Making And Handling Telephone Calls

A. Useful Expressions

Receiving a call

• Hello / good morning / good afternoon.
• Good morning, ...(your institution)....
• Hello. Dea speaking.
• Yes, can I help you?
• Oh, hi! It's been a long time. How are you?

Starting a call (caller)

• Hello / good morning / good afternoon.
• May I speak to ...(someone)..., please?
• Could I speak to ...(someone)..., please?
• I'd like to speak to ...(someone)....

Telling identity

• This is ...(your name)... speaking.
• ...(your name)... speaking.
• I'm calling on behalf of ...(company)....
• ...(someone)... told me to contact you.

Asking identity

• Who's calling, please?
• Who's speaking?
• May I have your name?
• Who am I speaking to?
• Is that ...(someone)...?
• Can I ask who’s calling?

Note:
We don’t use "Are you ...?"to find out who is on the other end of the phone.
We can ask "Is that Anne?", not "Are you Anne?"

Asking to wait

• Hold the line, please.
• Could you hold on?
• Just a moment, please.
• Please wait a minute.

Connecting

• The line is free now. I'll put you through.
• Thank you for holding.

Giving information

• I'm sorry. He/she is not available at the moment.
• I'm afraid the line is engaged. Could you call back later?
• I'm afraid he's still in a meeting.
• I'm sorry. He's out of the office today.
• I'm sorry. There's nobody here by that name.
• Sorry. I think you have dialled the wrong number.

Leaving a message

• I'd like to leave a message.
• Please tell him that I will meet him next week.
• Please tell him that I called.
• That's alright. I'll call back later.
• Yes. Please tell him to contact me.

Taking a message

• Would you like to leave a message?
• Do you have a message?
• May I take a message?
• May I have your number?
• Let me repeat your message. ...(repeat the message and confirm the details, e.g. place, time, telephone number, etc.)

Asking to repeat

• I'm sorry. Could you speak up, please?
• Could you repeat that, please?
• I'm afraid I can't hear you.
• I'm sorry. I didn't catch that. Come again?
• I beg your pardon. The line is very bad.

Closing a call

• Thank you. Bye.

B. Example Dialogues

Dialogue 1
Dave phones Vicki’s number to see if Nigel’s there.
DAVE: Hello, could I speak to Vicki?
VICKI: Speaking.
DAVE: Oh, hello Vicki – I didn’t recognise your voice. It’s Dave.
VICKI: Hi, Dave. How’s things?
DAVE: Not bad, thanks. Listen, I don’t suppose Nigel’s there, is he?
VICKI: No – but I’m expecting him round later on.
DAVE: OK – could you get him to ring me back?
VICKI: Of course. Can you give me your number?
DAVE: I think he’s got it, but let me give you it now just in case.
VICKI: Hang on – let me get a pen . . . OK.
DAVE: Six-seven-nine-oh-four-oh-four. Got that?
VICKI: Got it!

Dialogue 2
Julie’s phone rings, and she answers.
JULIE: 247649.
TERRY: Ah, hello. Could I speak to Jim, please?
JULIE: Jim?
TERRY: Yes, Jim Fife. Is he there?
JULIE: I’m afraid there isn’t anyone here by that name. Who am I speaking to?
TERRY: This is Terry Smith. Isn’t that Marilyn’s house?
JULIE: No – you’ve got the wrong number.
TERRY: Ah – I’m sorry.
JULIE: Quite all right.

Dialogue 3
Cynthia phones to speak to Bob at work. But she gets through to his secretary.
CYNTHIA: Hello, it’s Cynthia Palmer here. Can I speak to Bob Watford please?
SECRETARY: Hold on, I’ll see if he’s available .... Hello? I’m afraid Mr Watford’s in a meeting at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?
CYNTHIA: Yes – could you ask him to get back to me as soon as possible?
SECRETARY: Yes – has he got your number?
CYNTHIA: Yes, he has.
SECRETARY: Fine – I’ll make sure he calls you as soon as he gets out of the meeting.
CYNTHIA: Thanks.

Source: Colloquial English: A Course for Non-Native Speakers by Gareth King