is to return someone’s call
·
‘I’ll ask him to call you
back, when he gets home.’
8. pick up
means to answer a call / lift the receiver to take a call
means to answer a call / lift the receiver to take a call
·
‘No one is picking up,
maybe they’re not at home.’
9. get off (the phone)
means to stop talking on the phone
means to stop talking on the phone
·
‘When he gets off the
other phone, I’ll pass on your message.’
10. get back to (someone)
means to return someone’s call
·
‘When do you think she’ll
be able to get back to me?’
11. cut off
to be disconnected abruptly during a telephone conversation
to be disconnected abruptly during a telephone conversation
·
‘I think we got cut off,
I can’t hear her anymore.’
12. switch off/turn off
is to deactivate (a cell phone/mobile phone)
is to deactivate (a cell phone/mobile phone)
·
‘Sorry you couldn’t get
through to me. My phone was switched off, because the battery had died.’
13. speak up
means to talk louder
means to talk louder
·
‘I’m afraid I can’t hear
you very well, could you speak up a little please?’
Hold on means ‘wait’ – and hang
on means ‘wait’ too. Be careful not to confuse hang on with hang
up! Hang up means ‘finish the call by breaking the
connection’ – in other words: ‘put the phone down.’
Another phrasal verb with the same meaning as hang up is ring
off, but this isn’t as commonly used as some of the other phrasal verbs listed
above.
The opposite of hang up / ring
off is ring up – if you ring somebody up,
you make a phone call. And if you pick up the phone
(or pick the phone up), you answer a call when the
phone rings.
“Hang on a second…”
If you are talking to a receptionist, secretary or switchboard
operator, they may ask you to hang on while they put you through – put
through means to connect your call to another telephone. With this
verb, the object (you, me, him, her etc.) goes in the middle of the verb: put you through.
But if you can’t get through to (contact
on the phone) the person you want to talk to, you might be able to leave a
message asking them to call you back.
Call back means to return a
phone call – and if you use an object (you, me, him, her, etc.), it goes in the
middle of the verb: call you back.
Now you can start making those calls!
Key Points
Remember your manners!
·
It’s very important to be
polite on the telephone, use phrases like could you, would you like to,
and to make requests, use please. Always remember to finish a
conversation with thank you and good bye.
Write it down!
·
If you’re nervous about
speaking on the phone in English, then it may be helpful to write a brief
script or a few bullet points on that you need to say.
·
If you will be speaking
to someone you don’t know, it helps to have things written down in front of
you, to calm your nerves!
·
If you have a brief
outline of what you need to say, it will help to organise your thoughts
beforehand, and to use it as a reference during the call, if you get confused.
Phrasal verbs
·
One thing you could do to
improve your telephone skills is to learn some of the phrasal verbs that are
commonly used in English telephone conversations.
Jawablah pertanyaan-pertanyaan berikut dengan jujur dan bertanggungjawab!
| No. | Pertanyaan | Jawaban | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | Saya mengetahui arti kata-kata pada pada teks di atas |
Ya | Tidak |
| 02. | Saya bisa mengucapkan kata-kata sesuai dengan audio/video yang disajikan |
Ya | Tidak |
| 03. | Saya bisa memperagakan percakapan dengan membaca teks yang tersedia |
Ya | Tidak |
| 04. | Saya bisa memperagakan percakapan dengan sedikit membaca teks |
Ya | Tidak |
| 05. | Saya bisa memperagakan tanpa membaca teks |
Ya | Tidak |
| 06. | Saya bisa memperagakan tanpa membaca teks disertai dengan variasi baru atau pengembangan teks |
Ya | Tidak |
| 07. | Saya bisa membuat karya video terkait dengan percakapan yang diperagakan |
Ya | Tidak |
| 08. | Saya bisa membuat video dan telah disosialisasikan pada sosial media yang saya miliki |
Ya | Tidak |
Bila ada jawaban "Tidak", maka segera lakukan review pembelajaran, terutama pada bagian yang masih "Tidak".
Bila semua jawaban "Ya", maka Anda dapat melanjutkan ke pembelajaran berikutnya.
Buatlah jurnal harian untuk membantumu dalam mempercepat proses pembelajaran dengan menjawab soal evaluasi diri berikut ini.
- Apakah yang kamu telah pelajari pada bagian ini?
- Apa yang menarik pada sesi ini?
- Apa kendala yang kamu alami?
- Apa yang kamu lakukan untuk mengatasi kendala tersebut?
Informasi lainnya yang terkait dapat diakses pada tautan berikut ini
