What is telephone etiquette?

Answer 1

Polite reponse to callers. Manners are important in first impressions and often a caller's first impression of a company is with the receptionist of operator.

An individual who initiates a telephone call should always be prepared to identify them self when the call is answered, especially if the person who answers is not the person the caller intends to speak to, or if there is certainly a chance that your voice will not be recognized. In other words, it is generally considered impolite to simply ask to speak to someone else without first identifying one's self. This is true whether the call is made to a residence or a business, or when leaving a voice recorded message.

For example, when a call is answered, the caller might say "Hello, my name is Mary Todd. Is Martha there? May I speak to her?" Or "Hello Mrs Thompson, is Jack able to come to the phone?" Never start a conversation by saying "Are you Jack Burns?", because if Jack Burns doesn't know who you are, he may be wondering whether the call is friendly and if it is safe to give his name to a complete stranger.

When leaving a message on a telephone voice recorder, do not simply say "Call me" or "Call me back". Give a reason why you want that person to call you back. For example, you might say "...I want to ask what plans you have for the holiday", or "...I thought we might just catch up on things." Otherwise, without explaining the purpose of your call, you may be creating concern or worry for the other person.