Frequently Asked Questions
Codes + Conduct: Telephone Etiquette
Q What is telephone etiquette?
A Telephone etiquette addresses how to use the phone. An interesting example is that Queen Elizabeth's press secretary, Charles Anson, is said to be so polite that he never ends a phone call to him. Proper phone etiquette means that the person making the call ends the call.
Codes + Conduct: Telephone Etiquette
Q What is proper phone etiquette?
A When answering the phone say, "Hello," in a cheerful voice.
When the caller asks to speak to a particular person, you say, "Who may I ask is calling, please?" Then you respond to the answer with, "Just a moment please, I will be right back." If you have to put the caller off, say, "I am sorry but my mother cannot come to the phone right now, may I, please, take a message?" Then the message is repeated back to the caller before saying good-bye.
If you are talking to someone and another call comes in, you say, "Excuse me, please, while I get this call, I will be right back." You take the name and the number of the person on the other call saying that you are sorry that you are on another call. Caller ID makes this interchange quite efficient. Then you get back to the original caller saying, "I am sorry to have kept you waiting." If another call comes in, you ignore it and pick up the message after you are off the original call.
Codes + Conduct: Telephone Etiquette
Q Between what time in the AM and Pm is it proper to make telephone calls?
A The rule is that one should be considerate and NOT telephone friends before nine o'clock in the morning or after nine o'clock in the evening. Telephoning is between nine in the morning and nine o'clock at night.
Codes + Conduct: Telephone Etiquette
Q I can't tolerate being put on hold when involved in a personal phone call - should I hang up or what?
A Just say, "Why don't you call me back when you have more time?" Or, if it is a superior, "When would be the best time for me to call you back?"
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