1. PROFESSIONAL
TELEPHONE
SKILLS

2. INTRODUCTION
According to the COTECNA
Media Policy the Front Desk
Officer plays an important role in
building a positive image for the
company.
How does he/she do this?

3. RULES OF TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE
 Speak directly into the mouthpiece.
 Never chew gum or be eating when you’re answering
the phone. It sounds extremely unprofessional to the
person at the other end of the line.
 If someone walks into your office while you are talking
on the telephone, ask the caller if you may put
him/her on hold briefly.
 Do not place the handset in the cradle until you have
depressed the HOLD button.
 Do not lay the receiver on the desk, without placing
the caller on hold (the caller will hear everything being
discussed in your office)

4.  Return to caller and complete the call as soon as
possible.
 Do not slam the phone or cut off abruptly.
 Avoid slang – like “yeah, nope, you know or bye
bye for good bye.
 Train your voice and vocabulary to be positive
when answering a phone call, even on a “down”
day. For example, rather than saying, “I don’t
know”, say, “please, let me find out about that
for you”.
 Don’t use a speaker phone unless absolutely
necessary.
 Speaker phones give the caller the impression that
you’re not fully concentrating on his call, and his
call isn’t private.

5.  The only time to use a speaker phone is
when you need more than one person to
join in the conversation at your end.
 Alternatively, you must inform the person
at the other end before.
 Use basic phrases of courtesy – “May I
help you?”, “Please, Thank you,” “You
are welcome.”
 Smile while speaking. People can “hear a
smile” over the phone!

6. PROFESSIONAL WAYS TO ANSWER A BUSINESS PHONE
 Promptness
 Be warm and enthusiastic when answering
phone calls.
 Your voice on the phone may be probably the
first impression of your company that a caller will
form.
 Avoid letting the telephone ring more than two or
three times before answering it.
 Pause whatever else you're doing at the moment
to take the incoming call.
 If at all possible, never let a call enter the voice
mail system, as this can frustrate customers.

7.  Greeting
 The speed, pitch, and tone of your voice are
important for creating a positive experience during
a call.
 Answer the phone with a relaxed and pleasant
tone.
 Keep your greeting short but informative, with just
enough information to let the caller know whether
he has reached the right destination.
 Typically in business environment, it is considered
more professional to say "Good morning" or
"Good afternoon" rather than "Hello." Clearly
state your name followed by either the company’s
name or the department you work. For example,
"Good morning. Naomi, Gateway Services
Limited. How may I help you?”

8. Acknowledgment of phone calls
 Listen to the caller's reasons for contacting
you.
 Remain quiet and do not interrupt during
his explanation of the situation.
 Acknowledge your understanding of the
issue at hand, repeating back the main
points if necessary.
 Assure the caller you will properly address
his issue or concern, or transfer the call to
the appropriate destination.

9.  Suggested responses to caller’s questions
Yes ma’am/sir.”
“Thank you, I’ll check.” or I’ll see”
“One moment please, I’ll find out.”
“Yes, you may.”

10. Placing callers on HOLD
 Remember to ask your caller, “do you mind
holding?” or “May I put you on hold?” before
doing so.
 If you take the time to ask your caller to hold, be
sure to listen to the response.
 After placing your caller on hold, check back
periodically (btw 30-45 seconds). Give them the
option to continue to hold if it will take longer to
find information OR offer to call them back.
 When returning to your caller, remember to
thank them for waiting.
 If your caller cannot hold:

11.  offer to take a message;
 transfer to another party;
 arrange for them to return the call at a specific
time;
 If the caller is in the position to HOLD, ask him or
her,
 “Please hold” <before depressing the hold
button>
 Note: when placing multiple calls on hold,
remember to return to the first caller you
placed on hold first!

12.  Reports to caller-on hold
Don’t leave people on hold for a long time. Provide callers
on hold with progress reports and offer them choices if
possible, such as:
• “Mrs. Quartey is on another line, will you like to wait,
please?”
• “She is away from her desk, may I take a
message?.”
• “I’m sorry, Mrs. Quartey is out of the office, may
someone else help you?”
• Mrs. Quartey is in the Accounts Department, one
moment please, I’ll transfer your call.
• “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

13. Cont’d - Progress reports
• “Mrs. Quartey’s line is still busy, do you
wish to continue waiting?”
• “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, may I check
further and call you back?”
• “That line is still busy, may someone else
help you”
• “I’m sorry, she is still away from her desk,
do you wish to continue waiting?”

14. Transferring calls
 Tell the caller the REASON you are transferring
the call before you do so.
 Then ASK if it is all right to transfer the caller’s
call.
 Call the department or person where you are
transferring a call and make sure that they can
take the call.
 If they are able to take the call, give them the
person’s name, his/her request and any other
relevant information.
 Where the appropriate person to receive the call
is not available, take the caller’s details down.

15. Taking phone messages
 Whenever possible, use telephone message
forms to record accurate and complete
information.
 A good phone message includes:
 Name of person for whom the message was left
 Caller’s name <get the correct spelling>, company or
department and contact phone number.
 Date and time
 Message
 Action to be taken (i.e., “please call,” or “will call back,” or
“URGENT”
 Return call, if any (give estimated time)
 It is important to deliver the message as soon as
possible and maintain confidentiality with all
messages.

16.  Obtaining the caller’s name
 “May I know who is calling, please?”
 “May I have your name, please?”
 “Who is on the line, please?”
 Obtaining the correct information
 Always repeat and read back messages for
accuracy
 “Will you spell the name, please?”
 “The correct spelling is P-R-E-T-T-Y?”
 “Will you repeat the number, please?”
 “The correct number is 5-1-1-6 (pause)-1-5-3-4?”
 Ensure to take phone messages completely and
accurately.
 Make sure the message is delivered to the
intended recipient on time.

17. Ending
 Before ending the call, you should always try
to recap what you have discussed.
 If appropriate, ask the caller if there is
anything else you can help them with before
saying ‘goodbye’ and hanging up.
 It is also a good practice to let the caller hang
up first before you do.
 End the call with a positive statement.
"Thanks for calling GSL. Have a nice day.“

18. CONCLUSION
 The way you handle the telephone reflects on
you and your department as well as your
company.
 These guidelines will help us project
individual telephone skills in our job and an
overall image of professionalism for our
company.
 The most successful approach to telephone
usage is to place importance on the caller,
not on yourself.
 Always be courteous and helpful so the caller
will feel good about calling.

19. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME &
ATTENTION