Q&A for How to Answer the Phone Politely

I suggest you identify yourself, and then politely ask why the person is calling. For example, you could say, "Hi, this is Tami. How may I help you today?"

Yes, as long as you ask politely, for example, "May I ask who's calling?" as opposed to "Who is this?"

You could simply ask, "Could I (or may I) please speak to so-and-so?" or "Is this so-and-so speaking?" There's nothing impolite about asking who it is you're speaking to.

Just like you did: "The phone line is dead." If you need to say it more formally, like to a boss, you could say, "I'm sorry ma'am/sir, but the phone line is currently down."

Don't panic, as your phone may drop the call, and be very patient. Talk quickly, but make sure the person on the other line understands what you are trying to say.

It would be negative to be rude in any way. Profanity, informality, insults, and endearments (such as "sweetie" or "hun") are "negative" for professional usage. In informal conversation, behave the way you would if you were in person. Remember: ignorance of common politeness could be viewed as rude.

"Sorry, but I'm not sure of the specifics concerning your question." Then ask them to please hold while you find out the answer or redirect their call to someone who can help them.

"This is she" is the proper response. You could also answer "I am (your name)."

It's not the nicest greeting, as it kind of just conveys "What do you want?" in a more polite way. It can make sense in certain contexts, like when you're calling each other back and forth about something and already properly greeted each other earlier. If it's the first time you're talking to her that day, you should stick with "Hello?" or something friendly like "Hey, what's up?"

You can just tell them that there is someone on the phone who's asking for them. It's best to get the caller's name first if possible though.

Tell the person calling to give you a minute to get a pad or piece of paper, and then take their message and give it to the person later. That's the easiest thing to do. Make sure you get the caller's number so the person can call them back later.

If it isn't you then say, "I'm sorry, there is no one here by that name."

You said it already. Just answer as you suggested, perhaps also offering to take a message for the person that the caller is trying to reach.

In a call center it can be hard to give a personal touch and not seem like you are a robot or that you are reading from a script. Try saying, " Let me help you by putting you through to the right location, which one do you need?" or, "Which location do require this morning/this afternoon?". Sometimes It's not what you say, but how you say it; make sure you smile when you speak, your caller will hear it in your voice.

Write down just what you said in your question: "Called [person's name] on [date] at [time]. Phone was not answered." If you get an answering machine, leave your name and number and the reason for your call, and note on the chart that you left a message.

Certainly, anyone can always ask for anyone's name in conversation. Make a sentence out of it: "Hey, I didn't hear your name, would you repeat it please?"

"I'm sorry, so-and-so is in a meeting right now. Can I take a message?"

No, this is not impolite.

Generally not. "Yes?" is just a slightly less rude way of saying "What?" whereas "Hello" is an actual greeting.

It depends who's calling. If it is one of your friends or relatives, then "Yellow" should be fine. You might confuse someone who doesn't know you at all or well, though.

You can just say something like, "I'm sorry, but [your boss's name] is not currently available. If you leave your name and number with me, I can have him return your call at his earliest convenience."

Tell the caller that you don't know. If a supervisor or manager is available via phone, you could try this approach; otherwise, offer to take the caller's information and call back once you have the information.

"Greetings" sounds much more formal, so if you're going for casual, stick with "good morning."

Tell the caller that you are transferring them. Tell them the name of the person or department that you are accessing, and let them know the extension number so that if the call is dropped, they can call back with that information.

Start with answering the phone with your usual greeting. "Hello, thank you for calling, this is [your name]." Then try something like, "Before I help you, can I ask where you're calling from?" Wait for the answer, then ask "and what is the topic of your call?" That will get you what you need, and it forces people to summarize their calls instead of going on endlessly with their story. It's important to listen to the story too, but at least now you know the core of it already.

These things are best asked directly, clearly. "Here's one more question: will you be having any interviews in the near future?" It is always flattering when people want to work for your company, and they come to you to ask this. And everybody loves conciseness.

It depends. If you know the person they're looking for is nearby, you could say, "May I ask who's calling? Thanks. I'll get them for you." If you aren't sure whether or not the person is nearby, you could say, "Would you mind holding while I try to find them?" If the person isn't there, you can just say, "I'm sorry, but ____ isn't here right now."

If you can't find the person being called, return to the caller and say so. "I'm sorry, I can't find the person you're calling for right now; can I take a message?"

When the person you are calling picks up the phone, introduce yourself, say why you're calling and ask if it's OK to transfer the call to your boss. Then perform the transfer and let your boss continue the conversation.

It's usually a scam call. Hang up. Robo callers call people on a list and if they pick up or show any signs of service, they will repeatedly call the number or sell it as a working number.