These are some common and useful telephone questions. Match the endings with the question starters.(More than one combination is sometimes possible.)
PRACTICAL TRAINING
Useful language
Mobile phone etiquette
-Ideally, keep your mobile phone turned off at work.
-Don’t answer calls during a meeting, or while working with someone.
-You don’t always have to answer. Use your messaging service.
-Do not send text messages during meetings or presentations.
-Do not leave your phone on the table in vibrate mode.
-Respect personal space, talk at least 3 metres away from people.
-Keep your conversation private, and don’t have emotional conversations.
-Don’t use loud or annoying ring tones at work.
Making contact
Could you put me through to Mr Li Wang please?
You seem to have got the wrong extension.
Can you transfer me to his extension?
Asking for information
Could you give me a few details?
When did you give us the order?
Can you tell me what the order number is?
Asking for repetition
Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said.
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
What did you say the reference number was?
Checking information
Fine. Shall I just read that back to you?
Let me just check. What you need is… Is that right?
Could you spell that, please?
Clarifying
What exactly do you mean by…?
Sorry, I don’t follow you.
Are you saying that…?
Confirming understanding
Right, I’ve got that.
Fine/ OK/ Right.
Confirming action
I’ll check it out right away.
I’ll get onto it immediately.
I’ll call you back as soon as I can.
5.1.Complete these sentences using the pairs of words below:
how/help, call/later, name/from, afraid/in, wondering/help, calling/because,
speak/please, mine/referred, put/down, time/reach, let/transfer, this/speaking, sorry/was, remember/met, I’ll/message
1…can I…you?
2. I’m… …I need some information.
3 … me … you to Sales.
4. Would you like to … back …?
5. My … is Chris Robb … York Paper.
6. A colleague of … , Liz Peterson, … me to you.
7. I’m … she’s not … this week.
8. I could … you … for Friday afternoon.
9. …, your name …?
10. I’d like to … to Mark Chin, … .
11. … is Mark … .
12.You may not … me- we … last year.
13. I was … if you could … mt.
14. … give him the … .
15. What’s a good … to you?
1. …leave a message? 9. … 555-7434?
2. … take a message ? 10. … ask who’s calling?
3. … transfer me to his voice mail ? 11. … repeat that please?
12. … ask him to call Jack Ball?
4. … have your phone number ? 13. … speak up a little, please?
5. …know what this regarding ? 14. … a good time?
6. … help you ? 15. …ask when he’ll be back?
7. … ask what this is regarding ? 16. … call back later?
8. … speak to Ann Morgan, please ? 17. … something I could help you
with?
a. Would you like to … ? b. May I … ? c. Could you …?
d. Does s/he … ? e. Is this …?
5.3. Talk with your classmates. What are some problems that irritate you when telephoning? Look at the list of complains. Put them in order from 1 to 5 (5 is the most irritating).
Five most common complains about telephoning:
-waiting on hold for too long
-not being get through
-not being able to see facial expressions
-having to repeat the same information to different people
-talking to rude operaters