Taking and giving messages

Lesson 5

Leaving a Message by Phone

1. DIALOGUE Ω disk 1-14

Listen to the dialogue and note the numbered expressions.

(taking a message for a staff person by telephone)

Receiver: Good afternoon. This is the personnel department...Lola Martinez speaking.⁴³ How may I help you?

Caller: Yes, this is Shunji Usui calling from the sales department.⁴⁴ Is Chris Montgomery in?

Receiver: No, I'm sorry. He's away from his desk right now at a meeting. May I take a message?⁴⁵

Caller: Yes, that would be great. Please tell him that Shunji Usui – let me spell that - S- H- U- N- J- I ...and my family name... U - S - U - I, called about our meeting tomorrow. I'd like to reschedule it if possible.⁴⁶ My number is 432-1234 and my extension is 565. I should be in all day,⁴⁷ so just have him give me a ring⁴⁸ when he gets a chance.

Receiver: OK, Mr. Usui, let me make sure I have all of this information down correctly.... You're calling to see about rescheduling tomorrow's meeting with Mr. Montgomery. Your telephone number is 432-1234, extension 565. And you'll be in all day today.⁵⁰

Caller: That's right.

Receiver: OK, I'll be sure to give it to him as soon as he returns. Thank you for calling. Bye now.

Caller: Thank you. Bye.

⁴³ Lola Martinez speaking. = In big offices, where several people have to share a phone line, often the person answering will identify him/herself in the beginning in case the person calling needs to talk to him/her. A complete sentence is not necessary in this instance, [e.g. Good afternoon. First National Bank. Howard Chang speaking. How may I help you?]

⁴⁴ It is polite to identify yourself when calling an office to ask specifically for someone there. The person answering will feel more at ease knowing you are not trying to hide something (i.e. a pesky salesperson, a stalker, etc).

⁴⁵ The use of "may" in this instance is always more polite than saying: "Can I take a message?"

⁴⁶ Mr. Usui offered a short explanation as to why he was calling. This is helpful for the person taking the message so she can tell Mr. Montgomery later.

⁴⁷ Here, Mr. Usui offers a time in which Mr. Montgomery can return his call. In this case, he will be at his office the entire day, so anytime is fine to call. It is important to let the person you're leaving the message for know when you can be contacted. It is frustrating to play "telephone tag" – where each person calls repeatedly only to find the other person is away or unavailable.

⁴⁸ to give a ring... = to make a call. This term goes back to the days when the telephone actually had a bell that would ring when someone called. Today, telephones ring electronically with more modern tones; this phrase, however, is still used widely meaning "to phone."

⁴⁹ gets a chance = has an opportunity to do it. [e.g. A: Stop by my office when you get a chance. B: All right. How about after lunch?]

⁵⁰ Ms. Martinez carefully repeats the message to double-check that she has everything written down correctly. It is especially important to make sure the telephone number is written down correctly.

2. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions with short answers from the dialogue.

1. What department is Mr. Usui calling?

2. Where is Mr. Montgomery?

3. Does Mr. Usui work in the personnel department?

4. Who will give the message from Mr. Usui to Mr. Montgomery?

5. What information did Mr. Usui give in his message?

3. MATCHING

Match the best combination of sentences from Column A and B.

COLUMN A	COLUMN B
• May I ask who’s calling? • How may I help you? • Can you call the sales department?	- I need to speak with the sales representative.
- Does he need to call you back?	• Yes, I’ll be sure to tell him. • No, he’s in a meeting. • Yes, when he gets a chance.
• Do you want her to call you back? • Can you give me your number? • Do you want to leave your name?	- Yes, tell her to give me a ring.
- Let me make sure I have your number down correctly… it’s 629-32121.	• Yes, that’s right. • Yes, he has my number. • Yes, tell him I called.

4. MINI-DIALOGUES Ω disk 1-15

Listen and fill in the blanks and then role-play the dialogues with a partner.

A: Good ( ). This is Jack's Sales & Service. JoAnn speaking. How ( ) I help you?

B: Is Jack ( )?

A: I'm sorry, but Jack is out on a call ( ) now. I ( ) him back by 5:00 this evening. Would you like him to call you when he ( )?

B: Yes, that would be ( ). My name is Jim Vander and my cellular ( ) number is: [phone].

A: O.K., let me double-check that...it's [phone].

B: That's ( ). Thanks. Bye.

A: Hello, marketing. Barbara Lane ( ).

B: ( ) me, is Wayne Wang in ( )?

A: Let me ( )...no, I'm sorry he's out of the ( ) all day today. Is there ( ) I can help you with?

B: Hmm, I was supposed to get in ( ) with Mr. Wang to discuss a project we're ( ) on together.

A: Would you like to leave a ( )? I think he'll be in tomorrow... .

B: Yes, I would. ( ) tell him that Joji Ito called. He has my number.

A: How do you ( ) your name, please.

B: My first name is: J - 0 - J - I...and my ( ) name is: I - T - 0.

A: Hello? ( ) is Pike Industries. Kenny ( ). How may I help you?

B: I ( ) like to speak to Mr. Pike, please.

A: I'm sorry, but Mr. Pike is on ( ). He won't be back for another week. Is there ( ) else who you'd like to speak with?

B: No, uhh, please ( ) him that Jeremy Alexander ( ). My number is 989-4532.

A: ( ) ( ), Mr. Alexander. That's 989-4532. I'll be sure to give him the message when he ( ).

5. PAIRWORK-PRACTICE

Rearrange the sentences to make a conversation, then practice the dialogue with a partner.

Conversation A

– Let's see, she has an appointment tomorrow afternoon...so she should be in tomorrow morning. May I take a message?

– Yes, that would be great. Please tell her that I found the information she wanted.

– Hello, Mr. Swane. No, she isn't in today.

– When will she be in?

– All right, and how can she reach you?

– Oh...my number is area code [phone].

– Hello. Gamma Incorporated. This is Tony speaking.

– Tony, this is Ron Swane from the main office. Is Ms. Parker in today?

– Let me double-check that.... It's [phone].

Conversation B

– No, I'm sorry. Mr. Grover is out of town on business. Would you like to leave a message?

– All right. I'll be sure to give him your message, Mr. Thompson. Thank you for calling.

– Good afternoon. Grover and Associates. How may I help you?

– Yes. Please tell him that John Thompson called to discuss the proposal he gave me. He has my number.

– I need to talk to Mr. Grover. Is he in?

6. READING. AMERICAN BUSINESS CULTURE

The Fine Art of Talking to Strangers on the Telephone Ω disk 1-16

Talking on the telephone can be one of the biggest stumbling blocks when trying to communicate in a foreign language. It is always much easier when you are face-to-face with the person because you can have the benefit of observing body language, reading his/her lips, as well as being able to hear what he/she is saying more easily. On the telephone, you have to be extra sharp with your listening skills, and even clearer with your language.

Doing business by telephone, and leaving a message for a customer or colleague with another staff member takes some getting used to. It is best to be prepared with exactly what you want to ask by having a memo in front of you. This is so you don’t forget crucial information. Often the person answering will have already identified him/herself so you will need to ask for the person directly.

Always identify yourself and your organization early on in the exchange. This is a courtesy you afford to the person answering the telephone. A good message taker will be listening carefully and be jotting down the information you are giving. This way, he/she can pass on a clear and accurate message later on.

A rule of thumb is always to spell your name for the person taking the message. As demonstrated in the lesson, this custom makes taking the message much easier. It avoids confusion and potential mistakes in the details. Also, if the person doesn’t offer to repeat the number you give, ask him/her politely to repeat the number back to you to make sure it is correct.

Finally, don’t be shy to ask someone to either slow down their speech or to repeat things that you don’t understand. Another disadvantage of doing business by phone is that the other person doesn’t have the benefit of seeing you face-to-face to gauge you understanding. It is perfectly acceptable to say, “I’m sorry, could you please repeat that?” or “I’m having trouble understanding, could you please speak more slowly?”

The telephone is indeed your friend. The sooner you become proficient in speaking in English on the telephone, the more professional you will appear to those with whom you are doing business.

Answer the following questions using information found in the essay.

1. Why is it easier to talk with someone face-to-face?

2. When should you identify yourself and your organization?

3. What can you say if you don't understand someone on the telephone?

UNIT 2